In this season of reflection, we celebrate the opportunities we have had to gather in 2024, including our first Community-Based Organization Research Convening on the subject of mental health this past June, a fruitful opportunity for community-based organizations and researchers to share knowledge and envision new partnerships.

The highlight of a very busy fall was C3EN’s third annual meeting. We were happy to see so many folks come out, from CSAC members to early stage investigators to Scientific Advisory Council members–and to deepen our relationships as a growing team of collaborators. Our presenters covered a range of topics that are highly relevant to our work in the Chicago area. We saw a fantastic array of posters from our grantees, a preview of all the great health equity work that C3EN has been able to foster over the past few years. The panel of community leaders was deeply thought provoking, and we are grateful to the panelists for their honesty about the challenges faced by CBOs engaging in research.

We also had a wonderful trip to San Francisco for the annual Health Equity Action Network (HEAN) meeting which brought together folks from all the 11 chronic disease centers across the country. We were thrilled to have members of C3EN present during the sessions, several ESIs and CSAC members present for the meeting, and the pleasure of a festive dinner together.

We continued to expand community engagement in town halls that met online and in person included presentations by Pilot Awardees and other experts on topics such as mental health, violence prevention, immigration, and more.

We celebrate the many accomplishments by C3EN members. We’re proud of Pilot Awardees Kirsten Dickins, Chuka Emezue, Li-Ting Longcoy, Elizabeth Tung, and Anna Volerman, who have received NIH grants and honors this year, our colleague Megan Huisingh-Scheetz, PI of C3EN’s EngAGE study, for receiving multiple national awards, our Community Engagement Core co-director Doriane Miller, for stepping into a new role as Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division. And we salute our researchers and community partners for working together on projects such as advance care planning, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, home nursing, and more.

We hope everyone has a peaceful and restful holiday season! We look forward to continuing our work in 2025 and ongoing planning for the future!

Elbert Huang and Beth Lynch

Co-Directors, C3EN