BIOGRAPHY 

Dr. Milagros C. Rosal is Vice Provost for Health Equity at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and a Tenured Professor of Medicine in the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine in the Department of Population and Quantitative Sciences, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Medicine.  She is Co-Director of the UMass Worcester Prevention Research Center (2014-2023), and Co-Director of the UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science K Award Program. Dr. Rosal is a clinical psychologist with a 25-year record of uninterrupted funded research, serving as PI or co-leader on 40+ research studies, most federally funded (i.e., NIH and CDC). She has expertise in the conceptualization, development and implementation of behavioral interventions, clinical trials and formative qualitative research studies. Her content expertise includes prevention and management of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular risk and psychosocial factors associated with cardiometabolic risk. Dr. Rosal is an internationally recognized expert in health disparities and women and minority health. 

CURRENT FUNDED RESEARCH

2 UL1TR001453                     Luzuriaga (PI)                                                 2020-2025

University of Massachusetts Center for Clinical and Translational Science

This CTSA award enhances the capacity of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the conduct of clinical and translational research, with a focus on infrastructure development. The Community Engagement Core aims to enhance academic and community capacity to address urgent health priorities among communities in Massachusetts using community engaged research approaches through the establishment of collaborative research networks, training programs and consultation services.

Role: Co-Investigator

U54 HL143541-02S1               McManus (PI)                                                 2020-2021

RADx Clinical Studies Core

The Clinical Studies Core of RADx supports the clinical testing of SARS CoV-2 point of care testing devices in diverse communities across the United States in partnership with academic, health care and government agencies.

Role: Co-Investigator

R01DK120713                         Wang (PI)                                                          2020-2025

Preventing Childhood Obesity Through Youth Empowerment: A Cluster RCT of the H2GO! Program

This study is a partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs in Massachusetts and involves testing the effectiveness of a narrative-based youth empowerment intervention for reducing sugar sweetened beverage consumption and obesity

Role: PI- subcontract

1U48DP006381                      Rosal, Lemon (MPIs)                                        2019-2024

UMass Worcester Prevention Research Center

This proposal is to continue to support the UMass Worcester Prevention Research Center (PRC), located at the University of Massachusetts Worcester. The UMass Worcester PRC serves as 1) The hub of community public health research at UMass Worcester; 2) An integral part of the fabric of Greater Worcester’s collaborative public health system; 3) A research partner that addresses real-world challenges across Worcester, MA, the state of Massachusetts and beyond; and 4) A national leader in real-world prevention research conducted in collaboration with public health, community and health care sectors.

UMass Worcester Applied Research Project – Economic Analysis of the Implementation of a Community Health Worker – Delivered Intervention to Enhance Antihypertensive Medication Adherence in Accountable Care Organizations.

This proposal will support an applied public health research project to implement an intervention which has been proven to be effective in controlling high blood pressure among Latinos.

R01HL149119                        Rosal, Perez  (MPIs)                                          2019-2024

PR-OUTLOOK: PR Young Adults Stress, Contextual, Behavioral & Cardiometabolic Risk

This study will fill knowledge gaps regarding the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) behavioral and cardiometabolic risk factors and overall cardiovascular health (CVH) among young adults in Puerto Rico and ascertain their psychosocial (individual and neighborhood-level) and sociodemographic determinants. We will establish an island-wide cohort of 3,000 young adults (18-29 years old) using a multi-stage sampling of probabilistic plus community approaches; conduct comprehensive assessments (survey, anthropometric, physiological), and establish a biorepository (blood, hair, saliva, urine) for future longitudinal studies of CVD risk, DVH, and mechanism.

R01 MD013769-01, NIH         Schoenthaler/Ogedegbe/Rosal (MPIs)          04/09/19-12/30/23

Bridging the evidence-to-practice gap: Evaluating practice facilitation as a strategy to accelerate translation of a systems-level adherence intervention into safety net practice

This study will test whether a refined practice facilitation strategy improves fidelity to the implementation of ALMA, an evidence-based intervention targeting adherence to antihypertensive medication among Latino patients with uncontrolled hypertension; and whether the practice facilitation strategy results in improved blood pressure control. 

PREVIOUS RESEARCH SUPPORT (last 3 years)

City of Worcester, CDC                                  Lemon/Rosal (PIs)               04/08/19-09/29/19

Worcester Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Program

This sub-contract to the Worcester Division of Public Health’s REACH grant will allow in-depth evaluation of the REACH program. Evaluation focuses on the implementation of evidence-based policy, systems and environmental strategies to promote equitable food access among Latino residents.

UL1 TR001453-04, NIH                                 Luzuriaga (PI)                         08/14/15-03/31/19

The University of Massachusetts Center for Clinical and Translational Science (UMCCTS)

The goals of the University of Massachusetts Center for Clinical and Translational Science (UMCCTS) are to move laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients, to engage communities in clinical research, and to train a new generation of researchers. Through the center, we will facilitate greater efficiency and productivity of UMass investigators across campuses to enhance the public’s health

Role: Academic Lead, Special Populations Resource Center (SPRC)

5 U48 DP005031-05, CDC                            Rosal (PI)                                09/30/14-09/29/19

UMass Worcester PRC Applied Research Project: Removing Social, Environmental and Family Barriers to Childhood Obesity Prevention

This project that will test the impact of adding a family-focused community health worker-delivered navigation intervention to a built environment intervention in an under-resourced neighborhood on child and parent obesity.

5 U48 DP005031-05, CDC                            Lemon/Rosal (PI)                    09/30/14-09/29/19

UMass Worcester Prevention Research Center

This center supports a comprehensive core infrastructure that fosters applied public health research partnerships to target the CDC Winnable Battles of nutrition, physical activity and obesity in Worcester, MA and the surrounding Central MA communities.

5 R01 DK097011-05, NIDDK                         Chasan-Taber (PI)                  08/01/13-04/30/18

Randomized Lifestyle Intervention in Overweight and Obese Pregnant Hispanic Women

This RCT will test a culturally and linguistically modified, individually-tailored lifestyle intervention to optimize gestational weight gain and postpartum weight loss among Hispanic women.

Role: PI-subcontract

5 P60 MD006912, NIMHD                             Allison (PI)                              06/14/12-01/31/18

UMass Center for Health Equity Intervention Research (CHEIR)

CHEIR's scientific cores and research projects (3) will study culturally-appropriate health disparities interventions, such as narrative-based and community interventions.

Role: Co-PI

4 P60 MD006912, NIMHD                             Rosal (PI)                                06/14/12-01/31/18

Trial of Fresh Start Weight Loss Intervention in WIC Participants (CHEIR: Project 1)

This study will test the effectiveness of a culturally-tailored behavioral weight loss intervention for socio-economically disadvantaged post-partum young mothers.

2 R01 DK064902, NIDDK                               Chasan-Taber (PI)                  09/04/12-06/30/17

Randomized Trial of a Post-Partum Diabetes Prevention Program for Hispanic Women

This RCT will test the efficacy of a culturally and linguistically modified, individually-tailored lifestyle intervention to reduce risk factors for diabetes and CVD among post-partum Hispanic women with abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy.

Role: PI-subcontract

5 R01 DK106531, NIDDK                              Mitchell (PI)                             06/01/16-05/31/17

Women in Control: A Virtual World Study of Diabetes Self-Management

This is a comparative effectiveness study of a diabetes intervention delivered through a virtual reality environment (i.e. Second Life) compared to in-person groups.

Role: PI-subcontract

5 R01 MH085653, NIMH                                  Rosal, Lemon (PI)                   05/01/11-02/28/17

Barriers and Facilitators of Mental Health Services Utilization among Latinos

Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) model, this study will empirically assess the association of culture-specific stressors and sources of support on markers of physical and mental health and health care utilization among low-income Latinos.

5 R25 CA172009, NCI                                    Lemon/Houston (PI)               06/01/14-05/31/16

Implementation Research Training Program in Cancer Prevention and Control

This education and training grant intends to establish a postdoctoral training program at UMMS focused on community and clinical implementation science in cancer prevention and control.

Role: Co-Investigator

Pfizer, Inc.                                                       Ockene /Rosal (PIs)               04/01/14-08/31/16

Atherosclerosis Risk Factor Reduction in Ecuador: Training Primary Care Physicians in Behavioral Counseling and Establishing Office Support and Patient Follow-up Systems

This study adapted, refined and assessed the feasibility of using an evidence-based cardiovascular risk prevention intervention model within Ecuadorian primary care settings, and tested the effect of the intervention approach on risk factor reduction.

5 R34 AT006963, NCCAM                            Fulwiler (PI)                             05/01/13-12/31/16

Mind and Health: Developing a Neural Marker for Mindfulness, a Pathway to Health

This RCT will study a neural marker for the impact of mindfulness and will explore the impact of mindfulness on maintenance of weight loss.

Role: Co-Investigator