Our Projects
Forge AHEAD Center Research Projects
At Forge AHEAD, we are dedicated to improving health equity in populations across the South. Currently, we support seven research projects in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, specifically recruiting Black individuals to join us in this important work. These projects are leading the way in clinical, community, and population health research, turning new scientific findings into effective treatments and strategies that tackle cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Our comprehensive approach takes into account everything from everyday health influences to larger policy decisions, all aimed at creating lasting improvements in public health throughout the Deep South.
By joining our research, you’re actively helping to bridge the gap between innovative research and real-world health solutions. Your involvement will make a direct impact, contributing to healthier communities now and for future generations.
Stepping Into Lifestyle Change (SILC)
PI: Monica Baskin, Ph.D.
Disease focus: Obesity treatment, diabetes prevention, HTN control
Study population: Rural, community-dwelling Black adults with obesity and pre-diabetes in Alabama (AL) and Mississippi (MS)
Promoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary Care in Louisiana Using Information Technology (PROPEL-IT)
MPI: Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Ph.D., FTOS
Eboni Price-Haywood, MD, MPH
Disease focus: Obesity treatment, diabetes management
Study population: Urban Black adults with obesity and diabetes within a large health system in Louisiana (LA)
Food Delivery, Remote Monitoring, and coaching-Enhanced EDucation for Optimized Diabetes Management (FREEDOM)
MPI: Tapan Mehta, Ph.D.
Michael E. Hall, M.D.
Disease focus: Medically complex patients (i.e., those with DM on insulin and with existing cardiorenal disease)
Study population: Socially vulnerable Black adults within three health systems; one in Jackson, Mississippi (MS), one in Birmingham, Alabama (AL), and a safety net health system in Birmingham, Alabama (AL)
Teen Mom Study: A Hybrid Cluster Randomized Trial
PI: Abigail Gamble, Ph.D.
Disease focus: Cardiometabolic disease prevention
Study population: Pregnant, Black adolescents participating in the WIC program in Mississippi (MS)
Remotely Delivered Resistance Training for Cardiometabolic Health among Black Women: A Pilot Trial (OVERCOME-IT)
PI: Amber Kinsey, Ph.D.
Disease focus: Overweight/obesity, prediabetes/diabetes, prehypertension/ hypertension
Study population: Black women with elevated cardiometabolic risk in the Birmingham, Alabama (AL) metro area
Remotely-delivered Mindfulness-Based Diabetes Education for rural adults with uncontrolled diabetes and elevated distress
PI: Caroline Presley, MD
Disease focus: Type 2 diabetes, Diabetes distress
Study population: Rural Black adults with Type 2 Diabetes in Alabama (AL)
WISE Health: Weight Inclusive and Adaptive Strategies to Enhance Cardiometabolic Health in Black Adults
PI: Drew Sayer, Ph.D.
Disease focus: Overweight or obesity with concomitant prehypertension/hypertension, prediabetes/diabetes, and/or dyslipidemia
Study population: Black adults with obesity and associated cardiometabolic conditions in the Birmingham, Alabama (AL) metro area (AL) metro area
