FALL/WINTER NEWSLETTER 2025 Harvesting Hope: Community-Focused Cultivation
How The Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center is Transforming Public Health Through Community Partnerships By: Dr. Tabia Henry Akintobi, Principal Investigator
In a time when public health faces unprecedented challenges—from chronic disease to systemic inequities —Morehouse School of Medicine’s Prevention Research Center (MSoM PRC) stands as a beacon of resilience, innovation, and hope. Recently awarded continued funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the PRC’s work is not only sustained, it’s expanding. And in this moment, that matters more than ever. Founded in 1998 and as the only Prevention Research Center located within a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), the MSoM PRC has long been a national model for community-based participatory research (CBPR). Its mission is clear: to conduct interdisciplinary, community-driven public health research that uplifts underserved populations and trains the next generation of leaders that make a difference, whether in research, practice or clinical settings.
But the PRC is more than a research hub, it’s a movement that has been built and sustained through community partnership.
🌍 A Model Rooted in Community At the heart of the MSoM PRC is the Community Coalition Board (CCB), a governing body composed primarily of neighborhood residents, faith leaders, health professionals, and academic partners. This isn’t an advisory group, it’s a policymaking force. The CCB ensures that every research initiative reflects the lived experiences of the communities it serves, with interventions that are culturally tailored, racially inclusive, and geographically relevant. This governance model, known nationally as “The Morehouse Model,” has revolutionized how institutions engage with communities. It’s not just about outreach—it’s about ownership.
💡 Research That Responds
The PRC’s research portfolio is as dynamic as the communities it serves, collaborates with or is led by. Its current Core Research 1