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Beyond the Holiday Table: Four Community-Informed Projects Advancing HIV Research and Wellness in the Deep South
December is a time to pause, reflect, and renew our commitment to one another. As HIV/AIDS Awareness Month, it calls attention to the progress made in HIV research while underscoring the work still needed to support individuals and communities across the Deep South. This season reminds us that caring for our communities extends beyond the holiday table. It means working toward health, hope, and connection for everyone.
Staying Healthy Through the Holidays: Alabama Researchers Lead Community-Driven Diabetes Solutions
The holiday season is a time of celebration, filled with food, family, travel and traditions. But for many people, it can also mean disrupted routines, more time sitting, and eating habits that stray far from the norm.
Even for those who don’t have a chronic condition like diabetes, this time of year can make it harder to stay healthy. And for those who do, it becomes even more important to keep track of medications, maintain physical activity, and make intentional choices about meals.
CMG Spotlight: Food Is Medicine – Edwards Street Fellowship Center Brings Fresh Solutions to Diabetes Care in Hattiesburg
In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Edwards Street Fellowship Center has long been a place where compassion meets action. Through its Fellowship Health Clinic, the Center provides free medical, dental, and pharmaceutical care for uninsured and underinsured adults in Forrest and Lamar counties. Every service, every interaction, shines with the Center’s mission to extend a helping hand to those who need it most and to reflect the light of faith.
Forge AHEAD Center Announces Fifth and Sixth Cohort of Scholars Focused on Advancing Cardiometabolic Health
The Forge AHEAD Center (FAC) is pleased to introduce the recipients of its pilot funding for the fifth and sixth cohorts – early-stage investigators dedicated to advancing evidence-based solutions that address cardiometabolic health challenges and differences in health outcomes across the Deep South.
Community Micro-Grant Spotlight: Pinktopps – Building a Healthier Future after Breast Cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to create awareness and honor the millions of lives affected by breast cancer (WHO, 2025). For Alabama’s Pinktopps, this month is also about honoring people who have faced breast cancer and to spotlight programs that help survivors thrive.
InspireHER Women’s Health Walk: Walking to Wellness
The Forge AHEAD Center is proud to collaborate with community partners to support the InspireHER Women’s Health Walk, taking place on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at Black Creek Park in Fultondale, AL. Registration opens at 8:00 a.m., with the program and walk from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Health Literacy Month: Taking Charge of Your Heart and Health
The Forge AHEAD Center works with community partners, researchers, and healthcare providers in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana to reduce cardiometabolic risk and support healthy living. We are sharing these tips for Health Literacy Month because clear information and small, doable steps help people protect their hearts and reduce risk for chronic diseases. This month we want to spotlight simple tools you can use right away that make it easier to take those next steps.
Forge AHEAD Center announces 2025 Community Microgrant awardees improving health in the Deep South
Forge AHEAD Center awards $60,000 in 2025 microgrants to six community groups improving health across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Closing the gap: managing high blood pressure after an ER visit
Leaving the emergency room with dangerously high blood pressure can feel overwhelming. For many patients, the support ends the moment they walk out the door. A new pilot program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is changing that by helping patients take charge of their health from home.
Smarter follow-up and safer care: how AI could support men with diabetes
At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Forge AHEAD investigator Seung-Yup Lee, Ph.D., is leading a pilot study that combines artificial intelligence with clinical data to prevent medication mix-ups and help patients get the follow-up they need.
Work With Us to Improve Health Outcomes
Contact us today to learn more about the Forge AHEAD Center, our research, and how to partner with us.
Cite Forge AHEAD's Grant
Forge AHEAD Center is a regional multi-chronic disease research center funded by a P50 grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). Click below for citation information.
