Prevention Research Center
Our mission is to implement and evaluate interventions to address the health and well-being of residents of the Clarkston community.
About the GSU PRC
What is a PRC?
The Georgia State University Prevention Research Center (GSU PRC) is part of a network of 20 academic research centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All PRCs in the Prevention Research Centers Network study how people and their communities can avoid or reduce the risk for chronic diseases. PRCs are leaders at the scientific forefront of translating and implementing evidence-based programs.
What Does the GSU PRC Do?
The GSU PRC focuses on the issues that impact the health and well-being of residents in Clarkston, Georgia. The GSU PRC works with community organizations, state and local governments, residents, and other partners in Clarkston to develop, implement and evaluate interventions to address issues affecting residents and to disseminate this work at the community, state and national levels
Research Projects
Clarkston SafeCare
A core research project of the GSU PRC (2019-2024), works in collaboration with the community to address the health and well-being of children by adapting a national, evidence-based parenting program, called SafeCare, for the residents of Clarkston. The goal is to ensure that the families are receiving quality evidence-based programming that promotes healthy relationships between children and parents.
Combating Social Isolation
The second core research project of the GSU PRC (2024-2029) is also based in Clarkston and focuses on addressing social isolation and loneliness in the community. The project works to promote social connectedness by implementing a mindfulness and cognitive behavioral intervention within existing community-based programs.
Digital Smoking Cessation Adaptation
This Special Interest Project (SIP) aims to help Hispanic/Latino adults quit smoking by adapting an evidence-based text messaging intervention. It will use community engagement and implementation science methods to make sure the program is effective and widely available in healthcare and community settings. The GSU Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) Collaborating Center will engage in large-scale network efforts to increase the impact of this project and others on cancer prevention and control.
PRC Center Activities
In addition to the core research projects, the GSU PRC Center provides further community-wide support through community initiatives which aim to address the emergent health needs of Clarkston. Residents actively shape the PRC’s Center activities, guiding program development to tackle the most pressing local health concerns.
HOW DOES GSU PRC ENGAGE WITH THE CLARKSTON COMMUNITY?
The GSU PRC team regularly meets with the community advisory board (CAB), a group of community members with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. The CAB provides direction and oversight for the PRC work.
The summit events bring together hundreds of Clarkston organizations and residents to engage in a day of panels and workgroups. The summits encourage community members to express their vision and ideas for ways to address community issues.
The community conversation meetings allow the PRC team to have targeted conversations with various stakeholders, such as mental healthcare providers.
The needs assessment surveys are a formal way of gathering data on the health needs of the Clarkston community. The results of these surveys can inform the PRC and other community organizations on how to prioritize and allocate resources.
AND MORE
PRC Funding
This work is supported by the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Center cooperative agreement U48DP006393, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,000,000. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.
Contact Us
For more information on the core research projects or community initiatives, please contact us at:
