Announcing the grant today, UT School of Public of Health Dean Guy S. Parcel, Ph.D., said: "The continuation of the funding to support the Prevention Research Center will enable the school to continue partnerships with communities and to identify and test ways to prevent health-related problems, particularly in Texas youth and other populations."
Established in 1986 with the help of funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the UT Prevention Research Center investigates health issues that can develop into problems for young people now and in the future. Those issues include tobacco use, unhealthy diets, alcohol abuse, risky sexual behaviors, sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. Researchers also study issues that affect adult health, such as communicating about flu vaccinations and colorectal and prostate cancer screenings.
"During the past 17 years our goal has been to translate research into practice -- that means to get the research into the community," said Susan Tortolero, Ph.D., director of the center and assistant professor of health promotion and behavioral science at the UT School of Public Health. "As we move forward we will continue to take well-researched, carefully developed programs and get those programs where they belong."
The center works with about 20 local and state public health agencies, academic centers and community partners collectively known as the community advisory group. "Our partners represent the interest of the community and bring its concerns to the investigators," Tortolero said. "We combine energy and
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Contact: Pamela Cathion
pamela.r.cathion@uth.tmc.edu
713-500-3033
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
6-Oct-2004