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Research Projects

Ongoing & Completed

ACTIVE PROJECTS

2021-2026  Rebecca Selove, Jemal Gishe, TSU co-PIs, Leah Alexander, Meharry Medical College co-PI, Sharon Jones and David Schlundt, Vanderbilt University Key Personnel. Engaging partners in caring communities: Building capacity to implement health promotion programs in African American churches. This community-engaged research (CEnR) project is designed to support delivery of evidence-based health promotion programs in churches serving African American communities, and engaging participants in collectively identifying and addressing social determinants of health. National Institutes of Health 1U01OD033244-01.

2021-2026  Margaret Whalen, TSU Co-PI, Tuya Pal, Vanderbilt Co-PI, Moses Adunyah, MMC Co-PI. Meharry-Vanderbilt-Tennessee State University Cancer Partnership. This funding supports multiple investigative teams at all three partner institutions. The Partnership has a balanced focus on population sciences, basic and clinical research, infrastructure development and support via core facilities, administrative support, and training opportunities for students and clinical fellows. Grant No. National Cancer Institute 5U54CA163066-06.

2021 – 2022  Rebecca Selove, TSU PI. Assessing the effectiveness of a tobacco-use prevention program to reduce tobacco use intentions among African American college freshmen. This project builds on the Tobacco Media Literacy Project with TN Department of Health funding. The study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the revised version of AD IT UP, a web-based media literacy program to reduce tobacco use among college freshmen. Grant No. Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Support Grant P30CA068485.  

2019- 2024  Rebecca Selove, TSU Co-Investigator, Deb Friedman, Vanderbilt Co-PI, Tuya Pal, Vanderbilt Co-PI. Enhancing Care of Rural Dwellers through Telehealth and Engagement (ENCORE). This multi-level intervention seek to improve comprehensive cancer care to patients residing in rural counties with persistent poverty. Project staff will use telehealth to broaden the reach of Vanderbilt’s NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in identified counties in Tennessee and Mississippi. The project aims to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of (a) provider access to tumor board expertise at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and (b) patient access to psychosocial educational support, both provided via telehealth. Grant No R01CA240083-01.

COMPLETED PROJECTS

2018-2019  Rebecca Selove, PI. Tobacco Media Literacy Project. This project transformed an existing web-based media literacy program designed to prevent tobacco use among African American high school students into two new web-based media literacy tobacco prevention programs. One focused on African American college students, and the other on high school students from across Tennessee, a group that reflect diverse ethnicities, urban and rural community values, and variations in relationships with the tobacco farming history and culture. The project was a partnership with Dr. Brian Primack, U. of Pittsburgh, developer of the original AD IT UP media literacy program that was being adapted, and his colleague at U. of Pittsburgh, Dr. Jaime Sidani. Grant No. TN Department of Health 34347-66718.

2016 – 2019  Hilary Tindle, Vanderbilt Co-PI, Rebecca Selove, TSU Co-PI, Maureen Sanderson, Meharry Co-PI. Developing personalized smoking treatment in the Southern Community Cohort. This project examined attitudes and beliefs of patients in the Southern Community Cohort Study who are smokers regarding personalized treatment to support smoking cessation. In a 3-arm randomized controlled treatment study, estimates of quit rates were compared for patients in two types of personalized care vs. guideline-based cessation treatment. Grant No. National Cancer Institute 5U54CA163066-06.

2015—2019  Janice Emerson, TSU Co-PI, Rebecca Selove, TSU Co-PI, Pamela Hull, Vanderbilt Co-PI, David Schlundt, Vanderbilt Co-PI. Fresh Savings: Financial incentives in the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP). Evaluation of an Incentives for  Large Scale SNAP Incentives at a National Retailer and Farmers` Markets in Mississippi & Tennessee. This project aimed to implement and evaluate an incentive program (Fresh Savings) for SNAP participants to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables at Kroger stores and farmers’ markets in Tennessee and Mississippi. In partnership with the AARP Foundation, supported by the USDA/NIFA Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) Program Grant No: 2015-70018-23332.

2010-2016  Baqar Husaini, P.I., Robert Levine, Meharry Co-PI, Janice Emerson, TSU Co-PI, and Pamela Hull, Vanderbilt Co-PI. Nashville Children Eating Well for Health (CHEW) for Health, is a collaboration between Tennessee State University (TSU) and Meharry Medical College (both Historically Black Colleges/Universities) and community stakeholders to address childhood obesity prevention through research, extension and education. Grant No. USDA/NIFA/AFRI 2011-68001-30113.

2013-2015  Janice Emerson P.I., Assisting Parent to Purchase (APP) for Children's Health. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Grant No. 2013-28821-21457. The goal of this NIFA grant is to test a new tool designed to assist parents in purchasing the amounts of each food group that are needed for their particular family composition. Objectives include increasing the purchase of nutrient dense foods and lower the purchase of empty-calorie foods among study participants while training two undergraduate students in social science research methodology in order to promote the retention of TSU students in STEM disciplines.

2014-2016  Rebecca Selove, TSU PI, David Shen-Miller, D, TSU co-PI., Deb Friedman, Vanderbilt PI, Maureen Sanderson, Meharry PI. Navigated Early Survivorship Transition (NEST). Subproject under Meharry Medical College/Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center/Tennessee State University: Partners in eliminating cancer disparities.  National Cancer Institute, Grant No. 2 U54 CA163066-01. This is a randomized feasibility study to compare a novel survivorship planning process, which includes psychosocial assessment of survivors and their caregivers at the start of treatment, with usual care which includes survivorship planning at the end of treatment.

2011-2016     Adunyah S, Moses H. & Husaini, B. Meharry Medical College/Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center/Tennessee State University: Partners in eliminating cancer disparities.  TSU/Center for Prevention Research is a full-partner and will do community outreach promoting cancer prevention and will build capacity of academic and community partners to conduct CBPR and basic science cancer research focused on reducing cancer disparities among African Americans and Hispanics. National Cancer Institute, Grant No. 2 U54 CA163066-01. 

2009-2013     Levine R, Husaini B.  Role of federal legislation on breast cancer disparities. Subproject under Meharry HDRCOE grant, NIH/Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, Grant No. P20 MD003362.
The goal is to reduce health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities by supporting research, training, and community outreach.  Levine full project, entitled Federal Law: Possible Role in Breast Cancer Disparity uses Medicare claims data, SEER cancer registry-Medicare linked data, and contextual data to examine regional variation and racial/ethnic disparities in mammography use among elderly women.

2012-2013       Emerson, J., Zhou, Y. Empowering Youth to Choose a Healthier Diet and More Physical Activity: Youth Empowerment Summer Camp 2012. Grant: Tennessee State University Extension Services.

2009-2013     Juarez P.  Meharry health disparities research center of excellence (HDRCOE). Subcontract to TSU (Husaini). The goal is to reduce health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities by supporting research, training, and community outreach NIH/National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, Grant No. P20 MD003362.

2009-2011     Zoorob R, Hull P.  Culturally-appropriate childhood obesity prevention program for Hispanic families.  Subproject under Meharry HDRCOE grant, NIH/Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, Grant No. P20 MD003362.

Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) project to test efficacy of culturally-appropriate childhood obesity prevention intervention for Hispanic families through randomized control.  Sub-Project Co-PI (Hull).

 2007-2010     Vaughan V, Hull P.  Addressing barriers of self-management among African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes.  Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Grant No. 110CMS030210.

This study assesses a telephonic patient navigator intervention for improving diabetes self-management and quality of life among older African Americans with type 2 diabetes using a randomized controlled design. Husaini (Mentor).Evaluation subcontract under Metro Public Health  Department grant focused on obesity prevention through policy and environmental changes to promote healthy eating and physical activity.  Hull, Evaluator.

2010-2012     Paul W.  Nashville communities putting prevention to work (Metro Public Health Department). Contract to TSU for evaluation (Hull), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention.

2009-2011     Hull P, Sanderson M, Khabele D. Increasing HPV vaccine utilization among Hispanic girls to reduce cervical cancer disparities.  Subproject under Meharry-Vanderbilt Cancer Partnership grant, National Cancer Institute, Grant No. 2 U54 CA091408.

CBHR project to implement and assess a multilevel, culturally- and linguistically- appropriate social marketing intervention targeting the Hispanic population to increase utilization of the HPV vaccine among Hispanic girls ages 11-18 in the Nashville area.  Hull, TSU Subproject PI.

 2010-2011     Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.  Assessment of Davidson county's women, infants, and children supplemental food program (WIC).  Contract to Hull (PI) and Emerson (Co-PI).

The goal is to assess the effectiveness of WIC nutritional counseling as well as barriers and facilitators for achieving and maintaining optimal nutrition.2006-2011    Adunyah S, Moses H.  Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center: Partners in eliminating cancer disparities.  Subcontract to TSU for Cancer Outreach Core (Husaini, Co-Leader).  National Cancer Institute, Grant No. 2 U54 CA091408.

Under Meharry-Vanderbilt Cancer Partnership, TSU has subcontract to co-lead Cancer Outreach Core, which provides outreach and builds capacity of academic and community partners to conduct CBPR focused on reducing cancer disparities among African Americans and Hispanics.

2009-10         Hull PC.  Nashville safety net assessment 2009: A community assessment of uninsured and system of care in Nashville/Davidson area.  Saint Thomas Health Services/Safety Net Consortium of Middle Tennessee.

Using a CBPR approach, the purpose of this assessment was to review available data on the uninsured and underinsured population of Nashville, collect additional data needed to understand their needs and the capacity of the healthcare safety net, and use these data to make future projections and recommendations based on anticipated healthcare reforms.

 
2008-10         Juarez P.  Teen seat belt use in Jackson, Mississippi. Subcontract to TSU (Husaini)  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 

2008-09         Beech B, Hull PC.  Weight gain prevention in Hispanic girls.  Tennessee Department of Health, Project Diabetes.

This CBPR project called the GEMAS Study was a formative assessment to tailor the GEMS childhood weight gain prevention program to be culturally-appropriate for pre-adolescent Hispanic girls (8-10 years old) and to pilot test the tailored program using a randomized controlled design, with Progreso Community Center.

 2007-09         Zoorob R, Hull PC.  Tailoring the We Can! A childhood obesity prevention program for Hispanics. Developmental subproject under Meharry EXPORT Center for Health Disparities, Community Outreach Core, National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, Grant No. P20 MD000516.

Developmental project under Meharry EXPORT Center for Health Disparities.  CBPR project was formative assessment to tailor the We Can! childhood obesity prevention program to be culturally-appropriate for the Hispanic/Latino population and to pilot test the tailored program, with Progreso Community Center.

 2006-09         Hull PC.  Psychosocial and cultural barriers to prostate cancer screening in racial comparisons.  Department of Defense, Health Disparity Research Grant, Grant No. W81XWH-06-1-0425.

CBPR study aimed to identify psychosocial and cultural barriers to informed decision-making and prostate cancer screening among African American and White men; focus groups and Nashville Mens Preventive Health Survey.

 1999-09         Husaini B.  Developing minority mental health research at TSU (MRISP).  NIMH, Grant No. R24 MH059748.

This project seeks to develop mental health research capacity among junior faculty at TSU develop research infrastructure, and assist in their development of independent grant proposals
 

2004-07         Hull PC.  Community participation, neighborhood context, and adolescent mental health:  Racial/ethnic comparisons.  Subproject under Developing Minority Mental Health Research at TSU (MRISP).  NIMH, Grant No. R24 MH059748.
 
2004-07         Kilbourne B.  Stress, coping, and depression:  An exploration of racial differences.  Subproject under Developing Minority Mental Health Research at TSU (MRISP).  NIMH, Grant No. R24 MH059748.
 
2004-07         Vaughan V.  Impact of depression on a nursing intervention among elderly African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes.  Subproject under Developing Minority Mental Health Research at TSU (MRISP).  NIMH, Grant No. R24 MH059748.  Husaini (Mentor).

 2001-04         Jeffries R.  Racism, stress, and cognition: Predictors of mental health among African Americans.  Subproject under Developing Minority Mental Health Research at TSU (MRISP).  NIMH, Grant No. R24 MH059748.
 
2001-04         Millet P.  Racial and gender differences in the conceptualization of mental illness and utilization of mental health services.  Subproject under Developing Minority Mental Health Research at TSU (MRISP).  NIMH, Grant No. R24 MH059748.  
 
2004-09         Husaini BA.  Cardiovascular disease data analysis.  Department of Health State of Tennessee (funding from CDC).  Grant No. ED-07-20811-00 / ED-04-01427-00.

                     This study examined the cost and prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Tennessee by race, gender, and geographical location, using hospital discharge, Medicare claims, mortality and BRFSS data. Technical reports were produced for TN Dept of Health.
 
2008              Hull PC. Attitudes about the new cervical cancer vaccine in the Hispanic community.  Tennessee State University Faculty Research Award.

                     This CBPR project examined attitudes and beliefs about the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer among Hispanic parents, with Progreso Community Center, to develop a social marketing intervention.

 
2006-07         Hull PC.  Increasing readiness for change in the Nashville Hispanic community.  Sociological Initiatives Foundation.

This CBPR project assessed and increased the Nashville Hispanic community's readiness for change in the area of health, in collaboration with local grassroots Hispanic organization.


2007               Favor K, Anderson SG, Hammond MS, Hargett S, Jackson C, Johnson L.  HBCU evaluators consortium planning proposal.  National Science Foundation.
 

2007-07         Hammond MS.  Personality factors and mental health problems: A racial comparison.  TSU Faculty Research Award.
 

2001-07         Husaini BA, Levine RS.  Developing collaborative minority healthcare and quality research at TSU and Meharry Medical College (MRISP).  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Grant No. R24 HS11640-01.

This project aimed to develop health services research capacity among junio faculty and develop research infrastructure at TSU and MMC in the realm of health services research and assist in their development of independent grant proposals.

                      
2004-07         Hull PC.  Utilization and provision of clinical preventive services for children enrolled in Medicaid.  Subproject under Developing Collaborative Minority Healthcare and Quality Research at TSU and Meharry Medical College.  AHRQ, Grant No. R24 HS014767.
 

2004-07         Kilbourne B.  Examining health disparities in treatment and outcome of acute myocardial infarction among Tennessee Medicare elderly.  Subproject under Developing Collaborative Minority Healthcare and Quality Research at TSU and Meharry Medical College.  AHRQ, Grant No. R24 HS014767.
 

2004-07         Stokes M.  The effect of race on colorectal cancer treatment and survival.  Subproject under Developing Collaborative Minority Healthcare and Quality Research at TSU and Meharry Medical College.  AHRQ, Grant No. R24 HS014767.
 
2001-04         Sherkat D, Kilbourne B.  Toward explaining racial variations in morbidity, service utilization, and mortality rates among the Tennessee Medicare elderly.  Subproject under Developing Collaborative Minority Healthcare and Quality Research at TSU and Meharry Medical College.  AHRQ, Grant No. R24 HS014767.
 

2001-04         Ark P.  Religious coping styles, medical problems, and health care service utilization:  Race differences among elderly women.  Subproject under Developing Collaborative Minority Healthcare and Quality Research at TSU and Meharry Medical College.  AHRQ, Grant No. R24 HS014767.
 

2001-04         Adegoke O.  Variation in outcomes of colorectal cancer between whites and blacks:  A population based study.  Subproject under Developing Collaborative Minority Healthcare and Quality Research at TSU and Meharry Medical College.  AHRQ, Grant No. R24 HS014767.
 

2006               Merin LM, Vermund S.  Diabetic eye disease screening in Peru.  Work group funding (including Hull). Vanderbilt University, Center for the Americas.
 

2002-05         Husaini B.  A church based educational intervention program on prostate cancer screening for African American males.  Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Grant No. 20-P-91879/4-01.

 A Church-Based Educational Intervention Program on Prostate Cancer Screening for African American Males Randomized controlled trial of a church-based intervention to increase prostate cancer screening among African American Males, 40 years of age and over.
 

 2000-04         Levine RS, Husaini BA.  Understanding and eliminating minority health disparities through nurse-mediated preventive services delivery.  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Grant No. U18-H511131-01.  

This study assessed a nursing protocol to integrate preventive services into primary care, as a strategy for reducing health disparities.

 
1998-02         Husaini B.  Outcome of professional and peer paraprofessional preventive intervention program for depression and social functioning among the African American elderly: A comparison.  National Institutes of Health, Grant No. S06-GM08092.
 

2000-01         Husaini BA.  Expenditures for adults with psychiatric disorders: Examining the effects of race and socio-economic factors.  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Grant No. R305007.
 

1998-00         Husaini BA.  An educational intervention program to increase mammography screening among African American females.  Health Care Financing Administration, Grant No. 20-P-90889/4.
 

1996-98         Husaini B.  Mental health service utilization by the elderly in Tennessee: The effect of race & co-morbidity. Health Care Financing Administration Grant No. 20-C-90705/4.
 

1994-95         Husaini B. A pilot AIDS prevention program for college students.  NAFEO/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention & Prevention.
 

1989-94         Husaini B.  A therapeutic health program and health changes among the urban elderly:  Black-White comparisons. NIMH.
 

1986-91         Husaini B. Psychiatric disorders and social support among urban black elderly community residents: A longitudinal study. NIH.
 
1984-88         Husaini B. Predictors of depression: Medical problems and life events - an urban follow-up study.  Cooperative Agriculture Research Program.
 

1985-86         Husaini B. Evaluation of Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). NIMH.
 

1982-85         Husaini B. Medical problems and life events as factors in depression: A rural follow-up study. Division of Biometry and Epidemiology, NIMH.
 

1979-84         Husaini B. Urban/rural differences in psychiatric impairment. US Department of Agriculture.
 

1978-82         Husaini B. A study of health needs of rural blacks in Tennessee. US Department of Agriculture.
 

1976-80             Husaini B.  An epidemiological study of mental health needs of rural counties in Tennessee.  US Department of Agriculture.
 

1977-79         Husaini B.  Depression in rural communities: Establishing CES-D cutting points.  NIMH.
 

1977-79         Husaini B. The mental health needs of Southern Oklahoma.  State of Oklahoma & NIMH Service Grant to Community Mental Health Center, Ardmore, OK.
 

1977-79         Husaini B.  Stress and social support among psychiatric outpatients. Community Mental Health Center, Ardmore, OK.
 

1978-79             Giles S, Husaini B. A comprehensive community needs assessment: A survey of Gallia, Jackson & Meigs Counties in Ohio. Ohio Mental Health Department.