Grant Number:	1U54MD010706-01 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Hughes-Halbert, Chanita
Organization:	Medical University Of South Carolina
Project Title:	Medical University of South Carolina Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center in Precision Medicine and Minority Men's Health
Fiscal Year:	2016

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overarching goal of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center (TCC) in Precision Medicine for Minority Men's Health is to determine the most effective ways to integrate, interpret, and apply biological, social, psychological, and clinical determinants of disease risks and outcomes into more precise medical strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat chronic health conditions and diseases. To accomplish this goal, the MUSC TCC will: (1) utilize a multi-regional consortium network representing academic medical centers, community-based health organizations, public health agencies, and community stakeholders who will continually shape research priorities and strategies by embracing the principles of community-based participatory research; (2) conduct novel transdisciplinary research examining the synergistic effects of the multi-level, individual-specific characteristics that impact disease risks and outcomes; and (3) determine and disseminate best practices for delivering precision medicine-based care in an effort to reverse health care disparities among minority men in different clinical and community settings. Center partners will include NIMHD-funded centers at the University of Pennsylvania, Hampton University, and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio as well as forefront thought-leaders in minority health from the Hope Institute, the National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer, Southeast Health Equity Council, and regional HRSA-funded Area Health Education Centers. Key elements of the MUSC TCC organizational structure include a well-defined academic home at MUSC with synergistic health disparity- focused missions and support from an NCI-designated Cancer Center and an NCATS-funded Clinical and Translational Science Award; three initial precision medicine research projects linked by a novel theoretical framework; a Data Integration Core led by nationally-recognized bioinformatic and medical informatic experts charged with creating integrated data sets that include clinical health outcomes data, biospecimen data, and data on social, psychological, and behavioral determinants; an Implementation Core that will deploy the latest approaches in dissemination research through the use of regional Evidence Academies; and a governance structure comprised of three highly qualified multi-PIs with expertise in health disparities, precision medicine, and translational medicine who set the tone for the transdisciplinary underpinnings of this TCC. The MUSC TCC and its partners across Health and Human Services Regions III, IV, and VI are poised to significantly impact the health outcomes of minority men throughout their regional communities utilizing innovative precision medicine-based insights and interventions.





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