This application will establish a Comprehensive Center of Excellence in Disparities Research and Community Engagement (CEDREC) as a consortium between Weill Cornell Medical College, Hunter College School of Nursing -City University of New York, Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center and the Center for Healthful Behavior Change at New York University School of Medicine. The Director Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster and Co-Director Dr. Mary Charlson will establish 4 cores: 1)The Research Core will advance health disparities research by leveraging Weill Cornell's and New York University's expertise in translational behavioral science research;2)The Research Training Core will increase the number of well-trained minority investigators by developing a Health Disparities Research program that provides health disparities research training for minority nursing students at Hunter and junior faculty at Lincoln;3) The Community Engagement Core will strengthen the capacity for research in Central Harlem and the South Bronx and establish an active Community Advisory Board that will participate in designing new community-based projects;and 4)The Administrative Core will coordinate these scientific initiatives and establish an interdisciplinary Executive Committee and External Advisory Board that will ensure the growth and sustainability of CEDREC. Two studies that build upon our completed NHLBI funded projects are proposed. The first entitled """"""""Trial Using Motivational Interviewing and Positive Affect and Self-affirmation in Hypertension (TRIUMPH)"""""""", is a randomized controlled trial designed to improve blood pressure control in hypertensive black patients. TRIUMPH is framed on Social Cognitive Theory and applies positive affect induction, self-affirmation induction, and motivational interviewing as behavioral strategies. The second, """"""""Multibehavior Intervention to Increase Screening and Enhance Risk Reduction in Black Men (MISTER-B)"""""""", is a novel, randomized community-based trial, conducted in barbershops that targets hypertensive black men over age 50 who have not had colorectal cancer screening. MISTER-B will apply two strategies to improve the rates of blood pressure control and colorectal cancer screening: therapeutic lifestyle counseling using motivational interviewing and peer counseling using trained patient navigators from the community. CEDREC is unique because it 1) targets hard to reach populations, black men, 2) utilizes non-traditional venues and 3) translates basic behavioral science theories to understanding and developing solutions to pressing public health issues.
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