Below is a selection of projects and programs from across our department, reflecting the range of work we do with and alongside the communities we serve.

The Center for Asian Health is a multidisciplinary research center conducting community-engaged, clinical, and population health research to advance prevention, diagnosis, and adherence to treatment. Through more than 100 studies spanning community-based research, longitudinal cohorts, clinical trials and implementation science, CAH generates actionable evidence to improve health outcomes. Examples of current projects include:

• Synergistic Partnership for Enhancing Excellence in Cancer Health (SPEECH), funded by NIH is a regional comprehensive partnership in advancing multidisciplinary cancer research, cancer research education for next generation cancer scientists and community outreach and engagement, led by Dr. Grace X. Ma (contact PI) and Dr. Camille Ragin (MPI) of Temple University Fox Chase Cancer Center.
• Liver Disease Management: Despite carrying the highest risk of hepatitis B and liver cancer in the U.S., nearly three-quarters of Asian Americans have never been screened, and those infected experience significant barriers to timely monitoring and treatment. Dr. Grace Ma leads a five-year, $4 million study, the first of its kind, examining how individual and clinical factors shapes access to liver disease screening and care.
• BUILD Philly trains young Philadelphians ages 18–24 for healthcare careers through hands-on clinical training, mentorship, and certification, paired with wraparound support like childcare and transportation help. Led by Dr. Grace Ma, the program centers participant voices and trust building to bring opportunities to young Philadelphia residents.
• MOSAAIC  is a national study, funded by NIH, examining heart, lung, and metabolic health in communities long underrepresented in clinical research. CAH is one of the participating research sites nationwide, with Drs. Grace X. Ma and Carolyn Fang Multiple PI of Philly site.

The Center for Health Justice and Bioethics houses several community intervention programs, focused on the structural determinants of health that most impact North Philadelphia. 

• Begin the Turn is a mobile-based recovery and care program that serves people experiencing substance use disorders. Focused on harm reduction, the team meets community members where they are, in a safe and inclusive environment.
• REACH is a violence prevention and intervention program. Employing credible messengers from the community, the program aims to reduce the spread of violence. Our employees are trained in peer support, deescalation, mediation, and non-carceral approaches to violence prevention.
• The Program for Maternal Health Equity is a team of clinicians, birth workers, and researchers who work to cultivate impactful and sustainable solutions that support health equity at individual, family, health system, and societal levels.
• The Philadelphia Healthy and Safe Schools Program, or PHASeS, is a progressive, human-centered initiative focused on creating trauma-informed schools. A team of trauma specialists use educational coaching, parenting guidance, and social work values to empower the school community. The program is evaluated by faculty and staff at Temple’s College of Education and Human Development.

The Hope Center conducts applied research and evaluation and translates its findings into institutional practice and public policy. Working with colleges, higher education systems, states, and national partners, the Center produces actionable evidence about the conditions that shape students’ ability to complete college.

• Data Insights and Technical Assistance. The Hope Center generates data on students’ basic needs and helps institutions and systems turn findings into action. Through Hope Impact Partnerships, colleges and universities administer the Hope Center Student Basic Needs Survey and receive technical assistance to interpret results, identify priorities, and strengthen policy and practice. The Center also works with systems and states to identify gaps and develop coordinated strategies for change.
• Federal and State Policy and Systems Change. The Center draws on research and partnerships to advance systems-level changes in college affordability, public benefits access, basic needs infrastructure, and financial and emergency aid. State initiatives in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kentucky, and elsewhere bring together policymakers, institutions, and community partners to identify structural barriers and pursue durable policy and systems solutions.
• Selected Research and Evaluation Projects. The Center’s research portfolio examines how student experiences, institutional practices, and public policies intersect. Current and recent projects include the NSF-funded INTuitN-STEM Research Hub and a randomized controlled trial with the City University of New York examining whether transportation support can improve community college persistence.