2012 Annual Report :: NSU Center for Applied Research on Substance Use and Health Disparities

Mission Statement The principal mission of the Center for Applied Research on Substance Use and Health Disparities (ARSH) is the production, dissemination, and utilization of scientific knowledge in the areas of substance abuse, health risk behaviors, and health disparities among vulnerable populations. Areas of special interest include: The etiology, patterns and consequences, and prevention and treatment of drug and alcohol abuse;  The epidemiology of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, and the prevention of such infections among highly vulnerable populations;  The prevalence and patterns of health disparities among affected subpopulations, and the development and testing of new approaches to intervention. ARSH is part of the Institute for the Study of Human Service, Health and Justice located in the Division of Applied Interdisciplinary Studies. The Center is headed by Drs. Steven P. Kurtz (Ph.D. in Sociology from Florida International University) and Hilary L. Surratt (Ph.D. in Psychology from the City University of New York). In addition to the Miami research office, ARSH maintains a field office that house the day-to-day operations of extramurally funded grants in Miami Beach. 4