Case history of the center for urban epidemiologic studies in New York City

This case history describes the history of the Center for Urban Epidemiolog ical Studies (CUES), an urban research center based in New York City. Betwe en 1996 and 1999, CUES was transformed from an institution that worked with the medical schools of the region to a center seeking to define a new prac tice of community-based participatory research (CBPR). The report summarize s how and why CUES has changed, identifies its main accomplishments and cha llenges, and discusses some of the lessons learned to date. It illustrates how the Principles of CBPR have influenced the development of CUES. The cas e history suggests that it is possible for an organization to transform its elf from a researcher-driven orientation toward a more participatory model. The early history also demonstrates that it is possible to engage communit y organizations and activists in an ongoing effort to study and address com plex urban health problems such as asthma, substance abuse, and infectious diseases. Finally, the report illustrates that CBPR is a process that evolv es in response to specific situational factors.