CTSI Community Engagement Studios Bridge Research and Community

Published: November 2, 2025

The CTSI’s Community & Stakeholder Engagement (CASE) program launched its first-ever Community Engagement Studios in partnership with the K12 Career Development Program. These studios offered a unique opportunity for three outstanding K12 scholars to present their research to a group of engaged community members and receive meaningful feedback to enhance the clarity, relevance, and impact of their scientific work.

What Are Community Engagement Studios?

Community Engagement Studios provide a welcoming environment where researchers can share their studies with community members and receive meaningful input.

These sessions aim to make research more understandable and relatable, encouraging participants to suggest ways to improve communication and outreach. Offered through our CASE core at CTSI, this initiative is a valuable resource for K12 scholars.

It not only strengthens their ability to connect with a broad audience but also enhances their presentation skills and confidence in discussing their work with the public.

To prepare for the studios, CASE hosted a training earlier this year for K12 investigators and other interested faculty, in collaboration with the CTSI K-Faculty Leading University Excellence in Science (KLUES) program.

This session introduced key principles of community-engaged research and equipped participants with tools to communicate their work in lay-friendly language.

Participating K12 Scholars and Their Research

• Candice Aurelus Sternberg, M.D., presented her study on HIV prevention among Haitian immigrants in Miami-Dade, a population facing disproportionately high HIV-related death rates. Her research explores strategies to increase awareness and use of PrEP through partnerships with Haitian community organizations.
• Deirdre O’Shea, Ph.D., shared her work on developing a biomarker of “cognitive age” using DNA methylation patterns. Her study combines biological data and community perspectives to better understand aging and brain health, with the goal of supporting early detection of cognitive decline.
• Sonya S. Kaur, Ph.D., discussed her investigation into the link between sleep disturbances and Alzheimer’s disease pathology in Hispanic/Latino older adults. Her research aims to identify sleep-related markers that could serve as early interven[RP2.1]tion targets.

Each awardee presented their study using a lay-friendly slide deck, followed by a rich discussion with community members who offered feedback during the session and through a follow-up survey. This feedback was shared with the investigators to help refine their communication strategies and strengthen community relevance.

Looking ahead, CASE will follow up with the K12 scholars in the coming months to learn how they’ve incorporated community feedback into their work. This will help assess the impact of the studios and continue improving the experience for future participants.

The CASE team is excited to continue this initiative with the next cohort of K12 scholars. The studios are a powerful way to foster dialogue, build trust, and ensure that research is shaped by the voices of those it aims to serve.