Watch the webinar: “Taking Responsibility for Building a Trustworthy Research Enterprise” 

“CREST provides the opportunity to promote and enhance the voice of black and brown communities as relates to health outcomes, social environments and the influence of health systems. These communities often experience the poorest outcomes and highest barriers to access. “Through CREST, we commit to build on assets via research, education and advocacy.”

Linda B. Hudson, ScD, MSPH, CREST Director

“Despite the growing aging population being considered a public health challenge, Blue Ledge has been valued and works in concert with efforts put forth by academic institutions on health and social systems – focusing on strategic initiatives to address Alzheimer’s disease, chronic conditions, and mental health among members of underserved older adults.”

Judith Thermidor, CSI Support & Development

Overview

CREST is a collaborative of organizations and individuals committed to improving the health and welfare of underrepresented populations. Together, we will foster interactions between community-academic partners who share an interest in improving public health. Additionally, we encourage researcher-community organization collaborative efforts to seek funding for research and services in our surrounding community.

CREST’s Mission

To use research, education, and advocacy as tools that aid in the achievement of a healthy, sustainable livelihood for individuals that live, work, and play amongst the populations we serve.

Guiding Principles

  • Equity & Sustainability
  • Accountable & Trustworthy Partnerships
  • Collaborative Decision-making & Co-Learning

Who do We Serve?

We serve groups within the Greater Boston Area that have been identified as potentially vulnerable to unfair treatment in research and require additional protections. Currently, we focus on older adults, people that experience disabilities, impairments, and chronic pain, people that are non-English speakers and that speak English as a second language, and people that experience barriers that hinder their cultural, material, social rights and needs from being met due to the condition in which they live, work, and play.

  • Current Priority Areas (includes, but is not limited to…)
    • Dorchester
    • Roslindale

Eligibility

Educators, small businesses owners, healthcare professionals, interdenominational faith-based organizations, organizations that offer support services related to health literacy, language interpretation/translation, and individuals/organizations interested in community-academic research partnerships.

CREST Services

The CREST team:

  • Works with communities to prioritize their needs and facilitate community-driven research projects
  • Provides researcher/community stakeholder trainings
  • Identifies experts to comment and educate on contemporary (pressing) health issues
  • Provides evidence-based and data-driven information to inform our work
  • Develops capacity-building strategies and programs for academic-community partnerships
  • Assists in connecting research teams to patient advocacy groups and community-based organizations that are interested/would benefit from the research process.

Our Value Proposition

  • Networking and dialogue amongst clinicians, researchers, and patients
  • Increased understanding of the different roles community members can have in the research process
  • Increased number of tools and strategies, on the part of researchers, on how to include participants in the study design process
  • Increased number of tools and strategies, on the part of patients and caregivers on how to negotiate and assert their needs, rights, and interests
  • Increased understanding, on the part of all stakeholders, on the protections necessary for groups potentially vulnerable to unfair treatment in research

CREST Partners

CREST is guided by an active community-researcher Steering Committee whose core members include representatives from:

CREST Fact Sheet

Learn more about our Mission, Activities, Quarterly Events, and how to get involved!

CREST Educational Resources

CREST Newsletter Archive

Contact

To contact us, pease submit a service request.

Linda B. Hudson, ScD, MSPH, Director

Binta Barry, MS, Senior Project Manager