Intervention and Implementation
As the Applied Research Project of the UMass Chan PRC, BP Control is studying costs, return-on-investment, and blood pressure among sub-groups of people associated with implementing an effective intervention for promoting adherence to anti-hypertensive medications among patients with uncontrolled hypertension. The intervention will be implemented as standard of care for all patients with uncontrolled hypertension.
PRC Investigators: Milagros C. Rosal, PhD, Stephenie C. Lemon PhD
Partners: Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc.
Funder: UMass Chan PRC's Core research project, funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (PI: Rosal)
Dates: 2019-2024
This project will develop an approach for assessing Perinatal Psychiatry Access Programs, a model being
implemented across the United States for delivering mental healthcare to pregnant and postpartum individuals.
Findings will be shared with Perinatal Psychiatry Access Programs and key partners to 1) improve Access Programs’
programming and evaluation, and 2) to inform policy and funding.
PRC Investigators: Stephenie C. Lemon, PhD (PI of record)
Funder: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (PI: Byatt)
Dates: 2021-2024
This study will fill knowledge gaps regarding the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) behavioral and
cardiometabolic risk factors and overall cardiovascular health (CVH) among young adults in Puerto Rico and
ascertain their psychosocial (individual and neighborhood-level) and sociodemographic determinants. We will
establish an island-wide cohort of 3,000 young adults (18-29 years old) using a multi-stage sampling of probabilistic
plus community approaches; conduct comprehensive assessments (survey, anthropometric, physiological), and
establish a biorepository (blood, hair, saliva, urine) for future longitudinal studies of CVD risk, DVH, and mechanism.
PRC Investigator: Milagros C. Rosal, PhD
Funder: National Institutes of Health (PIs: Rosal, Perez)
Dates: 2019-2024
Translating Research into Practice (TRIP) draws upon the principles of community-engaged implementation science to facilitate deployment and utilization of: (a) regional patient registries; (b) systematic screening for social barriers to care with a referral plan; and (c) patient navigation services into one integrated model of care to improve the quality and effectiveness of care delivery for African American women with breast cancer.
UMass Chan PRC Investigator: Stephenie C. Lemon, PhD
Funder: National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute (NCI) (PIs: Battaglia, Freund, Haas, Lemon)
Dates: 2017-2022
Research Focus: Leading chronic disease, Social Determinants of Health
This study will test whether a refined practice facilitation strategy improves fidelity to the implementation of ALMA, an evidence-based intervention targeting adherence to antihypertensive medication among Latino patients with uncontrolled hypertension; and whether the practice facilitation strategy results in improved blood pressure control.
UMass Chan PRC Investigator: Milagros C. Rosal, PhD
Funder: National Institutes of Health, New York University School of Medicine (PI: Schoenthaler)
Dates: 2019-2024
Research Focus: Leading Chronic Disease
This collaborative study between UMass Chan Medical School, Vanderbilt and the University of Alabama at Birmingham is developing innovative approaches to enhancing informed consent procedures with a goal of improving research literacy among under-served populations. This project is developing a multi-level informed consent platform that integrates e-consent with patient storytelling and simulations-based research assistant training. The intervention will be tested in the context of six ongoing clinical trials in a multiple time series design randomized trial.
UMass Chan PRC Investigator: Stephenie C. Lemon, PhD
Funder: National Institutes of Health, National Center for the Advancement of Translational Science (PIs: Lemon, Allison, Saag, Harris)
Dates: 2016-2022
Research Focus: Social Determinants of Health
The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to test a program consisting of a telephone coaching and family workbook of informational materials to see if it reduces obesity among children. The trial is enrolling 512 children ages 8 to 12 with overweight and obesity and their family from 16 pediatric practices.
UMass Chan PRC Investigator: Lori Pbert, PhD
Funder: National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Dates: 2016-2022
Research Foci: Diet, Physical Activity
This study is a partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs in Massachusetts and involves testing the effectiveness of a narrative-based youth empowerment intervention for reducing sugar sweetened beverage consumption and obesity.
UMass Chan PRC Investigators: Milagros C. Rosal, PhD, Stephenie C. Lemon, PhD
Partner: Boys and Girls Clubs in MA
Funder: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Boston University-Prime (PI: M. Wang)
Dates: 2020-2025
Research Focus: Diet
Vaper-to-Vaper (V2V) is a group of mobile tools, such as texting, which are designed for adolescents to help their peers manage their tobacco cravings and quit vaping. The tools building from prior tobacco intervention work.
UMass Chan PRC Investigator: Lori Pbert, PhD
Funder: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Dates: 2021-2023
Research Focus: Tobacco
The study followed the use of tobacco products, quit attempts, and genetic and environmental factors among study participants. It extended the ability to follow-participants until they are 30 years old.
UMass Chan PRC Investigator: Lori Pbert, PhD
Partners: University of Montreal
Funder: Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute (PI: O’Loughlin)
Dates: 2015-2020
Research Focus: Tobacco
