Six seed grants foster collaboration between faculty and community groups on research

- By Kris Newby

Vivek Bhalia

Six research teams that will conduct community health research through collaborations with local agencies have received a total of $84,000 in seed grant funds from Spectrum, which oversees Stanford’s Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health.

These grants aim to address pressing health needs within the local community through collaborative research partnerships in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

“Each of the grants speaks to the mission of Spectrum’s Office of Community Health by focusing on health disparities. Our role is to support the community partners and Stanford faculty through training and consultations on community-engaged research,” said Rhonda McClinton-Brown, MPH, executive director of the Office of Community Health.

Lisa Chamberlain

The projects include research collaborations with community-based health centers, nonprofit organizations, and other health-care centers. This year’s award recipients include:

Validation of biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy in a community-based health-care setting — Vivek Bhalla, MD, assistant professor of nephrology, with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

Fighting hunger in East Palo Alto: Identifying innovative community-based strategies for pediatricians to support local community partners — Lisa Chamberlain, MD, MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics, and Elizabeth Baca, MD, clinical instructor of pediatrics, with Ecumenical Hunger Program in East Palo Alto.

A targeted intervention addressing the emotional needs of high risk youth through a family wellness program — Victor Carrion, MD, associate professor of psychiatry, and Daryn Reicherter, MD, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, with Ravenswood Family Health Center and the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula.

Molecular surveillance of HIV-1 transmission and drug resistance networks in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties — David Katzenstein, MD, professor of infectious diseases, with Stanford Positive Care Clinic, Ira Green Positive PACE Clinic and San Mateo Medical Center.

Andrew Zolopa

Developing community-based mental health interventions to prevent the transmission of trauma from survivors of torture to their children — Suzan Song, MD, MPH, postdoctoral scholar in psychiatry, with Center for Survivors of Torture at the Asian Americans for Community Involvement.

Evaluating risk factors for HIV and acceptability of HIV testing at two community-based substance treatment centers — Annie Talbot, MD, clinical assistant professor of infectious diseases, and Andrew Zolopa, MD, associate professor of infectious diseases, with County of Santa Clara Department of Public Health, Mariposa Lodge and Vida Nueva.

The OCH was established in the fall of 2005 with initial funding from the Dean's Office and the Valley Foundation. It is working to develop a national model to train future leaders in community health, disseminate community health scholarship and enhance local health via community-academic partnerships.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.

2023 ISSUE 3

Exploring ways AI is applied to health care