Newly updated online training: Putting Public Health Evidence in Action
The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) recently updated their six-part online training, Putting Public Health Evidence in Action. The training is designed to support community program planners, health educators and practitioners in developing capacity to use evidence-based approaches to improve the health of their community. Access the training.
How to enjoy the Mediterranean diet using foods near you
A blog post from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health features researchers from HPDP who developed our Center's Med-South Lifestyle Program. The post explains the benefits of a Mediterranean dietary pattern and provides suggestions and recipes to help people adopt and enjoy Mediterranean-style food with a Southern twist.
News
HPDP awards three $5,000 planning grants to UNC faculty studying pressing issues in prevention research
In 2021, the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) awarded three planning grants to researchers who are studying pressing issues in prevention research. The grants are funding pilot projects in: secondary prevention in heart attack survivors with symptoms of anxiety and depression, the creation of educational tools to help Latinas navigate perimenopause, and the development of a digital health tool to treat binge eating in Black women. Read more.
Washington Post op-ed cites ACCURE intervention as a model for addressing the racial equity gap in cancer care
The ACCURE project, which recently published two papers about interventions which closed or nearly closed the Black-white racial equity gap in lung and breast cancer, is the subject of a recent Washington Post op-ed.
The project grew out of the Greensboro Health Disparities Collaborative, a group of community leaders, researchers, health care providers, and other community members. The project was a collaboration between HPDP researchers, the Partnership Project Inc., Cone Health in Greensboro, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Read more.
Study estimates costs of treating and living with metastatic breast cancer will more than double between 2015 and 2030, due to increase in cases among younger women
According to recent research by Stephanie Wheeler, PhD, and Justin Trogdon, PhD, the costs associated with metastatic breast cancer may increase substantially in the coming decade, particularly among women ages 18-64. Read more.
UNC helps high school students win national STEM competition and fight hunger
In 2020, three students from Enloe Magnet High School in Raleigh developed an app to help food pantries reduce waste, with some assistance from HPDP Director Alice Ammerman, DrPH. In 2020, they approached Ammerman to ask her, as a food insecurity researcher, if she knew how they might use technology to make a difference. The app they developed, called Pantry Patrol, won a first place award in a national STEM competition for students. Read more.
Research Talk: Promoting Youth Development through Self-Regulation Programs and Practices
Desiree Murray, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and prevention scientist whose research focuses on promoting positive youth development, particularly for those living in adversity, by creating more supportive home, school, and community environments. A key focus of her work is building the capacity of educators to provide co-regulation supports to adolescents through consistent relationships, a supportive school climate, and intentional teacher-student interactions. Event information.
Combating White Supremacy Manifestations Within a Research Context
The Food, Fitness and Opportunity Research Collaborative (FFORC) has been working to educate ourselves on the manifestations of white supremacy, using the work of Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun, and developing new approaches to all aspects of our research and programming. We will share strategies we have developed to address these white supremacy manifestations: worship of the written word, one right way/perfectionism and urgency. This webinar will feature mixed media. There will be time for discussion and questions. Event information.
Virtual Cook-Along with Award Recipient Alice Ammerman
The Department of Nutrition invites you to join Professor Alice Ammerman to accept the Departmental Distinguished Alumni Award with a virtual cook-along and research update. She will demonstrate a recipe from the Med-South diet: a dietary pattern designed and rigorously tested by Professor Ammerman and her research team that combines the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet with the flavors and local ingredients found in the U.S. South. Throughout the cooking demonstration, she will share videos from former students expanding upon their own research. Advance registration suggested.
Announcements
SNAP-Ed Toolkit accepting submissions
The submission period is open for new SNAP-Ed Toolkit interventions. The interventions component of the SNAP-Ed Toolkit helps state SNAP-Ed administrative and implementing agencies identify and implement evidence-based obesity prevention and policy, systems, and environmental change (PSE) interventions to include in SNAP-Ed Plans. Submit an intervention.
A webinar on November 10 at 3 p.m. will review how to apply the RE-AIM Framework to an application and submit an intervention through the online submission portal. Register for the webinar.
Racial Equity Workgroup invites participation from HPDP colleagues
We are looking for other HPDP colleagues who are interested in working towards racial equity and anti-racism to join the HPDP Racial Equity Work Group. Are you interested in being involved with racial equity work at HPDP? Do you have ideas on how to move racial equity work forward at HPDP or concerns about current activities? You can share this with the group as well.
Contact Julia Kimmel at julia_kimmel@unc.edu for more information about how you can get involved!
Investigator and Staff News
Alice Ammerman recipient of national and local awards
The Obesity Society has awarded HPDP Director Alice Ammerman, DrPH, with the 2021 Atkinson Stern Award for Distinguished Public Service. The award recognizes "an individual or organization whose work has improved the lives of those affected by obesity, whether through research, public policy, or patient care."
Dr. Ammerman is also the recipient this year of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UNC Department of Nutrition. She will receive the award and deliver a lecture and virtual cook-along as part of UNC's University Research Week on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 5-7:30 p.m. Register for the online event.
Christina Rodriguez serves as co-chair on national anti-racism group
Christina Rodriguez, HPDP’s associate director of grants and finance, is serving as co-chair on the CDC’s PRC Anti-Racism Networking Group. The national group connects staff and investigators from across the CDC’s Prevention Research Center (PRC) program to advocate for tools and resources to operationalize anti-racism at the Center level as well as to build community and accountability amongst the Centers. HPDP is one of 26 Prevention Research Centers based at academic institutions across the United States.
New Research at HPDP
Berkowitz receives R01 grant to help advance health equity in type 2 diabetes care
A research team led by Seth A. Berkowitz, MD, MPH has received a five-year R01 award from the U.S. National Institutes of Health to better understand how addressing health-related social needs improves health outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes. The team includes investigators in the department of biostatistics and at OCHIN, a nonprofit organization that provides information technology support to community health centers. Thanks to a partnership with OCHIN, the team will have access to a newly available source of electronic health record data, allowing them to follow patients with type 2 diabetes over time in a way that has not previously been possible. Read more.
Health for Hearts United Collaborative
HPDP Director Alice Ammerman, DrPH, is collaborating on a project about church-based interventions to improve cardiovascular risk factors for African-Americans. The Health for Hearts United Collaborative is a community-academic partnership in North Florida that involves a network of 45 churches. Through the partnership, church leaders work with community members to improve nutrition and physical activity practices that promote cardiovascular health. The project will investigate the effects of different implementation strategies for church-based interventions. The project is led by Penny Ralston, PhD, of Florida State University, and Dr. Ammerman will be developing and evaluating implementation approaches designed to increase the potential for scale up and dissemination.
The Impact of Cannabidiol (CBD) Health Claims at Point-of-Sale on Consumer Perceptions and Behavior
Allison Lazard, PhD, is a co-investigator and subcontract lead on a new five-year project about Cannabidiol (CBD) health claims. The major goals of the project are to document the types of health claims being made by CBD retailers, evaluate how consumers perceive them, and evaluate their impact on consumer purchase of CBD products. Kimberly Wagoner, PhD, at Wake Forest University Health Sciences is the principal investigator of the project.
HPDP Welcomes
Join us in welcoming our newest permanent staff members at HPDP.
Rachel Cominsky
Communication Strategist and Project Manager
Food, Fitness, and Opportunity Research Collaborative (FFORC)
Rachel is excited to be coming on as the communication strategist and project manager within the FFORC team. In this position, Rachel will be responsible for developing community facing materials, such as project reports and informational materials, along with executing a social media strategy to lift up community stories and FFORC initiatives. When she is not working, Rachel enjoys taking dance classes, teaching group exercise, or working her way through a new cookbook.
Desiree Murray, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP)
Dr. Murray joins HPDP as a senior research scientist who previously worked at UNC’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. She is a clinical psychologist and prevention scientist whose research focuses on promoting positive youth development through self-regulation and mindfulness-based interventions in schools. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, yoga, and spending time with friends and family.
HPDP is a CDC Prevention Research Center (PRC). Learn more about the PRC Program and subscribe to the program newsletter, Prevention Research Matters.
