NASHVILLE, Tenn. Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core (CERC) Community Scholars Robert Marx, MA, MS and Josh Cockroft attended their first CERC meeting on Wednesday, June 28, 2017.
The Community Scholars program provides support for two graduate trainees per year. The award enables the Scholars to spend a year developing their skills as community engaged researchers, and they are required to conduct a community-engaged research project with a community partner during the academic year. Additionally, they participate in CERC activities, supporting the development of community-engaged research and building relationships between community and academic partners.
Marx is a fourth-year doctoral student in Community Research and Action at Peabody College. He will be conducting participatory action research with LGBTQ adolescents through a partnership with the Oasis Center. His project will lead to the creation of a student-led documentary film starring, produced, directed and edited by trans and gender non-conforming youth of color.
Cockroft, a fourth-year medical student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has plans to pursue an academic and clinical career in combined family medicine and psychiatry. His joint research project with The Next Door will examine how the role of trust in healthcare systems and providers affects healthcare utilization in women with a history of substance abuse who seek substance abuse treatment in a community setting.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core
CERC is a partnership between Meharry Medical College and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center that brings academic and community partners together to improve community health and healthcare through research. It shapes and supports innovative and translational community-engaged research by preparing scientists to impact the public’s health, building the capacity for communities to engage in research and creating transformative strategies and structures to support academic-community partnerships.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.
