The Center for Community Health Partnership and Research is pleased to announce four applications were selected to receive community-engaged research pilot funding through the Clinical and Translational Research Funding Program of the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences. This award provides up to $50,000 in funding for community-engaged research activities over a 12-month period.
The Clear Path Project: Optimizing a regional system for HIV testing
Virginia McKay, Assistant Professor, WashU Brown School
This project aims to improve community health in St. Louis by expanding access to HIV and STI testing, particularly in areas with high diagnosis rates. Many young adults, especially Black adults and men who have sex with men, are disproportionately affected. With the support of a collaborative of service providers, we will 1 – involve new organizations in attending to sexual health and 2 – expand a take home HIV testing program provided by the St. Louis City Department of Health to include STI test kits. We will evaluate our ability to increase testing, detect infections early, and ultimately reduce HIV and STI rates for a healthier community.
Are alternative models of maternity care a solution for rural maternity care deserts?: A community-led study of the MO Bootheel
Siobhan Sutcliffe, Professor, Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, WashU School of Medicine
This project aims to improve community health in St. Louis by expanding access to HIV and STI testing, particularly in areas with high diagnosis rates. Many young adults, especially Black adults and men who have sex with men, are disproportionately affected. With the support of a collaborative of service providers, we will 1 – involve new organizations in attending to sexual health and 2 – expand a take home HIV testing program provided by the St. Louis City Department of Health to include STI test kits. We will evaluate our ability to increase testing, detect infections early, and ultimately reduce HIV and STI rates for a healthier community.
“Viviendo Bien”: Development of a community-partnered research agenda with under-resourced Hispanic communities in two Missouri counties
Maithe Enriquez, Professor, Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri-Columbia
To date, our community-health-academic partnership has focused mainly on the problem of excess Type 2 diabetes mellitus in our Hispanic communities at the individual level. We wish to take our work to the next level: community-level interventions. This proposed research study is an essential step so that our academic-health-community partnership is well-positioned to develop future research endeavors. Findings will allow us to set short and long-term research goals that focus on the community’s perceived top health needs and challenges. We aim to develop community-level interventions that are practical, effective, and embraced by the community.
The Black Genome Project: Advancing Equity in Genomics and Precision Medicine through a Community-engaged Museum Exhibition
Brett Maricque, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, WashU School of Medicine
The Black Genome Project takes a people-first approach to advancing equity in genomics and precision medicine. We center Black communities in St. Louis and seek to understand how genomics is impacting Black St. Louisans and how they value their genomic data. Here we focus on disseminating our research findings in St. Louis through a museum exhibit co-created with our community partners. Over time, we aim to highlight opportunities for greater equity in genomics and precision medicine. In the short-term, community members will benefit from community-based genomics education, safe and thoughtful spaces to discuss genetics and health, and a genuine voice in the future of genetics research.
