Overview:

CBPR lies at the heart of the work we do at the Reach Lab.

PIs Whitbeck and Dombrowski have long histories of collaborative, problem-based research and prevention development with Native American and Aboriginal communities in North America. In addition, our collaborators include groups not normally considered under CBPR. This includes homeless shelters, syringe exchange programs, and drug user collectives. Together, this wide range of interests gives us a unique perspective on how collaboration changes, improves, and redefines what we mean by research and analysis.

CBPR processes are included in most of the projects we have done in the last two decades, including ongoing projects such as “Informal Networks in Two Labrador Communities” (National Science Foundation, Division of Arctic Social Sciences ARC-0908155), “Injection Risk Networks in Rural Puerto Rico R01DA037117). More recently we have begun a series of community based collaborative projects in rural Nebraska as part of our Minority Health Disparities Initiative. These include projects like “HealthVoiceVision” and “YouRHealth” (funded by the Rural Futures Institute). We also collaborate with researchers at other institutions doing CBPR including Stacy Rasmus and Jim Allen at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (R01AA023754) and Lisa Wexler at the University of Massachusetts (R34MH096884/R01 MH112458). More information about all of these projects individually can be found on our Projects page.