Center for the Study of Community Health
The Center focuses on reducing health risks in communities throughout Alabama and plays a leading role in community-engaged research and action across the state and the Southern region.
We work to advance community health through innovative research, education, and community partnerships. Whether you are a scientific investigator, student, community member, or an organizational leader, we invite you to join our efforts to reduce health risks and improve the health of communities across Alabama and the South.
Welcome from the Director
Welcome to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for the Study of Community Health!
Founded in 1993, the CSCH is a designated University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center (UWIRC) and has been continuously funded as a Prevention Research Center by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more than 30 years.
We invite you to learn about our programs and services, take advantage of our resources, and join our efforts to improve the health of Alabama’s residents. Whether you are an academic investigator, a student, a community member, a public health practitioner, or an organizational leader, we are here to support your work in disease prevention and health promotion.
So come and join us. There is room for everyone at our table!
Gabriela Oates, PhD
Director, UAB Center for the Study of Community Health
The 2019-2024 core intervention research project, CHEER (Community Health through Engagement and Environmental Renewal), was developed out of 12 months of meetings with Birmingham residents, who determined their key community needs as blight reduction and children’s future success. CHEER builds on observational studies by the Center and others demonstrating that youth risk behaviors are associated with family and neighborhood adversities.
Birmingham United Neighborhoods (BUN) is a coalition of 8 neighborhoods, working with the UAB Center for the Study of Community Health since 2017 when they collaborated on plans for the 2019-2024 core research project, CHEER. BUN provides input to guide CHEER, and representatives from BUN serve on the Center’s Community and Scientific Action Board (CSAB), which advises on all of the Center’s research, translation, training, and service activities.
Latest News
Community Research Assistants Complete Training
In December, a new cohort of Birmingham public housing residents completed Community Research Assistant (CRA) training as part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s HEALTHe Birmingham, a collaborative effort among UAB, the Housing Authority of the Birmingham...
UAB to evaluate the impact of neighborhood revitalization on residents’ lung health
The University of Alabama at Birmingham will evaluate the impact of public housing renovation and neighborhood revitalization on the health of community residents in the Smithfield, Graymont and College Hills communities, thanks to an allocation of $200,000...
CSCH RFAs are live for 2026
The UAB Center for the Study of Community Health (CSCH) invites full-time UAB faculty to submit applications for innovative pilot research projects focused on improving community health across Alabama. We are seeking proposals for our Community Health Innovation...
