Photo by Matt Schorr
Rhonda G. Kost, MD delivers her presentation to researchers at Meharry Medical College's West Basic Sciences Building.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Clinical researcher Rhonda G. Kost, MD met with researchers at Meharry Medical College (MMC) March 5, 2018, to discuss the advancement of translational research through engagement with community partners.
Different backgrounds
Dr. Kost, who serves as an Associate Professor of Clinical Investigation at the Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science and as Co-Director of the Community Engaged Research Core, highlighted the need to develop and strengthen collaborations among academic and community stakeholders.
“It isn’t a mutually fluid conversation,” she said. “We come from different backgrounds and different cultures.”
Community engagement
Kost gave her presentation – “Helping Basic Scientists Engage with Community Partners to Advance Translational Research” – in Meharry Medical College’s West Basic Sciences Building. In addition to strengthening collaborative efforts, she also discussed:
- Setting research priorities and enhancing study design in early translational research
- Identifying practices and factors essential to integration of community members in early translational research
- Key skills and strategies to engage communities in research
Perception of relevance
Stephania Miller-Hughes, PhD, MS, MSCI, an Associate Professor in MMC’s Department of Surgery who attended the presentation, believed Kost boosted the perception of community engagement’s relevance.
“Dr. Kost presented excellent examples of how engaging community stakeholders meaningfully impacted early translational research,” she commented. “Based on questions posed during and after the presentation, I believe they – along with other aspects of her presentation – increased early translational researchers’ perception of the relevance of community engagement to their individual research agendas.”
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.