NASHVILLE, Tenn. Jennifer Cunningham Erves, PhD, MA.Ed, MS, CHES, was recently selected for the Expanding National Capacity in PCOR through Training (ENACT) Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh for the 2017-18 Academic Year.
Erves is an Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine at Meharry Medical College, who is interested in a comparative effectiveness study of educational interventions to enhance HPV vaccine uptake among African American adolescents. She has a PhD in Health Education and Health Promotion from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and has 11 publications, mostly all first authored.
The ENACT Program is a tuition-free, multidisciplinary, comprehensive, and individualized career development program funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). It aims to train investigators from Minority Serving Institutions in Patient Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR).
“In the ENACT Program, I will be trained in PCOR,” Erves commented. “I will be immersed in PCOR fundamentals and methodology through didactic training. This opportunity will lead to a grant submission that applies PCOR methods to improve HPV vaccination in African American adolescents..”
The main objectives of the ENACT Program are to:
- Collaborate with Minority-Serving Institutions
- Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
- Howard University
- Meharry Medical College
- Morehouse School of Medicine
- University of Hawaii at Mānoa
- University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus
- Provide courses on fundamental and advanced methods, and experiential training in PCOR methods.
- Sponsor a one-year fellowship to immerse fellows in multidisciplinary PCOR, working closely with a mentor (content expert) at their site institution and a mentor (in PCOR methods) at Pittsburgh.
- Facilitate and support networking and mentoring relationships for investigators completing the training.
- Enhance long-term PCOR infrastructure at Partnering Institutions by developing a Leadership Circle with former ENACT fellows serving as the educational leaders in PCOR methods at each institution after the life of the grant.
“Ultimately, this opportunity will extend my knowledge-base and research in PCOR which promotes my career development as a cancer prevention researcher” Erves said.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.
