The mission of the Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse (CoRAL) is to lessen the burden of chronic-diseases and obesity-related disorders by conducting epidemiologic, intervention and health services research studies within defined populations. CoRAL is part of the Department of Population Medicine (DPM), a unique research and teaching collaboration between Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
CoRAL is a multidisciplinary program that fosters collaboration among research investigators, both nationally and internationally, and across the Harvard campus. It serves as a springboard for training the next generation of researchers in chronic disease and obesity prevention.
CoRAL's three primary areas of research expertise are:
- Epidemiologic studies of the development of chronic diseases and their risk factors, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, airways disease and neurodevelopmental problems. This area invokes the lifecourse approach to chronic disease and targets etiologic factors working at the earliest stages of human development.
- Interventions to prevent chronic diseases. This area’s focus is on behavior change interventions in primary care settings, with an additional interest in community settings.
- Health services research on the effects of prevalence, and consequences of chronic diseases in relation to:
- Health plan policies and programs
- Clinical therapeutic interventions such as surgery or pharmaceutical agents
- Decision support or new technology for clinicians
- Cost-effectiveness of clinical and policy interventions
Contact: Chelsea Jenter
Phone: 617-867-4984
Email: Chelsea_Jenter@harvardpilgrim.org
Links to related sites:
Project Viva |The Obesity Society | WeighingIn Blog | PROBIT
Visit our new WeighingIn Blog at www.weighinginblog.org.
Read what faculty members, research investigators and staff members share about their research on obesity, nutrition and wellness.
