Researching for change.

C2DREAM aims to generate knowledge, analytical and implementation approaches, and community engagement strategies to understand and develop solutions to address the related chronic conditions of obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) for all Minnesotans.

Multiple partners, one center.

The Center for Chronic Disease Reduction and Engagement Across Minnesota (C2DREAM) is a partnership between the University of Minnesota Program in Health Disparities Research, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, and the Mayo Clinic.

Illustration of a doctor and patient, with an instructor teaching in the background.

Our 5 aims for

research and action

#1.

Conduct research targeting prevention, early intervention, and disparities reduction on obesity, hypertension, and CVD.

#2.

Generate the knowledge and approaches to understand and address how access to opportunities relates to obesity, hypertension, and CVD.

#3.

Mentor and develop early-career health researchers.

#4.

Establish a regional network of stakeholders to advise on the center’s activities and implement the knowledge and resources to people in Minnesota.

#5.

Continue to assess and evaluate the center.

Our regional approach

C2DREAM is located at:

  • UMN Medical School - Duluth

  • UMN Medical School - Twin Cities Campus

  • Hennepin Health Care Research Institute - Minneapolis

  • Mayo Clinic & Mayo Clinic Health Systems - Rochester

We work with community partners at each location and state-wide.

Our partners

Our People

C2Dream Principal Investigators

  • Prior to joining department faculty and the Medical School Program in Health Disparities Research, Michele Allen, MD, MS, completed a fellowship in primary care research and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. She serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals. Learn more here.

  • The research of Christi A. Patten, Ph.D., focuses on developing novel, theory-based behavioral interventions for tobacco cessation.

    Focus areas:

    • Tobacco cessation interventions for adolescents and smokers with psychiatric comorbidity

    • Social support and smoking cessation

    • Community-based participatory research

    • National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded intervention programs to reduce tobacco

    Learn more here.

  • Felicity T. Enders, Ph.D., is a highly accomplished collaborative biostatistician. She has more than 180 publications with an h-index of over 60 and an i100-index of over 25. Dr. Enders has partnered with researchers in clinical areas across the translational science spectrum, and her work has been cited over 19,000 times.

    Learn more.

C2DREAM Co-Investigators

  • Demi Adedinsewo, MD

  • Jessica Austin, PhD

  • Kasey Boehmer, PhD, MPH

  • LaPrincess C. Brewer, MD, MPH

  • Andrew Busch, PhD, LP

  • Matthew Clark, PhD, LP

  • Lisa Cooper, MD

  • Felicity Enders, PhD, MPH

  • Susan Everson-Rose, PhD, MPH

  • Steven Fu, MD, MSCE

  • Sarah Gollust, PhD

  • Patrick Hammett, PhD

  • Sharonne Hayes, MD

  • Kristen Jacklin, PhD

  • Sandra Japuntich, PhD, LP

  • Katie Johnston-Goodstar, MSW, PhD

  • Rhonda Jones-Webb, PhD

  • Michael Kotlyar, PharmD

  • Warren McKinney, PhD

  • Jude Mikal, PhD

  • David B. Nelson, PhD

  • Mary Owen, MD

  • Serguei Pakhomov, PhD

  • Sean M. Phelan, PhD

  • Rebekah J. Pratt, PhD

  • Elizabeth Rogers, MD, MAS

  • Pravesh Sharma, MD

  • Irene G. Sia, MD, MSc

  • Antony Stately, PhD

  • Katherine Diaz Vickery, MD, MSc

  • Mark Wieland, MD, MPH

  • Julian Wolfson, PhD

C2DREAM STaff

  • Mardryka Adzick, Project 3

  • Yahye Ahmed, Project 1

  • Tabetha Brockman, Administrative Core

  • Graciela Porraz Capetillo, Project 1

  • Hana Dirie, Project 1

  • Sheena Dufresne, Project 4

  • Dominique Earland, Administrative Core

  • Devyn Fernholz, Project 4

  • An Garagiola, Project 3

  • Mangan Golden, Project 3

  • Yasamin Graff, Community-Engagement Core

  • Mikow Hang, Administrative Core

  • James Harvin, Project 3

  • Tarissa Host, Investigator Development Core

  • Sarah Jeno, Project 2

  • Matthew Johnson, Project 5

  • Ashton Krogman, Project 5

  • Mathias Lalika, Project 5

  • Abby Lohr, Project 1

  • Oscar Lozado, Project 2

  • Ornella Malm, Administrative Core

  • Carrie McCoy, Project 5

  • Lainey Moen, Project 5

  • Luz Molina, Project 1

  • Christina Monroe, Project 1

  • Susan Nuemann, Project 1

  • Oscar Oranday Perez, Project 2

  • Amy Shearer, Project 3

  • Kaiti Smith, Project 1

  • Keetha Vue, Administrative Core

  • Emily Welle, Project 2

  • Pheobe Young, Project 3

Learn more about C2DREAM’s Cores