Research Methods & Policy Core
Director, Cynthia Pearson, PhD
Dr. Pearson's CV - Curriculum Vitae (pdf)
Projects Supported by the Core
Sacred Journey: Young Native Women's Study
This innovative tribally-driven research study focuses on the intersecting risk of substance use, historical and lifetime tauma, and HIV risk and how culture, place, and community serve as protective factors. The aims of the study are to (a) conduct a qualitative study to determine young Native women experiences with STI/HIV risk factors, substance use, traumatic stressors, and community and cultural protective factors; (b) survey a community sample of 150 Native American young women to establish preliminary risk and protective factors and (c) collaborate with tribal members to identify intervention components and apply for funding to design and pilot a community-based intervention adressing trauma, substance use, and STI/HIV risk.
The Healthy Hearts Across Generations Project
- Lead Investigator: Karina L. Walters, PhD
- Co-Lead Investigator: Tessa Evans-Campbell, PhD
- Project Director: Cynthia R. Pearson, PhD
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The major goals of the study are to (a) conduct a qualitative study to determine Native experiences with food, nutrition, exercise and barriers and facilitators to a CVD prevention program; (b) survey a stratified random sample of 375 adult American Indians from tribal rolls to establish preliminary CVD and CVD-risk prevalence; (c) design a culturally relevant CVD intervention and training materials; (d) conduct a randomized controlled trial of the intervention with 240 at-risk parents; and (e) disseminate findings and prepare translational materials
Expansion of Rapid HIV Testing Initiative Ti-Chee
- Ti-Chee Organization
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Hamen P. Ides (Executive Director/Founder) Kenneth O. Lamb (Managing Director ) C. Pearson (consultant)
The Honor Project
- Lead Investigator: Karina L. Walters, PhD
The Honor Project was a ground-breaking survey with six nationwide partners looking at the impact of historical trauma, discrimination and other stressors on the health and wellness of Native Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, transgender and Two-spirited men and women - a historically underserved poplulation. IWRI partnered with Native agencies to ground and contextulize the information gathered through the project. This process was truly a collaborative venture, involving community members at every step of the research process. Community driven research is just one of the many ways that IWRI respects indigenous knowladge, diversity and resillency
