Welcome community leaders and policymakers!

Through the NJHealth Study, supported by Rutgers University, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the State of New Jersey, we are working hard to build trust with diverse communities across New Jersey to capture a full picture of the state’s health and wellbeing. If you’re interested learning more about our work across the state or would be open to partnering with us, please reach out to NJCohort@ifh.rutgers.edu.

Q&A with our CAB Chair, Victor Murray

What’s the charge of the NJHealth Study’s Community Advisory Board?

Victor Murray: The primary charge of the NJHealth Study Community Advisory Board is to provide guidance on how to promote equitable and inclusive participation among study participants, as well as to develop strategies to ensure that the study findings are useful to the community. Engaging community members as leaders within the study ensures outcomes are culturally appropriate and responsive to the needs of their communities. Additionally, the CAB will play a role in enhancing communication efforts regarding the Study to participants and communities across New Jersey, including public policymakers.

Why is representation of diverse communities important to the success of the NJHealth Study?

Victor Murray: The representation of diverse communities is important to the success of the NJHealth Study because of the impact that cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors have on health outcomes. By including individuals from various backgrounds in the study, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of how these factors influence health disparities and trauma across New Jersey communities. In order to develop effective public health interventions and policies that support the entire population, we need diverse representation in studies such as the NJHealth Study.