Seminars & Workshops

There is an urgent need to develop diverse, equitable, and collaborative research teams to improve research impact and health outcomes. However, several barriers remain to achieving this goal, including implementation of strategies for creating an equitable and inclusive research team.

Tufts CTSI invites you to join us for “Fundamentals for Building Inclusive Research Teams” on Friday, March 31  and Friday, April 7, from 11:00AM-12:00PM. This workshop will share practical skills for building collaborative and inclusive research teams.  Participants will learn about fostering teams that welcome diverse identities, working and learning styles, disciplines, and forms of knowledge. The format will involve case studies, presentations, a panel discussion, and reflection/discussion.

Topics covered will include:

• Cultural humility as a basis for equitable collaboration
• Creating, supporting, and sustaining cohesive, equitable, and collaborative research teams
• Leveraging a team’s diversity to improve translational research

Participants will leave with tools and frameworks that will help them implement a plan to operationalize skills learned.

Learning Objectives

After attending this event, participants will be able to do the following as part of dynamic research teams:

• Describe strategies that promote equitable collaboration
• Apply best practices for building diverse, collaborative research teams

Who Should Attend

Investigators with varied research collaboration experience and varied disciplinary interests, as well as research staff and others responsible for supporting collaborative research projects are encouraged to attend.

Details

Friday, March 31, 2023, 11:00AM-12:00PM

Friday, April 7, 2023, 11:00AM-12:00PM

This workshop will be held remotely via Zoom over two separate 1-hour sessions. Registrants should plan to attend both.

Registration

Click here to register. Registration for this workshop closes March 24, 2023.

Moving Forward, Looking Back: Using Research to Improve Community Health

Interested in hearing the results of research conducted in Boston’s Chinatown/Asian communities? Wondering what’s next?

Join Tufts CTSI and  the Addressing Disparities in Asian Populations through Translational Research (ADAPT) Program for the 5^th Annual Asian Health Symposium, Moving Forward, Looking Back: Using Research to Improve Community Health. This half-day event will inform participants about research taking place in and around Chinatown. See how academic/community collaborations fueled research and the findings that resulted from that work. Attendees will hear presentations on recent and ongoing studies focused on overlooked health issues or understudied areas, discuss potential next steps, and brainstorm how to further increase community engagement in research.

Researchers and community members are encouraged to attend this exciting event.

After attending this event, participants should be able to:

• Identify several exciting research projects completed in Boston Chinatown/Asian Communities in the past five years.
• Describe the key findings/takeaways from these research projects.
• Recognize the value of increased community engagement and collaboration with research in your community.

Details

Tuesday, April 23, 2019, 9:30AM-1:30PM
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Rachel’s Auditorium, Room 1414 (14th Floor)
1 Kneeland Street, Boston MA

Registration

Researchers and community members are encouraged to attend.

Space is limited! Please register here by April 15.

Agenda

• 9:00AM: Registration and Breakfast
• 9:30AM: Welcome Remarks
  • Alice Rushforth, Tufts CTSI Executive Director
• 9:40AM: Opening Remarks
  • Carolyn Rubin, ADAPT Director
  • Dawn Sauma, ADAPT Co-Chair; Co-Executive Director, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK)
  • Ed Flynn, District 2 City Councilor, Boston City Council
• 10:00AM: Panel 1, Community-Engaged Research Studies in Boston Chinatown/Asian Communities
  • Moderator: Susan Koch-Weser, Assistant Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM)
  • Panelists:
    • Cindy Liu, Director of the Developmental Risk and Cultural Disparities Program, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Assistant Professor, Pediatric Newborn Medicine and Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. Uncovering the Stress and Mental Health Experiences in Boston Chinese Immigrant Families: The Role of Research in Program Development.
    • Christina Sakai, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine. Pathways to Autism Diagnosis and Management in a Chinese Immigrant Community.
    • Yoyo Yau, Director of Programs, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
    • Amy LeClair, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center. The Health of Asians and Chronic Disease Study.
    • Catherine Chang, Quality Assurance Director, Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center (GBCGAC)
    • Carina Katigbak, Assistant Professor, Connell School of Nursing, Boston College. Walking Together: A Multi-Component Intervention to Increase Physical Activity of Ethnic Minority Older Adults.
• 11:15AM: Break
• 11:30AM: Panel 2, Studies Conducted by Emerging Scholars: Building the Pipeline of Health Equity Researchers
  • Moderator: Virginia Chomitz, Associate Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine, TUSM
  • Panelists:
    • Mehreen Ismail, PhD Candidate in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University. Food Access and Food Security Experiences of Affordable Housing Residents in Boston’s Chinatown.
    • Taylor Ahlborn, MS Candidate in Biomedical Sciences, TUSM. Facilitators and Barriers in the Service Network for Victims of Violence in the Asian-American Community in Massachusetts. 
    • Jean Jiyoung Lim, PhD Candidate, TUSM. Health Communication in Boston’s Chinatown.
• 12:15PM: Next Steps and Closing Remarks
  • Carolyn Rubin, ADAPT Director
• 12:30PM: Lunch and Networking

Spread the Word

Download a flyer (PDF) to share with your networks, colleagues, and friends!

This event is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Finding Belonging Amidst Neighborhood Development: A Case for the Arts in Boston’s Chinatown

The Pao Arts Center uses arts, culture, and creativity to promote social cohesion and community well-being in an ethnic enclave, Boston’s Chinatown. In the same neighborhood, luxury development may be disrupting the community’s close-knit social fabric and sense of a coherent cultural identity.

A team comprised of Tufts University researchers, Pao Arts center staff, and community residents investigated whether the Pao Arts Center remedies the effects of this displacement. Preliminary findings from the research will be presented.

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

• Learn what the research team found about the effects of the Pao Arts Center
• Understand more about how to do a collaborative, interdisciplinary, community-based research study.

Presenters

Peter Levine, Academic Dean and Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship & Public Affairs
Jonathan Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University

Cynthia Woo, Director
Pao Arts Center, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

Discussant:
Giles Li, Senior Program Officer
Arts and Creativity, Barr Foundation

Details

Wednesday, October 7, 2020, noon-1:00PM

Online via Zoom (please register to receive the Zoom link and password).

Registration

All are welcome to attend. Please register here.

This event is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Housing and Health: Exploring Perceptions of Housing and Neighborhood among Residents in a Subsidized Boston Chinatown Housing Complex

In this interactive session, a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and community partners seek reactions and actionable next steps based on findings from a natural experiment designed to explore interrelationships of housing and social determinants on low-income families’ well-being.

In 2019/2020, housing lottery “winners” in Chinatown were surveyed along with applicants who were still “waitlisted” for affordable housing. Results include comparisons of housing and neighborhoods, social and community cohesion, and satisfaction with life and life situations between the residents of the new subsidized housing complex and those still on the waiting list.

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

• Identify and explore cross-cutting issues for families seeking to stabilize and improve their lives.
• Discuss implications for local housing providers, developers, and policy makers regarding investing in housing and neighborhoods.
• Identify actionable next steps for disseminating and/or operationalizing findings.

Presenters

Virginia Chomitz, Associate Professor
Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine

Angie Liou, Executive Director
Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC)

Discussant:
Elana Brochin, Program Director for Health Equity
Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC)

Details

Wednesday, October 14, 2020, noon-1:00PM

Online via Zoom (please register to receive the Zoom link and password).

Registration

All are welcome to attend. Please register here.

This event is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Talking about Casino Gambling: Community Voices from Boston Chinatown

This presentation summarizes a study of casino gambling behavior of residents and workers in Boston Chinatown.

The aim of the study was to learn about the trajectory and life context of individual participants’ gambling activity, including how individual participants describe their motivation, nature, and frequency of gambling, and its effects on self and family.

The research was conducted by a university-based research team in partnership with the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and with the assistance of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling.

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

• Understand features of gambling behavior and problems, including risk and protective factors, by interpreting interviews of workers and residents in Boston Chinatown.
• Examine social determinants of gambling problems or addiction, including poverty, job stress, social isolation, and lack of healthy recreational alternatives.
• Understand the benefits of family-based counseling approaches to address gambling problems in this population.

Presenters

Carolyn Wong, Research Associate
Institute for Asian American Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston

Yoyo Yau, Director of Programs
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

Discussant:
Victor Ortiz, Director
Office of Problem Gambling Services, Department of Public Health (DPH)

Details

Wednesday, October 21, 2020, noon-1:00PM

Online via Zoom (please register to receive the Zoom link and password).

Registration

All are welcome to attend. Please register here.

This event is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Thank you for your interest in Tufts CTSI’s 7th Annual Asian Health Symposium! Registration has closed. The event will be recorded. If you would like to be notified when recordings are available, please email Tufts CTSI Professional Education.

*To translate this page, please click here*

Unpacking the Root Causes of Problem Gambling in the Asian Community: From Research to Action

Register now to join Tufts CTSI and the Addressing Disparities in Asian Populations through Translational Research (ADAPT) Coalition for the 7th Annual Asian Health Symposium “Unpacking the Root Causes of Problem Gambling in the Asian Community: From Research to Action.”

This half-day in-person event will be held Friday, September 30, 2022 from 9:00AM-1:30PM on the Tufts Health Sciences Campus. (Breakfast and Registration: 9:00AM-9:30AM; Lunch and Networking: 12:30PM-1:30PM)

The recently launched Asian CARES report illuminates how problem gambling is the “canary in the coal mine” for the Asian community. Join us to learn about the root causes as well as the short and long-term impacts of gambling addiction on children, families, and the broader Asian community and how problem gambling can be addressed by using a public health approach.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the root causes and systemic conditions that lead to gambling as the espoused form of entertainment for Asian immigrants.
• Understand the role of community-led organizations as cultural brokers well-suited to provide in-language programs, services, and interventions addressing problem gambling in the Asian immigrant communities.
• Describe examples of casino marketing tactics targeting the Asian immigrant communities and identify stakeholders and strategies to address this issue.

Details

Friday, September 30, 2022, 9:00AM-1:30PM
Center for Medical Education, Room #114 | 145 Harrison Ave. — Chinatown, Boston

Flyer

Download and share the English version and translated version!

To visit the translated version of this event page, please click here.

Registration

Researchers and community members are encouraged to attend.

Language interpretation and translation services in Chinese Mandarin and Cantonese will be provided.

Space is limited! Please register here by September 23.

Speaker Biographies

To download biographies of all our panelists and speakers, please click here.

Agenda

9:00-9:30         Registration and Breakfast

9:30-9:45         Welcome and Opening Remarks

Alice Rushforth, Associate Dean of Programs and Partnerships, Tufts CTSI

Kanchana Bhat, Executive Director Tufts CTSI

MyDzung Chu, ADAPT Director, Tufts CTSI

Dawn Sauma, ADAPT Co-Chair

Co-Executive Director, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK)

9:45-10:00       Keynote

Ben Hires, Chief Executive Officer, Asian CARES Co-Principal Investigator

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

10:00-11:00     Panel 1: Asian CARES (Center for Addressing Research, Education and Services) Research Findings and Recommendations: Problem Gambling in the Asian Community

Moderator: Dawn Sauma, ADAPT Co-Chair

Co-Executive Director, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK)

Heang Leung Rubin, Asian CARES Co-Principal Investigator

Principal and Founder, CHIC Community Engagement Consulting, LLC

Yoyo Yau, Chief Program Officer (Asian CARES Co-Principal Investigator)

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

Geumhee Cho, Korean Client Navigator (Asian CARES Community Fieldworker)

Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK)

Shirley Zhen, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

South Cove Community Health Center (SCCHC)

Discussion / Q & A

11:00-11:10    BREAK

11:10-12:20     Panel 2: Equity Audit: Impact of Targeted Casino Marketing on the Asian                                 Communities

Moderator: Carolyn Wong, Research Associate

Institute for Asian American Studies, UMass Boston

Panelists:

Ben Hires, Chief Executive Officer, Asian CARES Co-Principal Investigator

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

Frank Poon, Director

Civic Education Alliance Inc.

Mark Vander Linden, Director of Research and Responsible Gaming

Massachusetts Gaming Commission

Mark Gottlieb, Executive Director

Public Health Advocacy Institute, Northeastern University

Discussion / Q & A

12:20-12:30     Summary and Closing Remarks

MyDzung Chu, ADAPT Director, Tufts CTSI

12:30-1:30       Lunch & Networking

This event is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Need help finding your voice and engaging your audience? Want to improve your communication skills to convey complex information to others?

Join Tufts CTSI for an exciting two-part workshop, Advancing Confidence and Connection in Public Speaking. In two 90-minute interactive sessions, Bridget Kathleen O’Leary, MFA, Visiting Artist in Directing at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences, will lead guide attendees through the process of finding confidence in their own voices.

Part One of the workshop will teach you how to pitch your research to audiences large and small through increased confidence and audience engagement techniques.

Part Two will help you to deliver dry information in a clear and engaging way, creating a narrative flow and conversation with an audience.

After attending Parts One and Two of this workshop, participants should be able to:

• Recognize how voice and speech impact efficient communication
• Practice elements of relaxation, resonance, and expressiveness during public speaking
• Recall techniques to command the attention of, and engagement, with their audience
• Identify techniques to communicate ideas and objectives with clarity and authenticity

Participants are expected to attend both 90-minute sessions and should bring to Part Two a 2-3 minute sample piece (lecture, presentation, pitch, or persuasive argument).

Details

Part One: Tuesday, March 12, 3:30-5:00PM, 8th Floor Large Conference Room, 35 Kneeland Street, Boston MA

Part Two: Friday, March 15, 2:30-4:00PM, 8th Floor Large Conference Room, 35 Kneeland Street, Boston MA

Registration

Please register here.

Tufts CTSI Professional Education & Expectation for Course Participants

Tufts CTSI’s Professional Education programs provide non-degree continuing education and training for clinical and translational research professionals from all Tufts CTSI partners and beyond.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions. If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

This course is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Come get to know CREST! An academic-community collaboration dedicated to improving the health of Black and Brown Bostonians.

The Collaboration for Research, Equity, Sustainability, and Trust (CREST) invites you to join us for An Evening with CREST: Improving the Health of our Black and Brown Communities on Monday, May 23 from 6:00PM-7:30PM at Roxbury Community College.

The event will feature:

• An introduction to CREST and its core partner organizations
• A panel discussion on healing communities and promoting health equity through community-partnered research
• Networking opportunities for researchers, community members, and other stakeholders

We are delighted to present our current membership which consists of five grassroots organizations: Rounding the Bases, Inc., Union Capital Boston, CSI Support & Development, Greater Boston Section – National Council of Negro Women, and the Authentic Caribbean Foundation.

Light refreshments will be served.

We hope you can join us for CREST’s first public event!

Details

Monday, May 23, 2022

6:00PM-7:30PM

In person: Roxbury Community College, 1234 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA 02120

Via Zoom: see below

Registration

To attend, please register here as in-person space will be limited. Please indicate whether you will be attending in-person or via Zoom on your order form.

What does a community of resilience that supports people with substance use disorders (SUDs) look like, and how could we create it? Like other chronic diseases, SUDs can be managed, but not cured. Maintaining recovery can be a huge mental and physical task, and can be isolating.

Join us for this interactive discussion at a Museum of Science Forum about building communities of resilience around SUDs. Share your perspective as groups work together to create a community plan while learning about methods of prevention and recovery as well as considering a diverse range of values and ideas.

Featured speakers to be announced soon! Light refreshments will be provided.

This program was created in partnership with Tufts CTSI.

Details

Wednesday, November 20, 6:30-9:00PM

Museum of Science, Boston
Museum Of Science Driveway
Boston, MA 02114

Registration

Space is limited. Please register to attend this free event.

Please email forumrsvp@mos.org if you have any questions or concerns.

BUILDING RESILIENCE:

Promoting AAPI Access to Mental Health Care

Event Details

Tuesday, October 24

9:00AM–12:00PM

Museum of Science, Boston (directions)

1 Science Park

Boston, Mass. 02114

Summary

Tufts CTSI and the Museum of Science cordially invite you to join us on Tuesday, October 24 from 9:00AM-12:00PM for a workshop titled “Building Resilience: Promoting AAPI Access to Mental Health Care.” 

Creating equitable access to mental health care is about more than making services and resources available. In many cultures and communities, mental health care is often stigmatized and shunned, leaving people to suffer in silence or face shame from family and friends.

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population is the fastest growing racial group in Greater Boston, with one of every ten people in Boston identifying as AAPI. Yet, there are huge divides in the care accessible to this community. How can we start bridging the gaps in care? How can we begin the process of improving our healthcare systems to consider diverse perspectives and needs?

Join us as we bring together professionals and community leaders to discuss the current state of mental health care in AAPI communities, make connections, and start the conversation around making changes. Share your voice on this important topic and help us develop a more equitable system for everyone.

Registration

Registration is now open!

To register, please click here.

To download and share the event flyer, click here.

Panel Speakers

Catherine Chang, RN, Director of Behavioral Health Program at the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center (GBCGAC)

Dr. Paul Watanabe, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Institute for Asian American Studies, University of Massachusetts, Boston

Samara Grossman, MSW, LICSW, Director, Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness Director, Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Boston Public Health Commission

Dr. Pata Suyemoto, Training Director, National Asian American Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA); Associate Director of Equity, Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP)

Dr. Insoo Hyun (moderator), Director, Center for Life Sciences and Public Learning, Museum of Science, Boston

Civic Life and Health Research seminar slides (PDF)

What is civic life, and why is it important to consider in clinical research? Understand the relevance of civic engagement to clinical and other health research at Civic Life and Health Research, a seminar by Peter Levine, PhD, Associate Dean and Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Get oriented to current research and debates about civic engagement in the US; challenge the frequent definition of civic engagement as professionals consulting stakeholders; and instead begin to see medical researchers and health professionals as citizens who should relate to other people as fellow citizens.

By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:

• Define the concept of civic life and related terms such as civic engagement, social capital, democratic participation, and community engagement from social science perspectives.
• Value civic engagement as relevant to the clinical research process.
• Explore differences in theory and practice depending on whether one thinks in terms of clients, patients, stakeholders, communities, publics, or citizens.
• Illustrate exemplary actions that investigators can take that involve civic life.

Details

Wednesday, January 25, 9:30-11:00AM
Tufts Center for Medical Education, Room 216A
145 Harrison Avenue, Boston MA

Or via live, interactive webcast (a link will be provided to those who register).

Registration

All are welcome to attend. Please register here.

Want to learn about the latest COVID-19 research happening here at home?

Meet online via Zoom with researchers from the four federally-funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards hubs in Massachusetts (Tufts CTSI, BU-CTSI, Harvard Catalyst, and UMass CCTS) to hear about how they’re working together to protect us from COVID-19.

After the researchers’ presentations, there will be an open discussion about health equity. Community members are especially encouraged to attend.

Please join us for our August 2020 Community Forum: Non-contact (and Socially Distanced) Vital Signs and Medical Measurement

by Brian Anthony, PhD, Director of MIT’s Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Program, Co-Director of the Medical Electronic Device Realization Center, and Deputy Director for the MIT Skoltech Initiative.

and

Catherine Ricciardi, DNP, ANP-BC, Nurse Director, Director of Clinical Operations, and Nurse
Practitioner; MIT Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Clinical Research Center

Thursday, August 25, noon-1:00PM, online via Zoom.

Download a flyer here (PDF).

How can we ensure equity with the COVID-19 vaccine here in MA?

Please join us for a community conversation of the National Academy of Medicine Framework for Equitable Allocation of Vaccine on Wednesday, October 28 from 5:00-6:00PM.

The program will include a brief overview of the framework by Dr. Ana Diez Roux who sits on the National Academy Committee, followed by a four-person panel, and closing with a group discussion engaging all in attendance.

This is the first in a two-part webinar series focused on understanding how these guidelines for equitable vaccine distribution should be strengthened and implemented locally once a safe and effective vaccine is available.

Panelists include:

• Lissette Blondet: Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of Community Health Centers
• Michael Curry: Deputy CEO & General Counsel, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers
• Dr. Sara King: Director, Ummah Health
• Atyia Martin: Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition

Download the event flyer. 

Registration

To sign up, please register here. A Zoom link will be sent to you.

Questions?

Please email community@catalyst.harvard.edu.

Want to learn about the latest COVID-19 research happening here at home?

Meet online with researchers from the four federally-funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards institutions in Massachusetts (Tufts CTSI, BU-CTSI, Harvard Catalyst, and UMass CCTS) to hear about how they’re working together to protect us from COVID-19.

We will offer a Community Forum each week for the next month so you can be part of these important conversations.

Please join us for our first Community Forum: Modeling the COVID Epidemic in Real Time
by Joshua Cohen, PhD of Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine.

Thursday, April 23, 4:00-5:00PM, online via Zoom

Registration

Registration for this event is now full.

Want to learn about the latest COVID-19 research happening here at home?

Meet online with researchers from the four federally-funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards institutions in Massachusetts (Tufts CTSI, BU-CTSI, Harvard Catalyst, and UMass CCTS) to hear about how they’re working together to protect us from COVID-19.

We will offer a Community Forum each week for the next month so you can be part of these important conversations.

Please join us for our second Community Forum: RNA Therapeutics: Informational Drugs as a Pandemic Response Tool
by Anastasia Khvorova, PhD of the UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS).

Thursday, April 30, 4:00-5:00PM, online via Zoom

Registration

To sign up, please register here. A Zoom link will be sent to you.

Questions?

Please email communityengagement@umassmed.edu.

Want to learn about the latest COVID-19 research happening here at home?

Meet online with researchers from the four federally-funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards institutions in Massachusetts (Tufts CTSI, BU-CTSI, Harvard Catalyst, and UMass CCTS) to hear about how they’re working together to protect us from COVID-19.

We will offer a Community Forum each week for the next month so you can be part of these important conversations.

Please join us for our third Community Forum: Getting to the Post-pandemic era: Herd Immunity, Social Distancing, and Vaccine
by Yonatan Grad, MD, PhD of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Monday, May 4, 4:00-5:00PM, online via Zoom

Registration

To sign up, please register here. A Zoom link will be sent to you.

Questions?

Please email Community Engagement Program Director, Rebekka Lee: rlee@hsph.harvard.edu.

Want to learn about the latest COVID-19 research happening here at home?

Meet online with researchers from the four federally-funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards institutions in Massachusetts (Tufts CTSI, BU-CTSI, Harvard Catalyst, and UMass CCTS) to hear about how they’re working together to protect us from COVID-19.

We will offer a Community Forum each week so you can be part of these important conversations.

Please join us for our fourth Community Forum: Building a Research Infrastructure for Equity in COVID-19 Treatment
by Benjamin Linas, MD, MPH of Boston University School of Medicine.

Thursday, May 14, 4:00-5:00PM, online via Zoom

Registration

To sign up, please register here. A Zoom link will be sent to you.

Questions?

Please email Community Engagement Program Director, Tracy Battaglia: Tracy.Battaglia@bmc.org.

How can we transform research to ensure an equitable, healthy, and safe future for everyone?

Research designed to enhance well-being and improve health outcomes is the cornerstone of the health and welfare of our population, yet it has been impacted by structural racial bias historically embedded within our society.

From the earliest medical studies on enslaved African women, to experimentation on African American men in Tuskegee Alabama, among others, the research enterprise has carried a legacy of racial bias out of which emerged our principles of human subject research. The success and benefits of health-related research over the last century are enormous and impactful, yet systemic inequities persist.

Program

This Community Forum will include three short presentations that explore pathways to more racially just and equitable research practice by examining systemic/structural racism related to:

• Diverse workforce development
• Prioritization of research interests and resources
• Lack of integration of underrepresented populations and the explicit recognition of the role of racial hierarchies.

Presentations will focus on recommendations for next steps, followed by a facilitated discussion guided by the question: How can we transform research, with consideration for past and present experiences of racism and marginalization, towards an equitable, healthy, and safe future for everyone?

Presenters

Sara Folta, PhD, MS, Director of Integrating Underrepresented Populations in Research
Linda Hudson, ScD, MSPH, Associate Director of Integrating Underrepresented Populations in Research
Robert Sege, MD, PhD, Co-Director of Stakeholder and Community Engagement and Lead Navigator
Christine Sinclair, MS, MA, Project Manager, Integrating Underrepresented Populations in Research

Details

Thursday, July 2
4:00-5:00PM
Online via Zoom (a link will be provided to those who register)

Authentic partnerships for relevant, actionable research

This 90-minute live training will give academic researchers interested in doing engaged research in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston a basic grounding in authentic and relevant best practices for engaging in this type of work with community partners. The topics to be covered are the benefits and challenges in this research and how to build trusting, authentic relationships with community partners. Through this training, participants will hear some of the voices from the community, and be given time to reflect on your role in and perspective on community engaged research and how to make it action-oriented and relevant in today’s world.

By the end of this training, you should be able to:

• Define community engaged research as has been practiced in Boston Chinatown.
• Describe methods for building trust with community partners and research participants.
• List qualities required for successful community engaged research practice
• Provide a case study of problem gambling as an example of how community engaged research can be mutually beneficial for researchers and community members.

Faculty

This training will be taught by Carolyn Rubin, EdD, MA, Director of Addressing Disparities in Asian Populations through Translational Research (ADAPT).

Who should attend

Investigators, research study team members, and graduate students are encouraged to attend.

Details

Thursday, June 3
10:00-11:30AM
Online (a link will be sent to those who register).

Registration

To attend, please register here.

Join Tufts CTSI’s Dissemination & Implementation Core for their next D&I Interest Group (DIIG) on Tuesday, January 30 at 11:00AM! Cara C. Lewis, PhD, Deputy Director of the Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science (CTRIS) at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute within the National Institutes of Health, will present “The Next Generation of Implementation Strategy Testing: Optimizing for Impact, Efficiency, and Equity.”

Dr. Lewis’ expertise in implementation science is evidenced through her national and international responsibilities including serving as President of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration, as co-founding Editor-in-Chief of Implementation Research and Practice, lecturer for implementation science training institutes, scientific advisor domestically and abroad (e.g., centers in Ireland, Australia), and co-editor of Practical Implementation Science.  In 2022, Clarivate recognized her as one of the most highly cited social scientists globally.

Dr. Lewis will anchor the audience in a tale of why implementation science, specifically the study of implementation strategy mechanisms, is critical for impacting public health, equitably and efficiently. NHLBI priorities around dissemination and implementation science will be discussed.

Details

Live session via Zoom: Tuesday, January 30, 11:00AM-12:00PM EST

Registration

To register in advance, click here.

To download and share the event flyer, click here.

All are welcome to attend and learn more about D&I!

Contact

Please contact Anna Thompson with any questions.

Join Tufts CTSI’s D&I Interest Group to learn about stakeholder engagement in implementation science!

Tufts Medical Center’s Alysse Wurcel, MD, MS will present “What Taylor Swift Teaches Us about Engaging Stakeholders” via Zoom. An open discussion will follow her presentation.

Dr. Wurcel is an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at Tufts Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. A graduate of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, she completed her Infectious Disease fellowship at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital and Tufts Medical Center, and received a Masters in Clinical Research from the School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University. She currently provides HIV, hepatitis C care at Tufts Medical Center as well as six local county jails. She is the infectious diseases consultant to the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association for COVID19 prevention and mitigation strategies.

Details

Live session via Zoom: Wednesday, November 15, 1:00PM-2:00PM EST

Learning Objectives

Learning objectives:

1. Describe why stakeholder involvement is important in D&I research

2. Explain different strategies for involving stakeholders in D&I research

3. Describe what good stakeholder involvement looks like for an NIH grant

Registration

To register in advance, click here.

To download and share the event flyer, click here

All are welcome to attend and learn more about D&I!

Contact

Please contact Anna Thompson with any questions.

Decoding Nutrition Guidance:

“Navigating Confusion and Trustworthiness”

Event Details

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

10:00AM–12:00PM

Museum of Science, Boston (directions)

1 Science Park

Boston, Mass. 02114

Summary

Tufts CTSI and the Museum of Science, Boston invite you to attend “Decoding Nutrition Guidance: Navigating Confusion and Trustworthiness” on Tuesday, April 2 at 10:00AM. This in-person public forum will bring people together to engage in discussions around truth, trust, and nutritional science.

Participants will engage in roundtable discussions on topics such as finding credible sources of information, what we think is trustworthy, and reflection on challenges we face understanding food and nutrition guidance.

Please join us for this important conversation! This event is free with advance registration.

Participants will receive a $25 e-gift card approximately one month after the event.

Registration

Registration is now open!

Download and share the event flyer.

Forum Speakers

Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, Gershoff Professor of Nutrition Science and Policy, Friedman School, Senior Scientist and Director, Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory

Lara Hyde, PhD, Creator of the Nourishable YouTube Channel and Adjunct Instructor at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy

Christine Sinclair, MA, MS, RD, LDN, Registered Dietitian

Does your study follow the best practice of communicating end results to participants? Are you disseminating findings to affected communities that are understandable and actionable?

The new Common Rule (NIH 2017) emphasizes the need for clinical research investigators and teams to provide participants with information they can read, understand and act on. In a recent survey of past clinical trial participants (CISCRP 2019), 68% said they wanted to receive a post-study summary of results they could understand and use, but only 38% reported receiving any such communication.

Applying a health literacy framework supports study teams to meet the literacy, language, and cultural health communication needs of participants and the public. Using plain language writing and design principles enables study teams to develop results summaries that are relevant, understand and actionable.

This 90-minute online workshop, Disseminating Research Results to Participants and the Public, is led by health literacy and plain language experts from Tufts CTSI faculty, along with guest lectures from the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials (MRCT) Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard and the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP). Participants will learn about health literacy and plain language as a strategic effort to communicate more clearly throughout the clinical research life cycle, practice plain language writing and design techniques to communicate end of study findings, and engage in dialogue and reflection on how to apply lessons learned in practice.

The workshop will use Zoom video conferencing for live interactive learning and the I LEARN course management system to support applied asynchronous learning activities. This online program will be engaging, interactive, and tailored to meet participant needs.

After attending this event, participants should be able to:

• Define health literacy and plain language as a strategic approach to communication throughout the clinical research life cycle, with a focus on sharing post-study results with participants and the community
• Apply plain language writing and design principles when crafting written communications at the close of a study that are tailored to needs of study participants and the public (i.e. drafting a letter to participants describing aggregate results or a one-page fact sheets describing relevant findings to the public).

Faculty

Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi, MEd, is Assistant Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Kurtz-Rossi has extensive experience teaching with technology and creating engaging and tailored remote learning experiences. She will introduce the fundamentals of health literacy and plain language in health and science communication with the public.

Sylvia Baedorf Kassis, MPH, is Program Manager for Health Literacy in Clinical Research at the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials (MRCT) Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard. Baedorf Kassis will cover health literacy throughout the clinical research life cycle and specifically techniques for communicating results to study participants.

Behtash Bahador, MS, is Associate Director of Relationship Management and Development at the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP). Bahador will offer further specific guidance and resources on the return of results and will use case examples to facilitate communication of research results to affected communities.

Details

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2020, 10:00–11:30 noon (90 min)

Location: Zoom video conference and I LEARN course management system

Clinical research investigators and coordinators, and anyone on the clinical research team responsible for communicating results to study participants, are encouraged to attend, especially investigators and study teams with results ready to share.

If you are an investigator with experience sharing study results with study participants and the public, please contact sabrina.kurtz_rossi@tufts.edu so that we may incorporate your experience, questions, and challenges into the content of the training.

To join in this live, 90-minute online event, participants must be able to access the Internet using a device with audio and video camera capabilities. Participants will receive an invitation to join the training live via Zoom and to log onto the I LEARN course management system to access all training materials. Please join the training from a location that has reliable internet access and limited background noise.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions.

If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

Registration

To attend, please register here.

Tufts CTSI Professional Education & Expectations for Course Participants

Tufts CTSI’s Professional Education programs provide non-degree continuing education and training for clinical and translational research professionals from all Tufts CTSI partners and beyond.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions. If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

This course is provided free of charge and is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Award Number UL1TR002544.  The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Does your study follow the best practice of communicating end results to participants? Are you disseminating findings to affected communities that are understandable and actionable?

The new Common Rule (NIH 2017) emphasizes the need for clinical research investigators and teams to provide participants with information they can read, understand and act on. In a recent survey of past clinical trial participants (CISCRP 2019), 68% said they wanted to receive a post-study summary of results they could understand and use, but only 38% reported receiving any such communication.

Applying a health literacy framework supports study teams to meet the literacy, language, and cultural health communication needs of participants and the public. Using plain language writing and design principles enables study teams to develop results summaries that are relevant, understand and actionable.

This 90-minute online workshop, Disseminating Research Results to Participants and the Public, is led by health literacy and plain language experts from Tufts CTSI faculty, along with guest lectures from the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials (MRCT) Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard and the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP). Participants will learn about health literacy and plain language as a strategic effort to communicate more clearly throughout the clinical research life cycle, practice plain language writing and design techniques to communicate end of study findings, and engage in dialogue and reflection on how to apply lessons learned in practice.

The workshop will use Zoom video conferencing for live interactive learning and the I LEARN course management system to support applied asynchronous learning activities. This online program will be engaging, interactive, and tailored to meet participant needs.

After attending this event, participants should be able to:

• Define health literacy and plain language as a strategic approach to communication throughout the clinical research life cycle, with a focus on sharing post-study results with participants and the community
• Apply plain language writing and design principles when crafting written communications at the close of a study that are tailored to needs of study participants and the public (i.e. drafting a letter to participants describing aggregate results or a one-page fact sheets describing relevant findings to the public).

Faculty

Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi, MEd, is Assistant Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Kurtz-Rossi has extensive experience teaching with technology and creating engaging and tailored remote learning experiences. She will introduce the fundamentals of health literacy and plain language in health and science communication with the public.

Sylvia Baedorf Kassis, MPH, is Program Manager for Health Literacy in Clinical Research at the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials (MRCT) Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard. Baedorf Kassis will cover health literacy throughout the clinical research life cycle and specifically techniques for communicating results to study participants.

Behtash Bahador, MS, is Associate Director of Relationship Management and Development at the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP). Bahador will offer further specific guidance and resources on the return of results and will use case examples to facilitate communication of research results to affected communities.

Details

Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2020, 10:00–11:30AM (90 min)

Location: Zoom video conference and I LEARN course management system

Clinical research investigators and coordinators, and anyone on the clinical research team responsible for communicating results to study participants, are encouraged to attend, especially investigators and study teams with results ready to share.

If you are an investigator with experience sharing study results with study participants and the public, please contact sabrina.kurtz_rossi@tufts.edu so that we may incorporate your experience, questions, and challenges into the content of the training.

To join in this live, 90-minute online event, participants must be able to access the Internet using a device with audio and video camera capabilities. Participants will receive an invitation to join the training live via Zoom and to log onto the I LEARN course management system to access all training materials. Please join the training from a location that has reliable internet access and limited background noise.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions.

If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

Registration

To attend, please register here.

Tufts CTSI Professional Education & Expectations for Course Participants

Tufts CTSI’s Professional Education programs provide non-degree continuing education and training for clinical and translational research professionals from all Tufts CTSI partners and beyond.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions. If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

This course is provided free of charge and is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Award Number UL1TR002544.  The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Does your study follow the best practice of communicating end results to participants? Are you disseminating findings to affected communities that are understandable and actionable?

The new Common Rule (NIH 2017) emphasizes the need for clinical research investigators and teams to provide participants with information they can read, understand and act on. In a recent survey of past clinical trial participants (CISCRP 2019), 68% said they wanted to receive a post-study summary of results they could understand and use, but only 38% reported receiving any such communication.

In this asynchronous, online workshop, participants will learn about health literacy and plain language as a strategic effort to communicate more clearly throughout the clinical research life cycle, practice plain language writing and design techniques to communicate end of study findings, and engage in dialogue and reflection on how to apply lessons learned in practice.

Details

Date: Access course materials at any time from December 2 through December 9, 2020.

Location: I LEARN course management system

Audience: Clinical research investigators and coordinators, and anyone on the clinical research team responsible for communicating results to study participants, are encouraged to attend, especially investigators and study teams with results ready to share.

If you are an investigator with experience sharing study results with study participants and the public, please contact sabrina.kurtz_rossi@tufts.edu so that we may incorporate your experience, questions, and challenges into the content of the training.

To join in this asynchronous training, participants must be able to access the Internet. Participants will be asked to log onto the I LEARN course management system to access all training materials.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions.
If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

Registration

Enroll in Dissemination of Research Results to Participants and the Public.

Would you like to help to determine the topics and questions to be discussed at an upcoming forum on diversity in research?

Tufts CTSI, Tufts Medical Center, and Tufts University are hosting Breaking the Silence: Diversity in Research on Friday, March 6.

We need your help to develop prompting discussion questions for facilitators to use at this event.

We are looking for people with different values, opinions, and ideas to come together on Thursday, December 12 from noon-1:30PM for a workshop led by Jonathan Garlick, DDS, PhD. The goal of this workshop is to bring together members of the Tufts community to develop questions and topics to foster meaningful discussions that enrich and personalize the topic of diversity in research for all who attend Breaking the Silence.

This Topic Selection Workshop is an opportunity for you to help us jumpstart respectful dialogue, break down stereotypes, inspire curiosity, build empathy, and enable participants to link their health and well-being to their personal and civic responsibilities. To sign up, please register here.

What is Breaking the Silence?

Breaking the Silence is a symposium series developed by Tufts University Associate Provost and Chief Diversity Officer Joyce Sackey, MD. Previous topics include discrimination against Muslims; racism against black lives; and weight bias and health. March 6, 2020 is the fourth Breaking the Silence event, hosted by Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies (ICRHPS), and Tufts University. This event will include a keynote speaker, a panel discussion, facilitated small-group discussions, and dinner. Details will be available soon.

What is a Topic Selection Workshop?

The Breaking the Silence event will include facilitated discussions to enrich the take-home messages from the keynote speaker and panel discussion. To do this, we must personalize the topic of diversity in research for all participants. The Topic Selection Workshop will bring together diverse voices to discuss, narrow down, and select questions that will be important and interesting to deliberate.

Who is leading the Topic Selection Workshop?

Jonathan Garlick, DDS, PhD, is Tufts CTSI’s Scientific Communications Program Director. He is also a stem cell researcher, a clinician, a professor of dental medicine, and Senior Fellow in Civic Science at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life. Dr. Garlick’s experience in supporting dialogue across Tufts will guide the question selection process.

The mission of Tufts CTSI’s Scientific Communications Program is to improve the public’s understanding of the purposes and value of clinical research and to build and maintain trust among diverse participants in the face of perceived risk, uncertainty, and conflicting beliefs, values, and interests. Tufts CTSI’s Scientific Communications Program and the Breaking the Science event are intended to foster respectful dialogue on contentious topics, break down stereotypes, inspire curiosity, build empathy, and enable participants to link their health and well-being to their personal and civic responsibilities.

How can I attend the Topic Selection Workshop?

The Diversity in Research Topic Selection Workshop is:

Thursday, December 12, noon-1:30PM
Dental Alumni Lounge
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
1 Kneeland Street, 15^th Floor
Boston

This event is in-person only. Lunch will be provided.

Space is limited! To reserve your seat, please register here by Tuesday, December 10.

This workshop is provided free of charge, and is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Seminar slides (PDF)

Interested in identifying potential stakeholders in local communities? what are some effective models of academic-community partnerships in translational research?

Join us for for Engaging Stakeholders in Community-Based Participatory Research, a seminar led by Carolyn Rubin, EdD, MA, Tufts CTSI’s Director of Addressing Disparities in Asian Populations through Translational Research (ADAPT) and Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine.

Dr. Rubin will discuss how researchers and communities can collaborate to identify and address community priorities in translational science.

In this interactive, 90-minute seminar, you will learn what community-based participatory research (CBPR) is, and why you might pursue it.

By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the definition and benefits of CBPR
• Identify strategies for building authentic, long-term partnerships
• Reflect on your (or your institution’s) relationships with local communities and potential next steps toward CBPR.

Details

Tuesday, February 7, 9:30-11:00AM
Tufts Center for Medical Education, Room 114 East
145 Harrison Avenue, Boston MA

Or via live, interactive webcast (a link will be provided to those who register).

Registration

All are welcome to attend. Please register here by Tuesday, January 31.

Have you ever wondered how decisions are made about our food system and how you can get involved to support your community?

Join Tufts CTSI and the Museum of Science, Boston to learn about the current challenges in our food system, how food polices are determined, and how you can take part to contribute to a solution. Hear from a panel of experts as they discuss questions such as:

• What are the biggest barriers to a just food system?
• What information do policymakers need to make decisions around food justice?
• How can individuals influence policy change?

After hearing from our panelists, participants can join small group conversations to share their concerns, listen to concerns of others, and discuss what they hope to work on in the future to help feed communities.

Moderator

Laura Reiley, Business of Food Reporter at the Washington Post

Panelists

Jen Faigel, Executive Director and Co-Founder of CommonWealth Kitchen

Greg Watson, Director of Policy and Systems Design at the Schumacher Center for a New Economics

Norbert L. W. Wilson, Professor of Food, Economics, and Community at Duke Divinity School

Details

Wednesday, April 28, 5:00-7:00PM

Online

Registration

Registration is now open!

Please sign up here.

Want to cook a nutritious, soulful meal while learning about the history and cultural importance of common ingredients across the African diaspora?

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)-Greater Boston Section and Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy have partnered to develop FRESH& – a monthly webinar series that will explore a range of nutrition topics. FRESH& is designed to engage Black women in discussing their diet and nutrition in a culturally competent, celebratory way. Each month attendees will explore topics like how to make healthy, culturally relevant meals, boost their immune systems through diet, and coping with stress through food.

This month, we are excited to present FRESH & Soulful Cooking: A One-Pot Recipe with Janna Adkins, MS on Wednesday January 26^th, 7:00PM-8:00PM EST.

Janna earned her MS in Nutrition Interventions, Communication, and Behavior Change in May 2021 and is a current doctoral student at the Friedman School. She will lead a live cooking class that reviews the history and cultural importance of common ingredients across the African diaspora. Additionally, she will share information about the nutritional content of these ingredients and how to get the most out of the food we cherish.

Attendees will be able to purchase ingredients beforehand and follow along as Janna prepares a one-pot vegetable stew.

Details

Wednesday, January 26, 2022
7;00-8:00PM
Online (a link will be sent to those who register).

Registration

To attend, please register here.

Want a 3-course family meal in one hour?..For less than $10?…With ingredients that can help reduce stress and improve sleep?

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)-Greater Boston Section and Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy have partnered to develop FRESH& – a monthly webinar series that will explore a range of nutrition topics. FRESH& is designed to engage Black women in discussing their diet and nutrition in a culturally competent, celebratory way. Each month attendees will explore topics like how to make healthy, culturally relevant meals, boost their immune systems through diet, and coping with stress through food.

This month, we are excited to present FRESH& Fun Cooking for Mental Wellness with Dina E. Cote on Wednesday, February 23, 7:00PM-8:00PM EST.

Dina E. Cote, a current graduate student at Tufts specializing in Nutrition and Food Security Policy and Programming at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, will show us how to prepare a 3-course family meal in one hour. Nothing too fancy, but everything will be flavorful, nutritious and less than $10. We will explore how different ingredients can be used to reduce our stress levels and improve our sleep. Grab your ingredients and get ready to cook well, eat well, and be well!

Details

Wednesday, February 23, 2022
7;00-8:00PM
Online (a link will be sent to those who register).

Registration

To attend, please register here.

Want turn a guilty pleasure into a quick, nutritious activity?

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)-Greater Boston Section and Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy have partnered to develop FRESH& – a monthly webinar series that will explore a range of nutrition topics. FRESH& is designed to engage Black women in discussing their diet and nutrition in a culturally competent, celebratory way. Each month attendees will explore topics like how to make healthy, culturally relevant meals, boost their immune systems through diet, and coping with stress through food.

This month, we are excited to present FRESH& Healthy Snacking with Sarah Kerrigan on Wednesday, March 30, 6:00PM-7:00PM EST.

FRESH& is on snack duty this month! Learn how to turn a guilty pleasure into a quick, nutritious activity with FRESH& Healthy Snacking. In honor of Women’s History Month, the snacks we make will be filled with nutrients that are especially beneficial to women. Sarah will prepare a Greek yogurt parfait, granola bars, and baked crunchy chickpeas. Follow along to make your snacks for the week.

Sarah Kerrigan is a graduate student at Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy getting her Master’s degree in Nutrition Interventions, Communication, & Behavior Change. She is a member of the Didactic Program in Dietetics at Simmons University. Sarah graduated from Providence College with a BA in Mathematics & Economics in 2020. After working in the finance field for a year, she decided to make a career change and pursue her true passion, nutrition. Sarah hopes to work as a Registered Dietitian working with athletes and those with disordered eating and eating disorders. She is passionate about helping people create a healthy relationship with food. In her free time, Sarah loves being outdoors. She enjoys running, hiking, or just sitting at the beach. We’ll be cheering for her in the 2022 Boston Marathon!

Details

Wednesday, March 30, 2022
6;00-7:00PM
Online (a link will and list of ingredients will be sent to those who register).

Registration

To attend, please register here.

The Greater Boston Section – National Council of Negro Women (GBS-NCNW) has partnered with Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) to build the Collaboration for Research, Equity, Sustainability, and Trust (CREST). CREST is an academic-community partnership that works with Black and Brown communities in the Greater Boston Area to improve health. We are proud to present the FRESH& series as a product of successful collaboration between Tufts and GBS-NCNW.

Want to experience the joy of Juneteenth this summer with some amazing, healthy recipes?

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)-Greater Boston Section and Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy have partnered to develop FRESH& – a monthly webinar series that will explore a range of nutrition topics. FRESH& is designed to engage Black women in discussing their diet and nutrition in a culturally competent, celebratory way. Each month attendees will explore topics like how to make healthy, culturally relevant meals, boost their immune systems through diet, and coping with stress through food.

This month, we are excited to present FRESH& Joyful Cooking: Juneteenth Recipes with Janna Adkins on Thursday, May 19, 6:00PM-7:00PM EST. During the event, we will review simple changes to some of Janna’s favorite recipes that can have a big impact on health. Don’t worry about skipping out on your favorites. FRESH& has you covered so you can experience the joy of Juneteenth this summer!

Janna earned her MS in Nutrition Interventions, Communication, and Behavior Change in May 2021 and is a current doctoral student at Tufts FSNSP. She studies how to make nutritious food accessible to everyone. During her studies at Tufts FSNSP, Janna has learned the importance of social justice and food equity, and she hopes to apply these concepts to her work. She is interested in developing community nutrition interventions and building social capital. She believes that food is a universal language with the power to connect us all. In her free time, she likes to ride her bike and go on long nature walks. Janna is excited to exchange her nutrition knowledge with everyone who seeks to lead healthier lives.

Details

Thursday, May 19, 2022
6:00-7:00PM
Online (a link will be sent to those who register).

Registration

To attend, please register here.

Overview

Are you curious about how nutrition research is done at Tufts? Interested in finding new ways to participate and contribute throughout the research process?

Join us for an engaging and hands-on event at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University to help demystify the research process! Learn about how research moves from idea to impact on health. Through group discussion and hands-on experiences of basic science labs, we are opening the doors to some of the Tufts health research facilities to find out how community members can work with researchers to address health research. The workshop will consist of:

1. An overview ofthe research process
2. A discussion of how Tufts CTSI is engaging with the community throughout the research process
3. Visiting labs where clinical research is conducted

Details

Monday, June 3, 2019, 2:00-5:00PM
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA)
711 Washington Street, Boston MA, 02111
Mezzanine Conference Room

In order to participate fully in the tours, please plan to attend for the entire event from 2:00-5:00PM.

Registration

This event is open to all, including individuals and members of community organizations who are interested in learning more about how health research is conducted, and in meaningful partnerships between the community and academia. Space is limited. Please register here by May 29.

Schedule of Events

• 2:00PM: Welcome and introductions
  • Linda Hudson, ScD, MSPH
• 2:15PM: Orientation to research process
  • Robert Sege, MD, PhD
• 2:35PM: Description of tour stops
  • Robert Sege, MD PhD
• 2:45PM: Tour stops
  • Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia Lab: Tour by Donato Rivas, PhD
  • Vitamin K Lab: Tour by Kyla Shea, PhD
  • Discussion on engaging in a collaborative relationship: Led by Linda Hudson, ScD, MSPH
• 4:25PM: Tour debrief
  • Linda Hudson, ScD, MSPH
• 4:40PM: Reception/opportunities for involvement

Tufts CTSI Professional Education & Expectation for Course Participants

Tufts CTSI’s Professional Education programs provide non-degree continuing education and training for clinical and translational research professionals from all Tufts CTSI partners and beyond.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions. If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

This course is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

                     Hybrid Tele-mental Health &                        Community Forum in Roxbury

Event Details

Thursday, April 4, 2024

6:00PM-7:30PM

Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building

2300 Washington St.

Boston, Mass. 02119

Summary

You are invited to join Tufts CTSI’s Collaboration for Research, Equity, Sustainability, and Trust (CREST) in person and via Zoom on Thursday, April 4 at 6:00PM for a Tele-mental Health and Community Forum in Roxbury.

There will be a panel discussion with experts and professionals centered around demystifying tele-mental health and engaging community members with a focus on education, access (both opportunities and challenges) and awareness.

The goals of the forum are to:

• Promote the significance of mental health screenings.
• Advocate for resources to support Tele-mental health needs in underserved communities.
• Explore the multicultural landscape in Tele-mental health research.
• Solicit audience-generated research questions.

The forum, held at the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Boston’s Nubian Square, will be moderated by Aleesha N. Young, LPC, PsyD, a licensed Mental Health Practitioner and Forensic Evaluator.

Registration

Registration is now open!

Download and share the event flyer.

Download the full agenda and complete list of speakers.

Are you a clinical research team member obtaining informed consent from human research volunteers?

Could you or your team use information on best practices and strategies for working with interpreters?

Join Tufts CTSI’s Stakeholder and Community Engagement Program’s quarterly training focused on Including Non-English-Speaking Participants in Research. This is a blended synchronous/asynchronous workshop that includes completion of a required, self-paced tutorial on Tufts CTSI I LEARN followed by an interactive live session hosted on Zoom. The live session will provide an opportunity to practice working with professional interpreters to obtain informed consent with non-English-speaking members of Tufts CTSI’s Stakeholder Expert Panel. Panel members are former research participants and individuals with experience as simulated patients. This is a learning and skill-building opportunity for you and will not be evaluated in any way.

Participants must complete the online pre-work in order to receive the Zoom link for the live training. While in the live session, your active participation is required, including participating in the roleplay, providing feedback to others, and engaging in group discussion. This will ensure that you get the most out of what this training has to offer.

By the end of this training, you should be able to:

• Identify when a participant needs an interpreter in order to obtain informed consent.
• Demonstrate the correct procedure for using an interpreter to obtain informed consent.
• Demonstrate three communication techniques to use while obtaining informed consent with an interpreter.

Faculty

This training will be taught by Robert Sege, MD, PhD, Tufts CTSI Lead Navigator and Co-Director of Stakeholder and Community Engagement.

Who should attend

Clinical research coordinators, investigators, research fellows, research nurses, and anyone involved in obtaining informed consent are encouraged to attend.

Details

Thursday, June 10
9:00-11:00AM
Online via Zoom (a link will be sent to those who register).

*Pre-work via Tufts CTSI I LEARN must be completed prior to the training.

Registration

To attend, please register here.

Are you a clinical research team member obtaining informed consent from human research volunteers?

Could you or your team use information on best practices and strategies for working with interpreters?

Join Tufts CTSI’s Stakeholder and Community Engagement Program’s quarterly training focused on Including Non-English-Speaking Participants in Research. This is a blended synchronous/asynchronous workshop that includes completion of a required, self-paced tutorial on Tufts CTSI I LEARN followed by an interactive live session hosted on Zoom. The live session will provide an opportunity to practice working with professional interpreters to obtain informed consent with non-English-speaking members of Tufts CTSI’s Stakeholder Expert Panel. Panel members are former research participants and individuals with experience as simulated patients. This is a learning and skill-building opportunity for you and will not be evaluated in any way.

Participants must complete the online pre-work in order to receive the Zoom link for the live training. While in the live session, your active participation is required, including participating in the roleplay, providing feedback to others, and engaging in group discussion. This will ensure that you get the most out of what this training has to offer.

By the end of this training, you should be able to:

• Identify when a participant needs an interpreter in order to obtain informed consent.
• Demonstrate the correct procedure for using an interpreter to obtain informed consent.
• Demonstrate three communication techniques to use while obtaining informed consent with an interpreter.

Faculty

This training will be taught by Robert Sege, MD, PhD, Tufts CTSI Lead Navigator and Co-Director of Stakeholder and Community Engagement.

Who should attend

Clinical research coordinators, investigators, research fellows, research nurses, and anyone involved in obtaining informed consent are encouraged to attend.

Details

Tuesday, June 8
1:30-3:30PM
Online via Zoom (a link will be sent to those who register).

*Pre-work via Tufts CTSI I LEARN must be completed prior to the training.

Registration

To attend, please register here.

Seminar Info

Are you a researcher experiencing difficulties with recruiting research participants? Are you a physician, nurse, or staff member who refers patients to clinical trials?

Trust is a major barrier to patients considering enrollment in research trials. Explore the causes and results of mistrust and learn why “trust me” is not enough at Issues of Trust in Research Participation, a Tufts Medical Center Grand Rounds event. This hour-long seminar will be led by Robert Sege, MD, PhD, Co-Director of Tufts CTSI’s Stakeholder and Community Engagement Program, Chief Medical Officer & Director of The Medical Foundation at Health Resources in Action (HRiA), and Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Sege will present a history of unethical studies conducted with vulnerable populations, and will discuss more recent controversies surrounding placebo-controlled trials at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. Following his presentation, there will be a panel discussion on patient advocacy and community perspectives.

After attending this session, you should be able to:

• Describe current and historical reasons for mistrust of medical research.
• Recognize the need to examine issues of trust in the design and communication of clinical studies.
• Understand patients who hesitate to enroll in clinical studies and trials.
• Utilize Tufts CTSI expertise to better communicate with participants and research teams.

Details

Friday, February 2, noon-1:00PM
Wolff Auditorium, Tufts Medical Center
800 Washington Street, Boston

You are welcome to bring your own lunch.

Would you like to help to determine the topics and questions to be discussed at upcoming Museum of Science/Tufts CTSI public forums on health research?

Tufts CTSI and Museum of Science, Boston are planning four public forums on important topics in health research. At each forum, we will invite the public to engage in interactive and facilitated discussions as they work together to make decisions or solve a problem.

We need your help to choose a topic for deliberation at the first forum, to be held at the Museum of Science in fall 2019.

We are looking for people with different values, opinions, and ideas to come together at an all-day Topic Selection Workshop on Friday, March 1 to select a forum topic that will help inform local researchers about the needs, concerns, and ideas of the community.

Workshop participants will hear lightning talks from community members and experts in the fields of addiction, precision medicine, and exercise/nutrition research and form small groups to discuss, narrow down, and select questions that will be important and interesting for the public to deliberate. By involving community partners and other stakeholders in the beginning of the process, we hope to leave this workshop with the topic of the fall 2019 forum and a plan to move forward to further engage the local community in science and research.

Speakers will include:

• Christina Economos, PhD, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
• Johnny Kung, PhD, Personal Genetics Education Project
• Vivien Morris, MS, RD, MPH, LDN, Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition
• Elizabeth Reardon Hinkley, MPH, Health Resources in Action
• Sharon Reif, PhD, Brandeis University

Details

Friday, March 1, 8:30AM-5:00PM (breakfast and lunch will be provided)
Tufts Center for Medical Education, Room 114 East
145 Harrison Avenue, Boston MA

Registration

Registration is required. Please register here by February 25.

Tufts CTSI Professional Education & Expectation for Course Participants

Tufts CTSI’s Professional Education programs provide non-degree continuing education and training for clinical and translational research professionals from all Tufts CTSI partners and beyond.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions. If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

This course is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

• Seminar slides
• Use Case #1
• Use Case #2
• Worksheet #1
• Worksheet #2

Need to incorporate stakeholder engagement into your study, but not sure where to start? Learn how to make your research patient-centered, and find out how engagement fits into your research process at Preparing for Patient-Centered and Stakeholder-Engaged Research. Thomas Concannon, PhD, Tufts CTSI’s Director of Stakeholder and Community Engagement and Assistant Director of Comparative Effectiveness Research, will share his expertise and explain several models for engaging with stakeholders.

By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:

• Define patient-centered comparative effectiveness research (CER)
• Describe the potential value of using Stakeholder and Community Engagement (SCE) and CER frameworks in your research.
• Identify how engagement fits into the research process based on the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Deverka, and Concannon models
• Discuss the potential value of establishing a partnership with patients
• Explain how to make your research patient-centered

Details

Tuesday, October 25, 9:30-11:00AM
Tufts Center for Medical Education, Room 114 East
145 Harrison Avenue, Boston MA

Or via live, interactive webcast (a link will be provided to those who register).

Registration

All are welcome to attend. Please register here.

Interested in the science of stakeholder & community engagement?

Want to meet collaborators and develop grant proposals?

Join Tufts CTSI for a Stakeholder and Community Engagement Symposium on Tuesday, March 7, 9:30AM-3:00PM, at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Rachel’s Amphitheater (1 Kneeland Street, 14th Floor, Boston).

Please RSVP here by Friday, March 3.

Agenda

• 9:30AM: Registration and welcome
• 10:00AM: Introductions
• 10:30AM: Project presentations
• 12:30PM: Lunch
• 1:15PM: Breakout sessions
• 2:30PM: Report-back, summary, evaluation, and next steps

Topics

The workshop will focus on the following projects, with the objective of assisting teams to develop proposals for future grant submission:

• Expanding on the science of community-engaged research: Building bridges and strengthening relationships with communities; Linda B. Hudson, ScD, MSPH; Tufts University School of Medicine
• Family Goals and Preferences for Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder; Tara Lavelle, PhD; Tufts Medical Center
• Effectiveness of Community-Based Diabetes Care Model (C-DCM) in addressing Health Disparities in Immigrant Populations; Mohan Thanikachalam, MD; Tufts University School of Medicine
• HCV Testing and Treatment Pathways in Jails; Alysse Wurcel, MD, MS; Tufts Medical Center

Contact

For more information, please contact Thomas W. Concannon, PhD, Tufts CTSI Director of Stakeholder and Community Engagement.

Seminar slides (PDF)

What is stakeholder and community engagement (SCE), and why is it important? Learn the benefits, strategies, and methods at Stakeholder Engagement in Patient-Centered Comparative Effectiveness Research. This seminar, taught by Thomas Concannon, PhD, Tufts CTSI’s Director of Stakeholder and Community Engagement and Assistant Director of Comparative Effectiveness Research, will review previous patient-centered studies and assess the strengths and weaknesses of their engagement efforts, and their impact on research outcomes.

By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:

• Define stakeholder and stakeholder and community engagement (SCE)
• State different methods for engaging stakeholders and community members in research
• Outline a framework for SCE utilizing the 7Ps Framework and 6 Stage Model of Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER)
• Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of SCE in the ACT UP and breast cancer screening guideline examples
• Identify key lessons learned in the SCE process over time

Details

Wednesday, September 28, 9:30-11:00AM
Tufts Center for Medical Education, 145 Harrison Avenue, Boston MA

Or via live, interactive webcast (a link will be provided to those who register).

Registration

All are welcome to attend. Please register here.

What is your role in being an anti-racist researcher and creating a trustworthy research enterprise?

This webinar will focus on looking at the history of malfeasance in research including up to the present day. We will explore how mistrust of research is mediated through historical and generational trauma and how it impacts present day perceptions of research. We will discuss how we can flip the narrative around mistrust of research as a “barrier” to focus on what researchers can do to become more trustworthy. We will outline specific steps you can take to bring awareness to your labs and study teams to engage in anti-racism and anti-oppression in your work.

You will come away with concrete steps that you can take, resources you can utilize, and continued support from Tufts CTSI to engage in dialogue with your teams and colleagues.

Details

Date: December 9, 2020, noon-1:00PM

Location: I LEARN course management system

Registration

Enroll in Taking Responsibility for Building a Trustworthy Research Enterprise.

Details

Tuesday, November 16, 5:00-6:30PM

Online

Registration

Registration is now open!

Please sign up here.

第七屆亞裔健康研討會

揭開亞裔社區賭博問題的根源 : 從研究到行動

請立即註冊，參加Tufts CTSI 和 ADAPT (通過轉化研究解決亞裔人口差異)聯盟的第七屆亞裔健康研討會“揭開亞洲社區賭博問題的根本原因：從研究到行動”。

這個為期半天的研討會將於 2022年,9月30日, 星期五上午 9:00 至下午1:30 在塔夫茨醫學教育中心, #114 室, 145 Harrison Ave.波士頓唐人街舉行。

(早餐和登記: 9:00AM-9:30AM ；午餐和交流：12:30PM-1:30PM ）

最近發布的Asian CARES 報告闡明了問題賭博如何成為亞裔社區的“煤礦中的金絲雀”。參加我們的研討會, 了解賭博成癮對兒童, 家庭和更廣泛的亞裔社區的根本原因及短期和長期影響, 以及如何通過使用公共衛生方法來解決賭博問題。

學習目標：

• 認識到導致賭博成為亞裔移民所支持的娛樂形式的根本原因和系統性條件。
• 了解社區主導組織作為文化經紀人的作用, 非常適合提供語言項目, 服務和乾預措施,以解決亞裔移民社區的賭博問題。

• 描述針對亞裔移民社區的賭場營銷策略示例, 並確定解決此問題的利益相關者和策略

細節

9月30日，星期五, 上午 9:00 -下午 1:30

塔夫茨醫學教育中心，#114 室 | 145 Harrison Ave.波士頓唐人街

傳單

請下載和分享活動傳單  英文版! 中文版!

登記

鼓勵研究人員和社區成員參加。

將提供中文(普通話和粵語)的翻譯服務。

座位有限！請在9月23日前註冊。請在這裡註冊

議程

9:00-9:30   註冊及早餐

9:30-9:45   歡迎致辭

Alice Rushforth, 項目與合作副院長, Tufts CTSI

Kanchana Bhat，執行董事, Tufts CTSI

MyDzung Chu， ADAPT 主任, Tufts CTSI

Dawn Sauma ，ADAPT 聯合主席

亞洲反家庭暴力工作組 (ATASK) 聯合執行主任

9:45-10:00  主題演講

Ben Hires, 首席執行官 (Asian CARES 聯合首席研究員)

波士頓華埠社區中心 (BCNC)

10:00-11:00 小組討論(1)：Asian CARES（解決研究、教育和服務中心）研究結果和建議：亞裔社區的賭博問題

主持人：Dawn Sauma ，聯合執行主任 (ADAPT 聯合主席)

亞洲反家庭暴力工作組 (ATASK)

小組成員：

Heang Leung Rubin, Asian CARES 聯合首席研究員

負責人兼創始人, CHIC Community Engagement Consulting, LLC

Yoyo Yau, 項目總監（Asian CARES 聯合首席研究員）

波士頓華埠社區中心(BCNC)

Geumhee Cho，Asian CARES 社區實地工作者

亞洲反家庭暴力工作組 (ATASK)

Shirley Zhen, 精神科-心理健康執業護士

南灣社區健康中心 (SCCHC)

討論/問答

11:00-11:10  休息

11:10-12:20 小組討論(2)：股權審計：有針對性的賭場營銷對亞裔社區的影響

主持人：Carolyn Wong，研究助理

亞裔美國人研究所 (Institute for Asian American Studies, UMASS Boston)

小組成員：

Ben Hires，首席執行官 (Asian CARES 聯合首席研究員)

波士頓華埠社區中心(BCNC)

Frank Poon, 董事

公盟教育 (Civic Education Alliance）

Sothea Chiemruom 執行董事

大洛厄爾柬埔寨互助協會（CMAA Lowell）

Mark Vander Linden，研究和負責任博彩總監

馬薩諸塞州博彩委員會 (Massachusetts Gaming Commission)

Mark Gottlieb, 執行董事

東北大學公共衛生倡導研究所 (Public Health Advocacy Institute, Northeastern University)

討論/問答

12:20-12:30 總結和閉幕詞

MyDzung Chu, ADAPT 主任, Tufts CTSI

12:30-1:30  午餐與交流

本次活動免費提供，並得到了美國國立衛生研究院國家轉化科學促進中心的支持，獎號為 UL1TR002544。內容完全由作者負責，並不一定代表 NIH 的官方觀點。

This event is provided free of charge, and was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of health, Award Number UL1TR002544. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.