CDC renews funding for NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center

New project cycle aims to improve diabetes outcomes among low-income immigrant populations

NEW YORK, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has renewed funding for the NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center (NYU-CUNY PRC) on a new project cycle focused on chronic disease prevention and management in underserved communities, using innovative community-clinical linkage strategies.

The NYU-CUNY PRC, one of 20 CDC-designated centers in the national network of PRCs, was established in 2009 to advance translation of evidence-based and innovative programs to increase access to care and disrupt the cycle of health disparities among hard-to-reach, marginalized populations. Its research studies are based in NYU Langone's Department of Population Health and at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH).

The core research project for the 2024-2029 cycle aims to improve diabetes management among low-income immigrant populations through culturally tailored education and support. The project will test a multi-level Community-Clinical Linkage (CCL) model that integrates a technology-enabled platform for accessing social care, Community Health Workers (CHWs) as case managers, and mobile health-based diabetes education and support to help patients bring their blood sugar under control.

"By bridging the gap between clinical services and community-based support, we can reach people who experience significant barriers in their day-to-day lives that prevent them from effectively managing their diabetes," says CUNY SPH Distinguished Professor Terry Huang, NYU-CUNY PRC co-director and a principal investigator on the core research study. Other principal investigators on the core research study include NYU Langone faculty Drs. Brita Roy and Lu Hu.

Using culturally adapted strategies for diabetes management and prevention, the investigators hope to see improved health outcomes for this population, enhanced capacity for community partners to adopt and implement evidence-based interventions effectively and the development of a portfolio of tools and resources that can be disseminated widely across healthcare systems serving diverse populations.

The NYU-CUNY PRC will leverage existing partnerships with healthcare providers, municipal agencies, and community organizations to enhance the delivery and sustainability of interventions. It will include training workshops and technical assistance for external partners engaged in CCL initiatives.

"As the only CDC-funded prevention research center based in New York City, our vision is to serve as the premier citywide and national resource to support community-clinical linkage models," says Dr. Nadia Islam, professor and director of Translational Research Partners at NYU Grossman School of Medicine's Department of Population Health and MPI of the NYU-CUNY PRC. "Working closely with community-based, municipal, and healthcare partners, our center has played a leading role advancing the science of effective, replicable, and scalable CHW models and programs to improve health equity across diverse populations."

"We're very proud this innovative public-private partnership continues to thrive, where between a CEPH-accredited, minority-serving public school of public health (CUNY SPH) and a leading academic medical school with expertise in population health and prevention research (NYU) work together to promote health equity and social justice in NYC," says Dr. Lorna Thorpe, the Anita Steckler and Joseph Steckler professor and chair of the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone.

Along with the parent NYU-CUNY PRC, the CDC also funded four special interest projects within the NYU-CUNY PRC network:

• Advancing Research in Immunization Services Network (ARISe) led by CUNY SPH Distinguished Lecturer Scott Ratzan and NYU Langone Assistant Professor Lauren Taylor. The NYU-CUNY PRC is funded to serve as both a coordinating center and collaborating center.
  
  
• Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) led by NYU Langone Professor Chau Trinh-Shevrin, with Distinguished Professor Huang as a co-investigator. The NYU-CUNY PRC is funded as collaborating center.
  
  
• Managing Epilepsy Well Network (MEW) led by NYU Langone Associate Professor Tanya Spruill. The NYU-CUNY PRC is funded as a collaborating center.
  
  
• Gauging men's reaction to relabeling of GG1 prostate cancer and understanding of pathology reports led by NYU Langone Professor Stacy Loeb, in partnership with colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco.

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About CUNY SPH

The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) is committed to promoting and sustaining healthier populations in New York City and around the world through excellence in education, research, and service in public health and by advocating for sound policy and practice to advance social justice and improve health outcomes for all.

About NYU Langone

NYU Langone Health is a world-class, patient-centered, integrated academic medical center, with a culture rooted in excellence in patient care, education, and research. Vizient, Inc., has ranked NYU Langone the #1 comprehensive academic medical center in the country for three years in a row and U.S. News & World Report recently placed nine of its clinical specialties among the top five in the nation. NYU Langone offers a comprehensive range of medical services across six inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 300 outpatient locations across the New York area and Florida. The system also includes two medical schools, in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a vast research enterprise.

SOURCE CUNY SPH