# Systems Science for Translational Health Disparities Research

> **NIH NIH K01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $166,358

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
Disparities in hypertension control, a major determinant of cardiovascular disease, are driven by a confluence
of barriers that operate at patient, provider, healthcare institution, and community levels. Developing multilevel
interventions that overcome these barriers can take years, high levels of funding, and infrastructure.
Healthcare institutions that serve disparity populations may lack these resources and be unable to rigorously
develop and evaluate such complex interventions. The question, then, is how to best adapt evidence-based
interventions for hypertension control so institutions can implement and sustain them?
Dr. John W. Jackson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Jackson seeks a K01 Mentored Career Development Award to gain
the skills, experience, and preliminary data needed for an independent, methods-focused research program in
translational health disparities research.
Through the training and research experience outlined in this award, Dr. Jackson will integrate his background
in causal inference with methods and theories that capture the ecological complexity of healthcare systems
and patient care. The career development plan includes training in (a) systems science (b) implementation
science (c) social ecological theory, and (d) cardiovascular disease epidemiology through mentorship,
coursework, and participation in working groups, professional development programs, and scientific meetings.
Using this training, Dr. Jackson will build microsimulation models that address three critical phases of
translational health disparities research. Aim 1 empirically identifies patient-level factors that a multilevel
intervention must address to reduce disparities in a target institution. Aim 2 empirically identifies the active
components of a multilevel intervention that must be translated to the target institution. Aim 3 estimates the
effect of a multilevel intervention in the target institution, after accounting for differences in patient composition
and organizational structure. The Aims will use detailed data from the RICH LIFE Project, a cluster randomized
trial of collaborative, stepped care to reduce disparities in hypertension control (the multilevel intervention),
along with a retrospective cohort of patients from the Johns Hopkins Community Physicians primary care
network (the target institution). This study will lay the groundwork for a theory-informed research program that
blends causal inference and systems science methods to guide the translation of disparities-focused
interventions to new settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10075971
- **Project number:** 5K01HL145320-03
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** John William Jackson
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $166,358
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10075971

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10075971, Systems Science for Translational Health Disparities Research (5K01HL145320-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10075971. Licensed CC0.

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