UnitBar
Behavioral and community sciences core banner

The Behavioral and Community Sciences Core (BCSC, Core J) supports research on behavioral, environmental, economic, and social HIV risk and protective factors in the Deep South. The BCSC has 3 specific aims:
  • Bring methodological advances in behavioral and community science to bear on HIV research and interventions in Deep South communities disproportionately affected by the shifting epidemic.
  • Strengthen and sustain collaborations with key groups to achieve Aim 1, including but not limited to: CFAR Biostatistics and Analysis Core and Clinical Core; the UAB Center for the Study of Community Health; and community partners and stakeholders.
  • Inform BCSC initiatives by assessment of needs of UAB HIV researchers working on behavioral and community science projects.
Panoramic Continuum Sept 2014 Seminar DP

Core J

Services


Services We Offer:

The CFAR Behavioral and Community Sciences Core offers services to UAB researchers and community partners who are conducting, or who are interested in conducting, behavioral and community science studies in the areas of HIV prevention and treatment. Our brief consultations and services include:

  • Free initial 1-hour consultations on various topics related to behavioral and community science studies including, but not limited to:
    • Study design
    • Data collection instrument design, including qualitative interview guide design
    • Data analysis and interpretation
    • Community acceptability and feasibility of the research
  • Linkage to community partners
  • Referrals for additional consultations, mentorship opportunities, and linkage to resources
  • Seminar series on STI and HIV-related topics
  • Hands-on methodological workshops to build skills for behavioral and community science research

To request a free INITIAL 1-hour consultation with one of our staff members, please complete our
Core Services Request Form

Expertise


Core Co-Directors
Janet M. Turan, PhD and Robin G. Lanzi, PhD, MPH

Dr. Turan (jmturan@uab.edu) is a Professor in the Department of Health Care Organization and Policy (Maternal and Child Health Concentration). She brings experience in maternal and child health, qualitative and mixed methods research and a unique focus on reducing stigma and discrimination experienced by women living with HIV to the core leadership. She was just awarded an RO1 to study the adverse effects of HIV-related stigma among pregnant women in Kenya.  She is also the co-principal investigator for a $1.7 million grant to study ways to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections, saving maternal lives and simplifying antiretroviral therapy implementation.  Janet is currently Co-Chair of the Psychosocial and Behavioral Working Group of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) and a leader of a CFAR-IRG on developing and testing interventions to reduce HIV-related stigma and increase HIV testing and engagement in care in Alabama (I.e.,  Finding Respect and Ending Stigma around HIV (FRESH) Study).

Dr. Lanzi (rlanzi@uab.edu) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and currently serves as Graduate Program Director.  She has extensive involvement in research on adolescent reproductive health, including recent involvement in research on HIV/AIDS prevention.  She currently has a SBIR grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development titled “Sexually Active Adolescent Focused Education (SAAFE):  A Mobile Based Game to Promote Healthy Sexual Practices" that is aimed at developing a consumer friendly HIV/STI prevention application for adolescents.  Robin has extensive experience in community-based research, including at the national level as part of the Community Child Health Network (funded by NICHD and NINR) for which she chaired 3 oversight committees.  She has had similar roles in other national and state research networks and is involved in community-based research and engagement in the greater Birmingham area.  

Methodologist
Bulent Turan, PhD
bturanb@uab.edu 

Dr. Turan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. His research examines the mechanisms underlying the relationship between social bonds and well-being. One area of focus is understanding how people use (or do not use) supportive relationships effectively at times of stress and how this affects emotional and physical health. A second area of focus is the effects of negative social evaluation on psychological and physical well-being (particularly hormonal responses including cortisol, testosterone, and alpha amylase reactivity).Recent projects involve applying the construct of fear of negative evaluation to the context of HIV to examine the effects of HIV-related stigma and discrimination among persons living with HIV.

For Core J, Dr. Turan will be offering consultation services for study design, quantitative data collection instrument design, and statistical analysis and data interpretation for behavioral and community science research related to HIV and other STIs. He will also make linkages to CFAR Biostatistics Core D for investigators needing additional biostatical advice.

Engagement in Care Specialist
D. Scott Batey, PhD, MSW
dsbatey@uab.edu

Dr. Batey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work. His expertise lies in the area of HIV prevention and treatment. Specifically, he has framed his work within the HIV Treatment Cascade where he studies individual- and structural-level influences on one's initial linkage to HIV care after diagnosis, and long-term retention and re-engagement in HIV primary medical care. He often defines his interests as being set at the intersection of the HIV clinic and the broader community. He has recently received a secondary appointment as Scientist through the UAB CFAR.

For Core J, Dr. Batey brings a wealth of experience advocating for the active role of the community in research. He works closely with long-time community organization partners to address critical healthcare issues, especially as they relate to HIV. He is a co-founder of the Jefferson County HIV/AIDS Community Coalition, whose mission is to serve as a network of active stakeholders working together towards a unified and healthy community response to HIV/AIDS, and he has served as the Coalition’s Chair for the past two years. Named an Emerging Engagement Scholar in 2009, Dr. Batey is also interested in the integration of service learning and community exposure in the social work curriculum.

Program Manager
Samantha Whitfield, MPH
swhitfield@uab.edu 

Mrs. Whitfield holds degrees in social psychology and health behavior, both from UAB. She is the program manager for Core J as well as for Dr. J. Turan’s domestic studies. She assists with planning and organizing Core activities, manages the Core J listservs, coordinates study recruitment - including for multi-site studies, and creates and amends IRB documents in compliance with University policies. Her primary interests are in minority population health and sexual health education and promotion. She has experience conducting extensive literature reviews, assisting with manuscript and grant writing, managing and analyzing data in SPSS databases, facilitating young adult group discussion regarding risky behaviors, and HIV testing and informal counseling.

Community Engagement Coordinator
Edward Jackson
ecjackson2@uabmc.edu 

Since 2002, Mr. Jackson has been a Program Coordinator for federally funded HIV prevention interventions. He has worked extensively in public health communications and has been a consultant on mobilizing communities in the area of HIV and other health disparities for a number of agencies and government entities throughout the United States, including the White House. His experience working with people with culturally diverse backgrounds and focusing on community collaboration has led him to a number of volunteer opportunities and community leadership roles. For Core J, Mr. Jackson creates and maintains community relationships with organizations that specialize in HIV prevention and patient services in the Birmingham and surrounding area. He also attends community events and acts as a representative for Core J in lending support to the community-based organizations and AIDS service organizations in the area.

To request services from any of our core staff, please complete our CORE SERVICES REQUEST FORM 

Events

Upcoming Events

  • February 27, 2017 - Seminar on Mentored Career Development Awards (K Awards) - The Edge of Chaos - 1:00 - 2:00
    • Presented by Dr. Jessica Merlin
    • For more information on K awards, please click here
    • To RSVP for this seminar, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 
  • March 6, 2017 - Specific Aims Workshop - The Edge of Chaos - 9:00 - 2:00
    • For those working on specific aims related to F or K mechanisms
    • By application/invitation only 
    • For more information, contact Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 
  • April 11, 2017 - Qualitative Data Camp - The Edge of Chaos - 9:00 - 2:00
    • For those already working on STI- and HIV-related qualitative and mixed-methods projects and are using NVivo qualitative software.
    • By application/invitation only
    • For more information, contact Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 

If you would like to be included on the listserv for: 1) the Behavioral and Community Sciences Core, 2) the Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Network, or 3) the Faith and Spirituality Network, please contact Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 

Previous Events

  • February 6, 2017 - Seminar on Individual Research Fellowship (F Awards)
      • Presented by Dr. Mirjam-Colette Kempf and Ms. Kristi Stringer
      • For more information on F awards, please click here
      • For access to the presentations from this seminar, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu
  • December 2016 World AIDS Day Seminar - "A tale of two types of couples: Lessons learned from couples-based HIV prevention in South Africa and San Francisco"
      • This month we hosted ID Grand Rounds and invited Dr. Lynae Darbes (University of Michigan) to join us for an overview of her work. Dr. Darbes presented findings from her work examining the influences of relationship dynamics on behaviors such as HIV testing and sexual risk behavior among heterosexual couples in South Africa and gay male couples in San Francisco. 
      • For access to the presentation from this seminar, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 
  • November 2016 Frontline Providers Meeting (Jefferson County HIV/AIDS Service Providers Collaborative Meeting)
      • In November 2016, the Jefferson County HIV/AIDS Community Coalition once again convened a local Service Providers Collaborative. This was the 1st Annual such event, building on a tremendous inaugural event in 2015. This year, the Collaborative was held at Birmingham AIDS Outreach. The Collaborative allows our all-important frontline service providers to network and, in some cases, to see each other face-to-face for the very first time! In addition, the annual meeting fosters discussion on some of the hottest local topics that relate to efficient and effective HIV prevention and treatment.
      • For more information about this meeting and future Frontline Providers meetings, please email Scptt Batey at dsbatey@uab.edu 
      • For photos of this meeting, including photos of the SWOT (Stengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analyses, or for a copy of this year's meeting agenda, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 
  • October 2016 Specific Aims Workshop
      • Five graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty members got together with ten faculty mentors and facilitators to get an overview of specific aims in grant writing and to receive individual feedback on works already in progress. 
      • For more information about this workshop and potential future workshops, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 
  • October 2016 Seminar - "Pictures and a Thousand Words: Concept Mapping as an Engaged Research Methodology"
      • Dr. Jelani Kerr (University of Louisville) joined us to give an overview of his work using concept mapping, a mixed-methods approach, and to explain how it can be used in participatory HIV research. 
      • For access to Dr. Kerr's concept mapping presentation, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 
  • September 2016 Panel - Faith and Spirituality Panel "Ideas, Opportunities, and New Directions for Faith-Based Community HIV Initiatives: Bringing Together Researchers and the Community"
      • Featuring Panelists:
        • Reverend Edwin C. Sanders II, Senior Servant and Founder, Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, Nashville, TN
        • Christopher M. Hamlin, DMin, Chaplain, HIV Prevention and Testing Services, 1917 Clinic, UAB
        • Amy Nunn, ScD, MS, Associate Professor of Public Health and Medicine, Brown University, Executive Director, Rhode Island Public Health Institute
        • Pamela Payne-Foster, MD, MPH, Community and Rural Medicine, Deputy Director, Institute for Rural Health Research College of Community Health Sciences, University of Alabama
      • For more information regarding the details of what was discussed at this event, please contact Edward Jackson at ecjackson2@uabmc.edu 
  • June 2016 Meeting - Birmingham Faith Leader Town Hall
      • Moving Faith from Awareness - to Engagement - to Ending HIV
      • Together with The Black Church & HIV (www.TheBlackChurchandHIV.org), the Behavioral and Community Sciences Core Faith and Spirituality Network hosted this event gathering leaders from faith-based organizations in the Birmingham and surrounding areas. The Black Church & HIV's mission is to engage faith leaders and inspire them to get involved in ending HIV's disparate impact on Black America by educating their congregants and communities.
      • For more informationr regarding the details of what was discussed at this event, please contact Edward Jackson at ecjackson2@uabmc.edu 
  • April/May 2016 Meetings - Faith and Spirituality Network
      • This group is interested in research and community activity using faith and spirituality as a coping mechanism for persons living with HIV. Meetings have been utilized to discuss grant writing, potential funding mechanisms, and collaborative research endeavors. If you would like to be part of this network and keep up with the news related to its ongoings specifically, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu to be on the listserv or Edward Jackson at ejacksn@uab.edu to get more detailed information or to receive copies of meeting minutes.
      • In April and May, we had four Faith and Spirituality Network meetings: April 4th, April 12th, April 19th, and May 3rd.  
      • These planning meetings have led to a June event (detailed above in the Announcements section). Additionally, a fall panel is in development, so stay tuned for more information about that!
  • March 2016 Seminar - "Impacting the HIV Continuum of Care for Domestic Youth through Community Coalition-Driven Structural Change Objectives"
      • Dr. Craig Wilson (UAB School of Public Health and Sparkman Center for Global Health) joined us to give an overview of an Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) study: Connect to Protect: Mobilizing Communities for Structural Change to Impact HIV/AIDS (C2P), based on the "Community Empowerment Framework."
      • Click here for Dr. Wilson's slides from the seminar
  • February 2016 Workshop - Hosted by ResearchTalk - 3-day qualitative research workshop co-sponsored by UAB CFAR Behavioral and Community Sciences Core (Core J) and UAB Research and Informatics Service Center (RISC)
      • Paul Mihas, M.A. (UNC Odum Institute, ResearchTalk) joined us to give an intensive look at qualitative and mixed methods research, including background on Grounded Theory and an in-depth NVivo session. 
      • For copies of slides from the workshop, please contact Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu (available by request only due to size restrictions for downloads)
  • January 2016 Meeting - "Sampling Hard to Reach and Hidden Populations Using Respondent Driven Sampling: An Introduction"
      • Dr. Steve Kogan (UGA) joined us to give a basic, conceptual overview and introduction of RDS that described when it is appropriate to use, how to implement the system, and evaluating the effectiveness of the procedure.
      • Click here for Dr. Kogan's slides from the seminar
  • December 2015 Meeting - Faith and Spirituality Network
      • This group is interested in research and community activity using faith and spirituality as a coping mechanism for persons living with HIV. Monthly meetings will begin in January 2016 to discuss grant writing, potential funding mechanisms, and collaborative research endeavors. If you would like to be part of this network and keep up with the news related to its ongoings specifically, please email Samantha Whitfield (swhitfield@uab.edu) to be on the listserv or Edward Jackson (ejacksn@uab.edu) to get more detailed information.
  • November 2015 Luncheon - "Food Insecurity: Implications for HIV Health Outcomes"
      • For a PDF copy of Sheri Weiser's slides detailing her team's work with food insecurity in several different settings (e.g., Boston, British Columbia, San Francisco, Uganda) please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu (available by request only due to size restrictions for downloads)
  • October 2015 Seminar - "Two Sides of the Same Coin: HIV Research and Public Health Practice in Jamaica"
  • September 2015 Fall Kick-off Event
  • August 2015 Seminar - "Addressing HIV-related Stigma in New Jersey Using a Socioecological Perspective"
  • May 2015 Workshop – “A hands-on workshop on community-based participatory research (CBPR)”
      • For a copy of the slides from this workshop, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu (available by request only due to size restrictions for downloads)
  • April 2015 Event – Ending AIDS: A Deep South Summit – Birmingham, AL
  • March 2015 Workshop – “Geographic Information Services (GIS) mapping for HIV/AIDS research and interventions”
      • For more information on the GIS course offered through the Department of Health Behavior in the School of Public Health, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 
  • February 2015 Seminar – “A panel: Innovative mobile applications (mHealth) for HIV/STI programs and research”
  • December 2014 Seminar – “A panel on community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods: Lessons from the field & making it work”
  • October 2014 Seminar – “Launching a qualitative and mixed methods research network on campus”
      • If you would like to be included on the Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Network listserv, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu (available by request only due to size restrictions for downloads)
  • September 2014 Seminar – “An engaging discussion with community organizations working in the area of HIV/AIDS”
      • For more information about the CBOs and ASOs in the area, including the services they offer to PLHIV, please see our HIV Organization Map
      • For more detailed information about how to connect with these organizations to discuss research collaborations, please email Edward Jackson at ejacksn@uab.edu or complete our Core Services Request Form found under the Services tab

Upcoming 2017 HIV Conferences and Meetings

  • To be updated soon

Other 2017 Conferences and Meetings

  • To be updated soon

Resources


Resources

The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study has posted the latest monograph in a series reporting national trends in risk and protective behaviors for HIV. It shows surprisingly little change in these behaviors over the past 10 years, which may well explain why there has been so little change in new cases as reported by the CDC over that period.

HIV/AIDS: Risk & Protective Behaviors among Adults Ages 21 to 40 in the U.S., 2004-2014.

It may be downloaded free here.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Journals

For a comprehensive list of reproductive health journals - including impact factors, word counts, etc. - please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 

Funding Opportunities

Qualitative


Here are some qualitative services and resources that may be helpful to you:

UAB Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Courses

- School of Public Health Course

Dr. Janet Turan, Professor, Health Care Organization and Policy
Fall Semesters

HCO 628/728 - Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research in Public Health (link to course description)

- School of Nursing/School of Health Professions Courses

Dr. Nataliya V. Ivankova, Associate Professor
Health Services Administration, School of Health Professions
Acute, Chronic and Continuing Care, School of Nursing

For more information regarding these classes, please email Dr. Ivankova at nivankov@uab.edu 

Click here for a link to the descriptions for all the courses listed below

NRM 777/AH 777 Mixed Methods Research I: Introduction to the Field (fall)

NRM 778/AH 778 Mixed Methods Research II: Designing and Conducting a Mixed Methods Study (spring)

NRM 779/AH 779 Mixed Methods Applications in Community-Based Action Research (summer)

NRM 784/AH 784 Qualitative Research: A Grounded Theory Approach (summer, odd year)

NRM 785/AH 785 Qualitative Research: Analysis and Interpretation (spring)

NRM 786/AH 786 Qualitative Research: A Case Study and Ethnographic Approaches (TBA)

NRM 787/AH 787 Qualitative Research: A Phenomenological Approach (summer, even year)

Qualitative Data Analysis Software Packages

NVivo

ATLAS.ti

Dedoose

HyperRESEARCH

Transcription Services

Same Day Transcription

Landmark Associates, Inc. - offers Spanish

At Home Typing Service - offers Spanish

Qualitative Research Services

ResearchTalk
 
The Odom Institute at UNC

Qualitative Health Research Consultants, LLC
To request qualitative and mixed-methods expertise from our core staff, please complete our CORE SERVICES REQUEST FORM

Partners & Collaborators


BCSC partners and collaborators include:

CFAR Administrative Core
Current synergistic activities include the BCSC directors’ roles on the CFAR Executive Committee and participation in the consolidated United Community Advisory Board (UCAB), consisting of several individual CABs at the 1917 Clinic.

CFAR Biostatistics and Analysis Services
Community-based studies often address research questions not amenable to RCT designs and require observational, longitudinal, and participatory approaches. The BCSC coordinates with Core D coordinate to support such research.

CFAR Clinical Core
The BCSC and Core C collaborate to develop a seamless community-clinic interface for research and intervention addressing linkages encompassed by the HIV treatment cascade, a goal of the National AIDS Strategy and CFAR strategic plan.

CFAR Developmental Core
The Developmental Core is supporting two integral Core J grants related to HIV screening and treatment cascade integration and enhancement, as well as providing funding for an Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) focused on offering stigma reduction workshops to PLHA and healthcare workers.

UAB Center for the Study of Community Health (CSCH)
The CSCH is a University Wide Research Infrastructure Center housing the CDC-funded UAB Prevention Research Center and its Core Research project CITY Health, which involves HIV testing. CSCH projects/services will be coordinated with Core J services to reduce redundancies and maximize resources.

Deep South Network for Cancer Control / UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center

Jefferson County Department of Health

Alabama Department of Public Health

Community Partners
Community-based studies require effective academic-community partnerships. The BCSC interfaces with stakeholders, employs a Community Engagement Coordinator, works with the Jefferson County HIV/AIDS Community Coalition, and provides leadership and training on building relationships

For more information about our partnerships with community-based organizations that offer HIV services, please see the HIV Organization Map.*
*Currenly unavailable as it is being updated to provide you with the most accurate information.

Faith & Spirituality

Faith and Spirituality Network

Mission

The UAB Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Be-havioral and Community Sciences Core Faith and Spirituality Network aims to support and extend faith and spirituality based efforts to address HIV and health disparity needs of the community such as cancer, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and stress, expand upon resources within the community, and utilize research to improve the health and well-being of the community members from a community faith and spirituality based perspective.

Recent FSN Activities

  • Coordinated and supported numerous research and community based meetings, seminars, and collaborations on HIV and faith and spirituality
  • Developed a network of undergraduate and graduate students interested in conducting research in HIV and faith and spirituality
  • Sponsored The Social Justice Imperative Birmingham Faith Leader Town Hall: “Moving Faith from Awareness to Engagement to Ending HIV” with The Black and HIV, an NAACP Clinton Global Health Initiative
  • Conducted a Community Forum on Faith :and Spirituality “Ideas, Opportunities, and New Directions for Faith-Based Community HIV Initiatives: Bringing Together Researchers and the Community”
  • Partnering with faith based community on HIV educational trainings
  • Coordinating with the Inter-CFAR Faith and Spirituality Network Research and Planning Workshops
  • Trainings with approximately 300 clergy
Connect with the CFAR Faith and Spirituality Network

Edward Jackson
(205) 603-7542
ecjackson2@uabmc.edu

Robin Lanzi
(205) 975-8071
rlanzi@uab.edu 

To be added to the Faith and Spirituality Network listserv in order to keep up-to-date with meetings and events, please email Samantha Whitfield at swhitfield@uab.edu 

Contact


Program Manager
Samantha Whitfield, MPH
swhitfield@uab.edu
(205) 934-6425		 University of Alabama at Birmingham
UAB School of Public Health
Department of Health Care Organization and Policy
1665 University Boulevard, RPHB 310B
Birmingham, AL 35294-0022