Community Engaged Research

A youth shelter and University of Minnesota researchers teamed up to address the unmet needs of pregnant or parenting teens who are also facing homelessness. This vulnerable group often slips through the cracks of social services, finding themselves both ineligible for shelter and with few healthcare resources to meet their unique needs. Janna Gewirtz O'Brien, MD, MPH, an Assistant Professor at

Koushik Paul — an alumnus of the University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute's Pathways to Research Program (PReP) — is complementing his education at the University's Medical School with hands-on community engagement work. Paul and collaborators facilitate health fairs and roundtable discussions in partnership with the Little Earth community, an indigenous preference

Doug Lindsay describes the battle with his own rare disease. Now, he advocates for others. With over a decade spent trying to understand the rare disease that kept him bedridden for most of his 20s, Doug Lindsay learned to become his own advocate. For years he dedicated himself to investigating his symptoms and seeking help from a variety of specialists in hopes of finding answers. Eventually

The de Beaumont Foundation recently recognized Chao Yang of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at the University of Minnesota as one of the “40 under 40 in Public Health.” Yang is the Assistant Director of CTSI's Community Engagement to Advance Research and Community Health (CEARCH) function. The award recognizes leaders in public health who are improving the health of

Efforts to educate and promote the COVID-19 vaccine continue and rates have gone up, but there are still communities struggling to get vaccinated. Whether low vaccination rates are due to misinformation or lack of accessibility, it has become apparent that not all communities in the U.S. are suffering in the same ways from the COVID-19 pandemic. Several groups in California have made it their

With funding from CTSI, University of Minnesota researchers worked with local Indigenous community partners to develop evidence-based and culturally appropriate COVID-19 resources, creating three distinct fact sheets on staying healthy and staying connected during the pandemic. The project, “Helping Indigenous communities stay connected in light of COVID-19,” was conducted by the Memory Keepers

A group of researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) are developing a smartphone app to help parents in under-resourced communities detect severe tooth decay in their kids with the help of a new NIH grant. The idea to leverage smartphones came directly from the community through a Community-Based Participatory Research Pipeline-to-Pilot project funded by the University of

One could say she has community in her heart. Rev. Dr. Paulette Sankofa, EdD, grew up in the St. Louis West End and remembers the tight community connections, particularly among older adults that was commonplace at that time. It is this sense of community and respect for seniors instilled as a young child that has shaped much of her life’s work. Today, Sankofa is the founder and executive director

Pediatrician uses listening sessions to understand and address questions As the entire country eagerly awaits a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine, the issue of vaccine hesitancy is particularly relevant. Pediatrician Joshua Williams has been studying vaccine hesitancy in order to understand and address the questions religious Coloradans have.

Emily Zimmerman, Ph.D., M.S., MPH, wrote the book on community engaged research – literally. Released in March, “Researching Health Together: Engaging Patients and Stakeholders, From Topic Identification to Policy Change” features a collection of experiences from researchers across the country, sharing how and why their projects are designed to engage the community. The Wright Center sat down with

A mother and her three preschool-age children ran out of food as they self-isolated in rural Washington County, awaiting COVID-19 test results. They were far from a grocery store and had no transportation. The next day, on a hot July 2 afternoon, a volunteer pulled into their driveway to deliver emergency food aid. As the last box of food was placed on the doorstep, one of the children shouted