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The Prevention Research Centers (PRCs) Program is a national network of 26 academic research centers in 24 states that study how people and their communities can avoid or counter the risks for chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, obesity, and cancer. Each center is located at a school of public health or a medical school that has a preventive medicine residency program.

The Illinois PRC is part of the Institute for Health Research and Policy, the University of Illinois at Chicago’s home and incubator of multidisciplinary health research. The UIC School of Public Health administers IHRP on behalf of all colleges on the UIC campus.

How do the PRCs operate?

The Prevention Research Centers work as an interdependent network of community, academic, and public health partners to conduct prevention research and promote the wide use of practices proven to promote good health. Illinois PRC investigators partner with faculty at other PRCs as part of both the national program and six thematic networks.

Each Prevention Research Center is committed to working with underserved communities to design and implement community-based projects. The core project of the Illinois PRC is working with community stakeholders to increase physical activity by improving access to the built environment and use of neighborhood parks. Learn more about this study.

The Illinois PRC is one of 26 Prevention Research Centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Public health prevention researchers work with communities to develop and conduct research that benefits the research participants and broader communities as well. Illinois PRC scientists partner with local and state public health agencies, the Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools, local community councils, and more. Learn more about our partners and collaborations.

What is the mission of PRCs?

As leaders in translating research results into policy and public health practice, the centers work with communities to develop, evaluate, and implement major community changes that can prevent and control chronic diseases. They identify gaps in research and develop innovative approaches to improving public health that can be shared broadly with public health partners. Learn more about research of the Illinois PRC.

Learn more.

Learn more about the CDC Prevention Research Centers program.

Learn more about our funding.