AU 2030 Faculty Retreat
Health, Risk and Society
Center on Health, Risk and Society
(CHRS)
PROJECT SUMMARY
Housed within the Sociology Department within CAS, the MISSION of
CHRS is to provide an intellectual hub for and resources in support of
developing interdisciplinary, collaborative research to understand the
social dimensions of health, broadly defined. PRIORITY research
areas of CHRS’ 23 affiliated faculty include:
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INEQUALITY AND HEALTH
GLOBAL HEALTH
HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFE CYCLE
URBAN DEVELOPMENT, NEIGHBORHOODS AND HEALTH
POLICY, POLICY PROCESSES, AND HEALTH GOVERNANCE
DISRUPTION, DISPLACEMENT AND HEALTH
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND STRUCTURAL INTERVENTIONS
Specific health topics include: HIV/AIDS; food, nutrition and obesity;
maternal and child health; infectious diseases; reproductive health;
violence and trauma; and substance use
TIMELINE
AY 2010-11:
•  CHRS launched
•  Staff added: Founding director, Kim Blankenship; Assistant Director,
Monica Biradavolu; Research Manager, Nimesh Dhungana
•  Over $4 million in externally funded research projects affiliated
•  CHRS seminar series launched
“THE CHRS SEMINAR IS LIKE FOOD FOR THE BRAIN”… Daniel Esser, Assistant Prof, SIS MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Weekly CHRS Seminar Series: Wed, 2:30-4: “Getting to
Know our Colleagues;” “Works in Progress;” “Invited Speakers;”
“Methodological Overviews”
Affiliated Faculty: 23 affiliated faculty from AU (CAS, SIS,
SPA, Kogod, WCL) and DC universities (GWU, Georgetown)
Research-related Resources:
AY 2011-12:
•  20+ faculty members across disciplines and schools affiliate
•  CHRS seminars continue to build networks of researchers through
“Getting to Know Your Colleagues” series and invited speakers
•  CHRS listserv and informational bulletins developed
•  CHRS researchers win new NIH grants in support of a conference,
summer student internship program, and research
•  CHRS spearheads inclusion of AU as institutional partner of DC
Developmental Center for AIDS Research (DC D-CFAR)
•  Externally funded research: ~$5.2 mill in externally funded
research: supports project related faculty effort, research staff,
student RAs, and collaborative analyses
•  DC D-CFAR: as an institutional partner, AU faculty conducting
HIV research have access to resources (e.g. expert consults,
pilot project funds, biostat support, patient populations, etc.)
•  CHRS resources: space, software, RAs, pre-drafted grant
sections, consults, bibliographies, website
AY 2012-13:
•  Hosts major conference (NIH funded), Community Disruption and
HIV Risk in DC, with collaboration from CLALS and DC D-CFAR
•  CHRS seminars continue with focus on “work in progress”
seminars—assisting with new grant applications and manuscripts
•  CHRS researchers win NIH award in support of summer student
interns; and diversity supplement for junior faculty development
•  CHRS affiliated researcher, Maria De Jesus (SIS), wins pilot grant
from DC D-CFAR
•  CHRS moves to main campus from Tenley campus, becoming more
visible and accessible to AU community
community disruption and HIV in DC; Co-sponsored national and
international conferences; Co-sponsored various speakers at AU
AY 2013-14:
•  CHRS welcomes its first post-doc, Dr. Allison Groves
•  CHRS supports new grant applications related to: deportation and
health; drug policy, housing and health; relationships and health
across the life cycle
•  CHRS seminars continue with many distinguished guest speakers,
work in progress seminars receive widespread faculty support
•  CHRS affiliated researcher, Maria De Jesus (SIS) wins pilot grant
from DC D-CFAR
•  CHRS co-sponsors with the DC D-CFAR, the 7th annual scientific
meeting of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Network
•  CHRS co-sponsors its first international conference, “Queering
Paradigms,” in Quito, Ecuador
Conferences and Events: Organized major conference on
Student Opportunities: 12 MA or PhD students have received
funding (RA and/or tuition);5 MA thesis’ on data from CHRS
affiliated projects; ~25 AU undergrads have had paid RA
positions; 8 undergrads supported on NIDA summer internships
“CHRS HELPED ME HONE IN ON MY SKILLS AND RESEARCH INTERESTS WHICH ULTIMATELY LED ME TO PURSUE GRADUATE STUDIES” Nallely Meja, AU 2014 SELECTED AFFILIATED
RESEARCH PROJECTS
•  SHARRPP—Structures, Health and Risk among Reentrants,
Probationers and Partners (funded by NIDA, PI, K Blankenship):
Impact of incarceration/re-entry cycle on race disparities in HIV
•  Parivartan (funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PI K
Blankenship): Social dimensions of sex worker HIV risk, and impact
and implementation of a community mobilization HIV intervention
among female sex workers in southern India
•  Syntheses of HIV/AIDS Research Projects (funded by NIMH,
PI on AU sub, K Blankenship, PI Blair Johnson, UCONN): Meta
analysis of needle exchange program impact on HIV/AIDS
AY 2014-15:
•  CANVAS—Computer Assisted Neighborhood Visual
•  CHRS seminar continues with themes of displacement, disruption
Assessment System Development Project (funded by NICHD,
and health and of global health; and collaborates with Kogod School
PI on AU sub, M Bader, PIs J Teitler and A Rundler, Columbia U):
of Business in “Business in the Capital” series
Develop an online interface for researchers to use Google
•  CHRS advertises for second postdoctoral fellow
StreetView to conduct neighborhood audits or systematic social
•  Plans for co-sponsorship of events with Metropolitan Policy Center
observation
Director, Kim M. Blankenship
blankens@american.edu
Research Manager, Nimesh Dhungana
dhungana@american.edu
Postdoctoral Fellow, Ali Groves
groves@american.edu
http://www.american.edu/cas/sociology/chrs/index.cfm