$2 million from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Funds UCLA Community Health Storytelling

The UCLA Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives (HCI) Center has received a $2 million grant to expand partnerships with community organizations by aligning research and lived experiences around wellbeing. Support for this program was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

“This grant is a game-changer for advancing health equity,” said Dr. A. Janet Tomiyama, professor of psychology and principal investigator (PI) of the grant. “It underscores the vital intersection between research and real-world impact — where evidence-based strategies meet community-driven solutions.”

Community health organizations and universities are facing different, but related, threats from the current rise in anti-science sentiment, federal cuts to scientific research funding, and an unpredictable political climate. The grant and partnership will elevate the critical work of established organizations in Los Angeles through powerful storytelling and rigorous research.

“Storytelling is central to our work across Los Angeles,” said Martine Singer, president and CEO of Children’s Institute. “It strengthens evidence-based programs and empowers children, families, and staff to tell their stories as a core part of healing and resilience. As strain on the social safety net pushes more families into crisis, partnerships that unite data, research, and lived experience are more urgent than ever.”

The partnership seeks to respond to the realities of the current environment by elevating the impact and work of UCLA’s community health partners. Representatives from Venice Family Clinic (VFC), Children’s Institute, LA Care, Los Angeles County Office of Food Systems, and L.A. County departments focused on public health and equity are working alongside the UCLA team and colleagues from UC Irvine and UC Davis.

“As we were thinking about ways to address these pervasive community health challenges, our community partners kept coming back to the need to translate data into real-life stories,” said associate vice provost (AVP) Wendelin Slusser, grant co-investigator and clinical professor in the Schools of Medicine and Public Health. “This project is designed to bring to life and address the day-to-day health and wellbeing challenges, as well as highlight the wins for our community partners.”

Dr. Burt Cowgill is the co-PI on the grant and an associate professor-in-residence in Health Policy and Management and a faculty member at the UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity. Dr. Michael Ong joins AVP Slusser as a co-investigator and is a professor in residence of Medicine & Health Policy and Management at UCLA. Together, AVP Slusser, Dr. Tomiyama, Dr. Cowgill and Dr. Ong bring extensive experience working with community-based organizations and advancing health equity in communities around Los Angeles. The grant has also enlisted the support of a subject matter expert panel, which includes Paula Daniels, executive director of the Los Angeles County Office of Food Systems; Anita Chandra, vice president and director of RAND Social Economic Well-Being; Gale Sheean-Remotto, senior strategic advisor with the University of California Office of the President; and Monte Roulier, president of the Community Initiatives Network.

The $2 million award spans a two year grant period and gives the Semel HCI Center the opportunity to collaborate with community partners in support of health equity. UCLA has a long history of working alongside the community to enhance public health and foster a culture that provides opportunities for all members to thrive and flourish.

“UCLA is an important anchor institution for the LA region, and over the years, I have been increasingly impressed by how the faculty and institute leaders engage with and serve the LA community, writ large, for the betterment of all,” said Daniels, one of the community advisors on the grant. “I’m particularly grateful for the partnership of the Semel HCI Center, with its innovative, creative, and holistic approach to the wellbeing of students and the community of which they are a part. Thriving, in this precipitous moment, requires partnership and courageous innovation to keep our communities — which includes people and planet — healthy.”

Previous UCLA community projects have included research assessing the health impacts of the Aliso Canyon Disaster, work to advance children’s health, address hunger, improve healthcare and its management, and help communities prepare for natural disasters and pandemics. Some of these community partnerships date back to the late 1970s, when physicians, medical students, and premedical undergraduates began volunteering at Venice Family Clinic (VFC).

UCLA hospitals also regularly donate clinical services, such as radiology, laboratory, surgical, and emergency care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, UCLA Dining provided more than 600,000 meals to families served by VFC. During the recent federal government shutdown, a network of UCLA Semel HCI Center leadership, faculty, and UCLA dining managers sprang into action to provide 1,500 healthy meals to sustain families served by the VFC Early Head Start program while they awaited the return of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, commonly known as SNAP.

The grant helps UCLA and its community partners share knowledge, resources, and expertise to support the health and wellbeing of all Los Angeles residents. It goes beyond the intersection of research and real-world application to bring the stories behind the data to life. These insights have the potential to reach a broader audience and provide a counter-narrative to the current anti-science discourse.

“Universities have a unique responsibility and opportunity to lead in shaping healthier environments, and this project will help us catalyze meaningful change that benefits our L.A. community and beyond,” Dr. Tomiyama said.