She asserts that if the Center wants to be of practical use to those it serves, it needs to tie its research more closely to the community. Premature birth and HIV infection rates are among the worst in the city. Our health in Harlem, and all the 'Harlems' in America, is regressing. The average young man in Harlem feels he won't see his 25th birthday. She also points to a recent study predicting that by 2020, half of all AIDS cases will be in the African-American community.
Cardiovascular disease is important, but so is violence.
We can't do everything, but we have many problems to choose from. The Center's positive community impact is reflected in its ongoing asthma prevention efforts in Northern Manhattan, including a recent high-profile study of diesel vehicle emissions, conducted in tandem with West Harlem Environmental Action, a community empowerment group directed by Peggy Shepard, a community advisory board member. That work, headed by Mary Northridge, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Patrick Kinney, Sc.D., of the Division of Environmental Health Sciences' Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan, is being expanded through a grant from the National institute for Environmental Health Sciences. The insect has been identified as a possible trigger for asthma. The Center will also continue to focus on cardiovascular health with a major emphasis on smoking.