Research Project Activities
PRIMER Website
Dr. Victoria Neale (co-Investigator) collaborated with two other investigators on the development and launch of the PRIMER website. This website provides a suite of resources to facilitate multi-site research, especially for the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) and practice-based research network (PBRN) communities. This project was funded by a CTSA Community-Engagement supplemental grant, making Dr. Neale likely the first WSU person to receive CTSA funding! PRIMER slides
Research Culture of Practice-based Research Networks
Dr. Victoria Neale (PI) directed this AHRQ funded study in which the goal was to develop research integrity best practices specific to the practice-based research networks (PBRN) context. This study engaged survey and practice-based researchers to identify essential PBRN-specific research best practices. Using these data as well as a comprehensive review of literature, Dr. Neale's team developed a psychometrically sound self assessment instrument, the PBRN Research Best Practices Check-list. Next steps will include dissemination and evaluation of the instrument as well as development of standard operating procedures for each of the 31 best practices.
LIFE (Life Influences on Fetal Environments) Study Dr. Dawn Misra completed this NIH R01 study in November 2014 with papers continuing to be written and published. Co-investigators are Dr. Cleo Caldwell at the University of Michigan, Dr. Theresa Osypuk at Northeastern University, and Dr. Robert Platt at McGill University. Others who have joined the team include: Dr. Jennifer Straughen (WSU postdoc, now at Henry Ford Health Systems); Dr. Jaime Slaughter (postdoc, now at Drexel University); Dr. Carmen Giurgescu (WSU College of Nursing); Dr. Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson (postdoc). Data were collected on 1411 African-American women delivering at Providence Hospital in Southfield Michigan. The preterm birth rate was approximately 15 percent. This grant collected information on a wide range of social and psychosocial factors as well as measures of women’s exposures and experiences over the life course, including the neighborhood environment. It included interviews with approximately half of the mothers of women in the study to better examine life course measures.
Racial Differences in Prostate Cancer Treatment Decision-Making
Currently, Dr. Xu is the Principle Investigator (PI) of the Treatment Options for Prostate Cancer Study (TOPCS), which is funded by American Cancer Society starting July, 2013. It is a multisite (Michigan and Georgia) collaborative 5 year Research Scholar Grant with a total budget of 1.75 Million to examine prostate cancer treatment decision making from both patient’s and urologist’s perspectives. The goal of this study is to identify determinants of treatment choice in men with low-risk prostate cancer, particularly the factors that affect the offer, acceptance, and adherence of active surveillance as an initial management strategy. The study will also evaluate whether race (African American/black or European American/white) plays a role in treatment choice, urologists’ recommendations, and quality of life outcomes. We have a great start of recruiting prostate cancer patients and their urologists for this study thus far.
Dr. Xu is also the PI of a recently awarded two-year grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Michigan Department of Community Health. In collaborations with a team of experts in instructional design and development from WSU College of Education, and a team of experts in providing CME for physicians at WSU SOM, Dr. Xu will lead the effort to design, develop, disseminate and evaluate a novel interactive online CME module for primary care physicians to improve quality of prostate cancer survivorship care in Michigan and beyond.