ABSTRACT: 2014 ELATE Institutional Action Project Poster Symposium
Project Title:
Advancing interdisciplinary research through civic engagement: the REACH Center
Name and Institution:
Alisa Morss Clyne, Drexel University
Collaborators:
Ana Diez Roux, Dean of Public Health; Yvonne Michael, Associate Professor of Epidemiology; Stella
Volpe, Professor and Chair of Nutrition Sciences; Howard Eisen, Chief of Cardiology in the College of
Medicine; Lucy Kerman, Vice Provost for University and Community Partnerships
Background, Challenge or Opportunity:
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. In
Philadelphia, cardiovascular disease mortality is nearly double that of surrounding suburban
communities (CDC). A major challenge in preventing cardiovascular disease in urban communities is
minimizing the cumulative and synergistic effects of cardiovascular risk factors (physical activity,
nutrition, and stress) that cluster in disadvantaged urban residents. Cardiovascular disease prevention
requires interdisciplinary, multilevel research that bridges biology and physiology, clinical medicine, and
population health.
Drexel University is a large, comprehensive, private university situated in West Philadelphia. Drexel
excels in experiential undergraduate education, with over 90% of students gaining professional
experience through at least one cooperative education project. Drexel acquired a medical school, a
college of nursing and health professions and the only school of public health in Philadelphia in 2002.
Over the past decade, Drexel increased research expenditures nearly seven fold. Drexel’s strategic plans
calls for leveraging expertise across 14 colleges and schools to grow the research enterprise expand
experiential education and promote civic engagement.
Purpose/Objectives:
The project objective is to create the REACH Center for Research, Education, and Action in
Cardiovascular Health. The REACH Center will:
1. Demonstrate how interdisciplinary research bridging biology and physiology, medicine, and
population health can enhance understanding and identify new strategies to reduce
cardiovascular disease in urban settings
2. Engage in interdisciplinary undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate education in
cardiovascular disease prevention
3. Collaborate with community organizations to improve cardiovascular health in West
Philadelphia.
Methods/Approach:
A proposal to create the REACH Center was written and submitted to the American Heart Association.
The proposed Center will be housed in the School of Public Health, with Dr. Diez Roux as Director and
Dr. Clyne as co-Director. Center research will focus on understanding how the urban built environment
leads to cardiovascular risk factor clustering, studying how cardiovascular risk factors act synergistically
to cause vascular dysfunction, and developing technology-enabled strategies to measure vascular health
and modify behaviors associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Post-doctoral fellows, graduate
students, and undergraduate students (through co-op) will participate in the research with faculty from
Public Health, Nursing and Health Professions, Engineering, Medicine, Arts and Sciences, and Media Arts
and Design at both Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania. An alternative spring break will engage
undergraduate student volunteers in projects associated with the REACH Center.
Outcomes and Evaluation:
REACH Center success will be evaluated through the quality and quantity of collaborative research
projects in cardiovascular disease prevention (proposals, funding, presentations, papers), the number of
trainees involved in REACH Center activities as well as the Center’s impression on their education, and
community impact of Center outreach programs.
The REACH Center: Research, Education, and Action in Cardiovascular Health
Alisa Morss Clyne, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
THE OPPORTUNITY
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of
morbidity and mortality in the United States. In
Philadelphia, cardiovascular disease mortality is 50%
higher than in surrounding suburban communities
(CDC). A major challenge in preventing cardiovascular
disease in urban communities is minimizing the
cumulative and synergistic effects of cardiovascular risk
factors (physical activity, nutrition, and stress) that
cluster
in
disadvantaged
urban
residents.
Cardiovascular
disease
prevention
requires
interdisciplinary, multilevel research that bridges
biology and physiology, clinical medicine, and
population health.
Drexel University is a large, comprehensive, private
university situated in West Philadelphia. Drexel excels
in experiential undergraduate education, with over 90%
of students gaining professional experience through at
least one cooperative education project. Drexel acquired
a medical school, a college of nursing and health
professions and the only school of public health in
Philadelphia in 2002. Over the past decade, Drexel
increased research expenditures nearly seven fold.
Drexel’s strategic plans calls for leveraging expertise
across 14 colleges and schools to grow the research
enterprise, expand experiential education and promote
civic engagement.
APPROACH
COLLABORATORS
 Ana Diez Roux, Dean of Public Health
 Yvonne Michael, Associate Professor of
Epidemiology
 Stella Volpe, Professor and Chair of Nutrition
Sciences
 Howard Eisen, Chief of Cardiology in the
College of Medicine
 Lucy Kerman, Vice Provost for University and
Community Partnerships
 Research
 Submitted center grant proposal to the
American
Heart
Association
2014
Strategically Focused Prevention Research
Network
 Exploring collaborative research with
existing Drexel research centers in
HIV/AIDS and spinal cord injury
 Coordinating monthly seminar series
starting in spring 2014
 Education
 Planning a university level problem based
learning course in cardiovascular disease
prevention in West Philadelphia
 Action
 Coordinating alternative spring break
student-led projects in community
cardiovascular disease prevention
 Soliciting and sponsoring senior design
projects
in
cardiovascular
disease
prevention technology
REACH CENTER MISSION
The REACH Center will enhance
cardiovascular health in Philadelphia
through integrated interdisciplinary
research, experiential education, and
community action.
OUTCOMES
DISCUSSION
The Center planning process :
DREXEL STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Integrating Health and Engineering: the Center will create new technology to address one of society’s
most pressing research challenges: improving human health
One University: the Center will integrate faculty from each college and school to address
cardiovascular disease in urban populations from science, engineering, clinical, and population
research perspectives.
Innovation Neighborhood: the Center will build new engineering technologies in partnership with
local businesses, entrepreneurs, public health and community organizations, and government
leaders. We will become a national leader in innovative, technologically sophisticated
cardiovascular disease prevention.
Civic Engagement: the Center will develop a new model for enhanced university research through
community engagement and wellness promotion.
 Enhanced my visibility across campus and
created new opportunities to help build
Drexel’s health science initiatives
 Developed relationships outside the
College of Engineering
 Created new prospective collaborative
research partnerships at Drexel and Penn
NEXT STEPS
1. Secure university buy-in and funding for
start-up programs in each focus area
2. Initiate and evaluate cardiovascular disease
prevention seminar series
3. Develop system to measure collaborative
research efforts initiated by Center.
Presented at the 2014 ELATE® Leaders Forum