The Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research's (CHPPR) Behavioral Sciences for Cancer Prevention and Control program proposes to train 7 pre- and 8 post-docs to be recruited in the new funding period and to complete the training of 4 pre-docs and 1 post-doc-20 in all. We have trained pre- and post-docs recruited nationally from diverse behavioral science and public health backgrounds since 1992. With the funds awarded from our 1st renewal, 20 trainees will have completed training by the time our 2nd proposed renewal would begin. Seven of these trainees are Hispanic or African American. Of 10 post-docs who have already completed training, 8 hold faculty appointments, and 2 are in cancer research positions in academic institutions; of 6 pre-docs who have completed training, 2 are in faculty positions, 1 is an NCI-funded post-doctoral position, and 3 are in research positions in academic institutions. All apply their skills in cancer prevention and control research. Training includes: 1) coursed in health promotion, behavioral sciences, communication, epidemiology, research design, applied statistics, and cancer prevention; 2) research placements with inter-disciplinary teams of investigators; and 3) active mentoring. Trainees conduct research in tobacco, alcohol, and obesity control; sexual risk reduction, and promotion of physical activity, healthy diet, and cancer screening. Developments in the current funding period are: 1) merger of the Center for Health Promotion Research and Development with the SPH Prevention Research Center to form the CHPPR; 2) growth in the number outstanding senior and upcoming mentors from health education, epidemiology, health communication, social psychology, nutrition, and research methods; 3) expansion of the available portfolio or research projects related to cancer prevention and control; 4) publication by the faculty of a major textbook on a systematic method of developing and testing theory- and evidence-based interventions; 5) integration of health communication science into the behavioral science coursework; 6) continued relationships with historically Black colleges in Texas and Louisiana and newly added SPH regional campuses, one in Brownsville on the campus of an Hispanic-serving university to strengthen our ability to recruit and screen African American and Hispanic trainees; and 7) improved systems and policies for selecting and orienting new trainees and monitoring their training experience and progress.
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