# OHDRC Academic-Community Engagement and Dissemination Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2021 · $351,991

## Abstract

Obesity is among the most prevalent, costly and preventable of health problems. African Americans are 15%
more likely to suffer from obesity than Whites and 70% of African Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 are
overweight or obese. Obesity also places a disproportionate chronic disease burden on African Americans. Our
overall goal is to establish the UAB Obesity Health Disparities Research Center of Excellence (OHDRC) with
an ultimate goal of reducing and eliminating disparities in obesity between African Americans and whites. Using
Alabama as a model, the OHDRC will support transdisciplinary, multi-level, multi-domain research on obesity-
related health disparities to understand the complex contributors to obesity and how they vary at critical periods
across the life course and develop interventions to address these contributors.
To achieve this goal, we will 1) Conduct innovative interdisciplinary research to understand the complex
interactions between biological, behavioral and social factors associated with obesity-related health disparities
throughout the life course (two full projects); 2) Partner with the community to inform research and disseminate
evidence-based practices designed to result in individual, community and system-level changes to impact
obesity-related health disparities. (Academic-Community Engagement and Dissemination Core- ACED); 3)
Expand the pipeline of innovative research through an Investigator Development Program of mentored pilot
research for early stage investigators. (Investigator Development Core – IDC); and 4) Establish a coordinated
infrastructure to support the proposed research, IDC and ACED Cores by: a) implementing a Common Data
Elements and Measurement Shared Resource to be used by OHDRC researchers, b) designing career
enhancement activities that focus on transdisciplinary obesity health disparities research to prepare
independent investigators (especially those from underrepresented minority groups, in partnership with minority
serving institutions) for productive careers, and c) instituting a monitoring and evaluation process to ensure
achievement of proposed goals. (Administrative Core).
Alabama is particularly well-suited as a setting to pursue these aims. It includes some of the most impoverished
rural counties and inner-city communities in the nation and, as we will highlight, Alabamians suffer from some of
the highest rates of obesity and from some of the most starkly disproportionate outcomes for obesity-related
chronic diseases. If our OHDRC proves successful, we will serve as a model for other states facing similar health
disparities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10460682
- **Project number:** 3U54MD000502-19S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** MONA N. FOUAD
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $351,991
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2003-09-22 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10460682

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10460682, OHDRC Academic-Community Engagement and Dissemination Core (3U54MD000502-19S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10460682. Licensed CC0.

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