Overview

The focus of the Division of Community Health Sciences is to develop means of reducing disease causality in underserved communities by integrating, supporting, and expanding collaborative relationships between researchers and communities.

Division Faculty

Mark DeHaven, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor 
mark.dehaven@utsouthwestern.edu

Heather Kitzman-Ulrich, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
heather.kitzman-ulrich@utsouthwestern.edu

Division of Community Health Sciences Projects

The GoodNEWS Lifestyle Enhancement Program  
Mark DeHaven, Ph.D., Director
A faith-based wellness program, this study trains Lay Health Promoters (LHPs) from African-American churches to administer healthy living lessons and activities to their congregations in order to address cardiovascular disease and improve overall health.

Program for the Development and Evaluation of Model Community Health Initiatives in Dallas (PDEMCHID)

Mark DeHaven, Ph.D., Director
The PDEMCHID supports pilot projects for reducing the burden of disease in underserved communities. The program’s goal is to develop equitable and effective models of health for reducing and eliminating health disparities.

PDEMCHID pilot awards are offered specifically for developing and refining ideas for new model programs and for gathering preliminary data related to their effectiveness. Previous awardees have included Geetha Shivakumar, M.D., Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, and Carlos Timaran, M.D., Assistant Professor, Surgery.

Community Health Research Initiative (CHRI)
Mark DeHaven, Ph.D., Chair
The CHRI is a unified and functionally integrated platform of resources created through the UT Southwestern Center for Translational Medicine with three objectives:

  • Support, integrate, and expand existing community-engaged and community-responsive research.
  • Develop and evaluate new community partnerships and projects.
  • Provide expert guidance and consultation to investigators planning to carry out community-engaged research.

Faculty members have significant expertise and experience in NIH-funded community-based research, community-based participatory research (CBPR), practice-based research, translational research, and health disparities research.