FSU College of Medicine 2017 annual report 2017 Annual Report - FSU College of Medicine | Page 45

2
0
1
7
A N N U A L
R E P O R T
43
important health-related research that can improve the lives
of people in the U.S. and around the world.”
training environment with mentors,” Joyce said.
“The National Institutes of Health has changed its definition
As one of the few medical schools in the U.S. without an of what clinical research is. The definition today encompasses
academic medical center, the College of Medicine’s research much more of what was considered behavioral research in the
program is growing in ways that are consistent with its past – and that’s an area of strength for us.”
community-based and collaborative approach to medical
education.
“We have opportunities in our model to engage and train
faculty across the FSU campus and elsewhere in clinical
The FSU Clinical Research Network continues to provide an
opportunity for studies involving a patient population reflecting
Florida’s diversity, including the availability of patients from rural
and underserved communities often overlooked in clinical studies.
research while offering medical students a clinical-research
DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR TO LEAD NEW BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER
alcohol and food consumption in female
The College of Medicine recently
took a significant step toward a plan college students who have experienced
to expand campuswide collaborations dating or sexual violence.
“Her approach cuts across different
while enhancing its ability to partner
with other top research universities. populations and diagnoses,” said Heather
The arrival of Distinguished Endowed Flynn, vice chair for research in the
Professor in Behavioral Health Sylvie Department of Behavioral Sciences and
Naar to create Florida State’s new Center
for Translational Behavioral Research
Naar
Social Medicine. “For example, she’s not
doing an intervention that applies only to
may serve as a template for the college’s future growth in HIV risk prevention or only alcohol use or only obesity risk.
discovery. Her interventions can affect a variety of outcomes.”
Naar brings $17 million in funded projects, the ability to
One of those outcomes is likely to be the continued
lead large, multi-site studies and a vision for harnessing the growth of a sustainable research model that doesn’t require
College of Medicine’s statewide medical education footprint unrealistic infrastructure funding.
to include a diverse patient population in translational
behavioral research.
She’s a trained pediatric health psychologist with significant
experience leading health disparities research projects
“I believe she and the new center will allow us to be on the
national stage in a very broadly focused area of mental health
research,” Joyce said.
“She has demonstrated an ability to do multi-site
involving minority youth. Naar is an internationally known translational research that has a national impact. And she’s
expert in the use of motivational interviewing to improve utilizing behavioral interventions to change health outcomes
health behaviors. Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, for people in an approach that does not require an academic
guiding conversational style meant to strengthen a person’s medical center. She’ll be utilizing a community-based
intrinsic motivation and commitment for change. approach, which fits right into our mission and our approach
A sample of her 10 active grants and contracts includes
projects involving HIV-related self-management among
to everything that we do.
“She is constantly developing new proposals that are going
youth, adherence to asthma medication among urban African- to elevate Florida State University’s reputation for behavioral
American adolescents, diabetes care in minority youth and health research.”