Research Centers

Research Centers and Initiatives Led by Health Behavior & Health Equity Faculty

Eight research centers and initiatives on the U-M campus are led by Health Behavior & Health Equity faculty. Click on the center name for more information about their projects, publications, and training programs.

Center for Managing Chronic Disease (CMCD)

The CMCD is a multidisciplinary group focused on identifying gaps in chronic illness care and how to improve access, efficiency, and outcomes for patients- particularly patients in the most vulnerable communities.  

Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center (Detroit URC)

The Detroit URC is an interdisciplinary, community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership that equitably engages community-based organizations, health service institutions, and academia to create research, programs, and policies to improve health equity in Detroit.  

Health Behavior & Health Equity Genetics Research Group

The Health Behavior & Health Equity Genetics Group's mission is to improve understanding of the behavioral implications of expanding genetic knowledge.  

Injury Center

The U-M Injury Center is one of nine Injury Control Research Centers funded by the CDC. The center generates and shares new findings about injury prevention that can impact both policy and individual behavior. Their work encompasses both intentional injury and unintentional injury including transportation safety, violence prevention, prescription drug misuse, substance abuse, suicide and concussion.

Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center

The Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center is one of seven Academic Centers of Excellence funded by the CDC. Working collaboratively with community partner organizations in Flint Michigan, the MI-YVPC seeks to reduce violence and create a supportive and healthy environment for youth, ages 10-24. The Center works with youth, families and the community at large to implement programs that reduce risks for violence.

National Center for School Safety


The National Center for School Safety (NCSS) is a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional training and technical assistance center focused on improving school safety and preventing school violence through comprehensive, adaptable strategies for the school safety community nationwide. We believe reducing school-related trauma and the fear of potential harm is vital for learning, mental health, and the healthy development of students.

Prevention Research Center of Michigan (PRC/MI)

The mission of the Prevention Research Center of Michigan (PRC/MI) is to create and foster knowledge resulting in more effective public health programs and policies. The center conducts community-based prevention research to improve health and prevent disease, especially focused on populations with a disproportionate share of poor health outcomes.

The Social Care in Chronic Disease Collaborative

The Social Care in Chronic Disease Collaborative advances the science on addressing social context in chronic disease management.  Towards this goal, we engage in interdisciplinary research and evaluation, provide opportunities to students and trainees, and translate our research and innovations into clinical and public health practice and policy advancement. Multiple social risks (e.g. food and/or housing insecurity, transportation challenges, social isolation) and economic burden from out-of-pocket, disease-related expenses are key barriers to achieving health equity in chronic disease outcomes. We believe that advancing innovation in addressing these social factors for people managing chronic disease can improve population health and improve health disparities.

Research Centers and Initiatives with Health Behavior & Health Equity Faculty Involvement

The following research centers feature significant research involvement by Health Behavior & Health Equity faculty members.  

Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine

One of the premier intellectual gathering places of clinicians, social scientists, bioethicists and all others interested in improving individual and societal health through application of social science and bioethics methods to health research, education and public outreach.  

Center for Health Communications Research

A dedicated team integrating behavioral science, technology and art to create and research health interventions that inspire informed health decisions, broaden access to health information and advance the field of health communications.  

Center for Human Growth and Development (CHGD)

The CHGD is an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to the advancement of research on children's health and development by fostering collaborations among biomedical, behavioral, and social scientists.  

Comprehensive Cancer Center

The U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center has a distinguished history of scientific excellence, collaboration and impact in basic science, clinical research and cancer control research.  

Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

The Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) is the nation's leading university-based institute of health services researchers evaluating how healthcare works and how it can be improved, and advising policy makers to inform change.  

Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research

The Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research (MCDTR) aims to raise awareness of, and interest in, type 2 translational research in diabetes and related conditions and create an environment that supports such research.  The center identifies, develops, and supports researchers engaged in research to translate interventions with proven efficacy into real world health care settings, communities and populations at risk.