Family and Community Medicine Research

Striving to enhance the health of families and communities through rigorous and evidence-based research, we cover a wide range of research areas including: prevention, nutrition; health disparities, diabetes and obesity; nicotine use disorders, alcohol use disorders, prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; substance misuse in primary care; antibiotic use and stewardship; and maternal and child health. Our faculty members collaborate with other clinical departments and investigators around the country to help make Baylor College of Medicine one of the most innovative health science universities in the country.

The program has been successful in obtaining external research grant funding. Federal sponsors include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The department is home to the Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Population Health Research, under the direction of Roger Zoorob, M.D., MPH, FAAFP. Topics include disease prevention, health disparities, diabetes and obesity, substance use disorders, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, integrated behavioral health, epidemiology of health, antibiotic stewardship, medical education research, and maternal and child health. We encourage students, residents, fellows, and faculty to develop their skills as investigators by offering research training and mentorship opportunities that lead to career growth and contributions to science, including academic publications, presentations, and advocacy.

Dr. Zoorob secured funding to continue our T32 Primary Care Research Fellowship grant awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The training grant is a five-year award of $1.9 million.

The FCM T32 Fellowship is open for applications. Check out the flyer to see if you or someone you know would be a good fit for the program.

The fellowship, open to M.D.s, Ph.D.s, and other doctoral degree holders, has implemented a multifaceted training program that comprehensively prepares healthcare professionals for a career in primary care research. This fellowship features a core curriculum, emphasizes multidisciplinary team-based mentoring, and offers a diverse spectrum of primary care research opportunities from an existing interinstitutional collaborative housed within the largest medical center in the world. By the end of their core training, fellows will have greater proficiency and confidence in clinical epidemiology, health informatics and the use of large administrative databases, health services research in primary care, oral and written presentation, project management, and grant writing. Additionally, all fellows will have the opportunity to establish their own tailored, interprofessional mentoring team and an individualized plan of measurable objectives.