The mission of the Community Driven Implementation Science (CDIS) Research Lab is to meaningfully bridge the gap between research and practice through rigorous implementation science approaches with a focus on engaging community members and those most affected by health disparities. We focus on addressing implementation gaps in evidence-based interventions and policies specifically designed to improve health outcomes such as nutrition security, eating behavior, and physical activity, among others. We achieve these goals using primarily mixed methods guided by a combination of implementation science and health equity frameworks, marking an innovative approach to advancing the science of implementation. Most importantly, this work is guided by the needs and priorities of the community, and we work closely with these partners as collaborators in this work. Current partners include the School District of Philadelphia, the Urban School Food Alliance, and the Philadelphia Food Educators work group.

Ongoing project topics

• Implementation mapping to enhance the impact of school-based obesity prevention policies
• Developing measurement tools for to assess implementation of health promotion policies through a health equity lens
• Designing for Dissemination (D4D) in health promotion and healthcare

Director