# CONNECTOME-Community Engagement CORE

> **NIH NIH P50** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2021 · $710,146

## Abstract

The Community Core for the Center to Improve Chronic disease Outcomes through Multi-level and Multi-
generational approaches Unifying Novel Interventions and Training for health EquitY (COMMUNITY
Center) connects all of the projects, pilots, and cores to the diverse communities we serve approximately 2/3
non-white, 1/3 foreign-born, and 1/5 living below the Federal poverty line. As the central hub of the networks
throughout the New York City region, we have aptly named the core, the CONNECTOME. The goals of
community engagement—to build trust, foster bi-directional communication, create equitable systems and
policies that promote and sustain economic, physical, mental and social health—define health equity for
communities. While the commitment to community engagement is reflected in a number of major federal
initiatives, we have yet to realize its full potential in addressing multiple chronic health conditions in an
increasingly diverse United States population. Key reasons for the lack of realization of the full potential is that
much research, care, and community outreach still remain focused on single chronic disease and often at later
stages of the lifespan and frequently only at one academic institution. We are thrilled that this RFA is specifically
designed to serve communities who suffer from multiple chronic diseases and rightly challenge us to have a
more integrated approach reaching beyond the boundaries of academe and integrating across the siloed medical
model to address upstream effects. This mechanism will provide the resources to develop sustainable
interventions to improve community health across the NYC Region. The COMMUNITY Center partners CUIMC,
WCMC, Hunter/CUNY and PAGNY (see Overall). To fully tackle the health disparities that exist in the NYC
region, we must address the social determinants of health (SDOH) and broader social contexts that shape health
and disease. The COMMUNITY Center seeks to tackle the SDOH at the individual, interpersonal/community and
societal levels. The COMMUNITY Core (CONNECTOME) supports these efforts by: 1) Synergizing and
empowering a growing number New York City-based stakeholders (safety-net provider organizations,
community members, community-based organizations, foundations, non-profits, CTSA’s and researchers) using
a coalition approach to improving management of multiple chronic diseases, specifically CVD and cancer; 2)
Serving as a focal point for organizing and nurturing productive bi-directional relationships between the
COMMUNITY connectome members, core directors, investigators in the projects and pilots within and across
our communities and stakeholder groups, and 3) Disseminating the information generated by the COMMUNITY
program through the connectome to diverse audiences including our local communities, public and community
colleges, and faith and community-based organization in New York and regional and national policy leaders to
enact meaningful change. Integral to these aims are...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10437178
- **Project number:** 1P50MD017341-01
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** MARY BETH TERRY
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $710,146
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-24 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10437178

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10437178, CONNECTOME-Community Engagement CORE (1P50MD017341-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10437178. Licensed CC0.

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