Research Initiatives

Current Research Grants

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health continues a successful record of receiving grant funding from local, state and national foundations and state and federal funding agencies.  Grants focus primarily on clinical or community-based research. Listed (alphabetically by title) are many of the current research grants awarded to departmental faculty.

Research:

A Model for Primary Care Management of Alcohol Use Disorders Among Homeless Women (NIAAA) - Linda Weinreb, MD and Carole Upshur, EdD

Addressing Behavior Problems in Preschool Settings (NIMH) - Carole Upshur, EdD

Assessing the Collaborative Care Environment in Primary Care Environment in Primary Care (University of Vermont/NIH) - Dan Mullin, PsyD 

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) - A Potential Biomarker of Nicotine Withdrawal (Pfizer) - Joe DiFranza, MD

Community Health Workers as Ad Hoc Interpreters: Balancing Role Extension (UMass CCTS Community Engagement and Research pilot grant program) - Lee Hargraves, PhD

Community Health Workers Using Patient Stories to Support Hypertension Management (NIMHD) - Lee Hargraves PhD

CONtrolling Disease Using Inexpensive IT Hypertension in Diabetes: CONDUIT-HID (AHRQ) – Barry Saver, MD, MPH

Cost, Benefit & Regulation of Buprenorphine Treatment for Medicaid Beneficiaries (NIDA) – Robin Clark, PhD

Direct Engagement of Stakeholders in Translating CER into Clinical Guidelines (PCORI) - Roger Luckmann, MD, MPH

Early Innovator (HHS/Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight) - Jay Himmelstein, MD, MPH

Effectiveness of Screening Colonoscopy in Reducing Deaths from Colorectal Cancer (NCI) - Chyke Doubeni, MD, MPH

Evaluation of the Massachusetts Health Disparities Collaborative (RWJF) - Lee Hargraves, PhD

Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change (RWJF) - Lee Hargraves, PhD

Health Surveillance of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities (CDC) – Alexandra Bonardi, OTR/L, MHA  

Influence and Evidence: Understanding Consumer Choices in Preventive Care (PCORI) - Barry Saver, MD, MPH

Integrated Care Model for Homeless Women (NIMH) - Linda Weinreb, MD and Carole Upshur, EdD

Meeting the Needs of Pregnant Women with PTSD in Healthy Start ( HRSA-MCH ) Linda Weinreb, MD and Carole Upshur, EdD

Optimizing Colonoscopy and Fecal Immunochemical Test for Community-based Sreening (Suffolk University) - Chyke Doubeni, MD, MPH

Primary Prevention for Resettled Refugees from Burma (Worcester County Prevention Research Center) - Suzanne Cashman, ScD and Heather-Lyn Haley, PhD

Project HealthChange: Rethinking the Power and Potential of Personal Health Records (RWJF) - Roger Luckmann, MD, MPH

Promoting Breast Cancer Screening in Non-Adherent Women (NCI) - Roger Luckmann, MD, MPH

Reminders for Your Health (BCBS) - Roger Luckmann, MD, MPH

Supporting Patient and Provider Managment of Chronic Pain with a PDA Application Linked to a Personal Health Record (RWJF) - Roger Luckmann, MD, MPH

Systematic Review of Oral Health Interventions Aimed to Reduce Health Disparities in Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (AADMD AND CDC) - Alexandra Bonandi, PhD 

Telephone Counseling to Support Colon Cancer Screening in Primary Care (NCI) - Roger Luckmann, MD, MPH

The Risks and Benefits of Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Noncancer Pain in Primary Care (Commonwealth Medicine) - Roger Luckmann, MD, MPH

The Quality of Buprenorphine Treatment for Medicaid Beneficiaries (Massachusetts) (NIDA) - Jeffry Baxter, MD