Caribbean Exploratory Research Center Phase II: Building On Our Progress

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This renewal application is submitted to support continued minority health and health disparities research, research training and education, and community outreach activities in the US Virgin Islands. The Caribbean Exploratory Research Center Phase II will continue academic and community collaborations established over the past four years, and permit the continued development of a core of researchers in the US Virgin Islands with increasing skills in conducting research designed to detect, understand and ultimately reduce health disparities in the territory. In addition, the Center will continue researh education and training projects supporting the development of UVI faculty, students and community participants in research projects designed to adiJress specific health disparities in the Virgin Islands. The long term outcome of the Center will be the presence of competent researchers in the territory who understand the nature of the population and can initiate, adapt or translate research and education activities to be congruent with the needs, culture and diversity of the population. Finally, the Center will continue to expand its community engagement and outreach activities through programs that increase community awareness of minority health and health disparities and promote community involvement in addressing disparities. The goals of the Caribbean Exploratory Research Center Phase II are to 1) document health disparities in the US Virgin Islands 2) describe determinants of health disparities in the US Virgin Islands and 3) ultimately reduce health disparities in the US Virgin Islands. It is critical that the Center contiue to develop academic and community collaborations and expand the infrastructure to support research projects aimed at understanding and eventually eliminating disparities in health status in the territory of the U. S. Virgin Islands Two research subprojects are submitted with this renewal application 1) An Integrated Risk Reduction Intervention for African Caribbean Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and 2) Understanding the Transition to Insulin Resistance in the Virgin Islands.