Program History

June, 1993 - June, 2003

The National Research Service Award (NRSA) funded Primary Care Research Training Program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School was first awarded to the Department of Family Medicine in 1993. Dr. Mary B. Breckenridge was both its founder and first Director and Dr. Robert Like was the Associate Director . Dr. Breckenridge was a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and brought to the fellowship a unique combination of skills and experience. As a medical demographer, her doctoral training included a minor in medical sociology. Her postdoctoral training in statistics focused on robust and exploratory data analysis techniques. Dr. Breckenridge's mission was to unite the skills and scholarship of both clinicians and non-clinicians for the emergence of a comprehensive primary care research agenda. It was her belief that bringing together individuals with diverse backgrounds, insights and expertise would create a learning laboratory that would enhance the formal course work and mentorship provided by the NRSA program. In 1994 Dr. Breckenridge received the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School's Distinguished Service in Education Award for her development of Primary Care/Health Services Research training at the Medical School. In 1998 under her leadership the Fellowship was awarded continued funding in 1998 for a second five year term.

In March of 2000, Dr. Robert Like, the Associate Director of the fellowship succeeded Dr. Mary Breckenridge, as Director . Dr Like is also the Director of the Center for Healthy Families and Cultural Diversity in the Department of Family Medicine. He is a board certified Family Physician with a background in medical anthropology. He is actively involved in funded research and provides training and technical assistance relating to the delivery of patient - and family centered, culturally responsive care to diverse populations by clinicians, health care organizations, and academic medical centers. His leadership and interests in eliminating inequities in health care, resulted in attracting and supporting fellows with similar concerns and interests. During his tenure the fellowship continued to grow and attract highly qualified applicants.

June, 2003 to the Present

In June, 2003 Dr. Benjamin Crabtree succeeded Dr. Robert Like as the Director of the NRSA fellowship. Dr. Crabtree is a medical anthropologist and Professor and Director of the Division of Research in the Department of Family Medicine. He has an established record in developing research capacity as evidenced by his role as co-chair of the Research Capacity Building Committee at the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG). He is Associate Editor for the Annals of Family Medicine and is current Director of the Qualitative Core of the American Academy of Family Physicians-funded Center for Research in Primary Care and Family Practice. Dr Crabtree has written extensively and contributed to numerous articles and chapters on both qualitative and quantitative research. A few of his many accomplishments include his role as; 1) chief investigator on the AHRQ funded "Prevention and Competing Demands in Primary Care" (RO1 HS08776), 2) principle investigator on sub-contracts for NCI funded "Direct Observation in Primary Care" (2RO1 CA60862-01), and the "Study to Enhance Prevention by Understanding Practice" (R01 CA60862-04). He is currently principle investigator on the NCI funded "Direct Observation of Practice Change" (2R01 CA60862-07) and the NHLBI funded "Trial to Enhance Adherence to Multiple Guidelines" (RO1 HL070800).

In July 2005, Dr. Barbara DiCicco-Bloom was appointed Director of the fellowship program with Drs. Benjamin Crabtree and John Scott as Associate Directors. Dr. DiCicco-Bloom's discipline area is nursing, therefore, her formal education integrates sociology, anthropology and psychology as the theoretical foundations of health care research to study and improve patient care. She received her B.S., M.A., and PhD from New York University School of Nursing (National Honor Society of Nursing and National Honor Society of Education). She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. Her 27 years of clinical experience as a home care and hospice nurse focused on case management with transdisciplinary teams in order to provide high quality care to vulnerable elderly patients and their families.

Dr. DiCicco-Bloom is also a research associate at Lehman College Department of Nursing. She has taught nursing at the Baccalaureate and Master's level at New York University School of Nursing and at Columbia University School of Nursing. Her years of experience as an educator and a researcher contribute to her strength as a mentor. As Director of the National Research Service Award Fellowship she encourages Fellows to develop research skills that build on their life and professional experiences. Dr. DiCicco-Bloom is the Principal Investigator on the National Institute for Nursing Research funded “Patterns of Nurse/Physician Relationship” (1 R03 NR008884-01A1). Her study focuses on the relationships between nurses and physicians in primary care settings and the impact they have on patient care. She participates in various projects and grants and is a co-investigator on the NHLBI funded “Trial to Enhance Adherence to Multiple Guidelines” (R01 HL070800). Her particular interest is the application of a critical perspective to various health care challenges in order to shed light on health related disparities. She has a background in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Dr. John Scott,is the Associate Director of Primary/Health Services Research Fellowship. Dr. Scott is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and is a graduate of the fellowship. His research focuses on the doctor-patient relationship, particularly how that relationship affects patient outcomes. His expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods fits well with the goals of the fellowship to train researchers comfortable in mixed methods research. His 21 years in private practice give him a unique perspective on the design of primary care research. He is highly regarded among his colleagues both locally and nationally and has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Cynthia Duncan-Robinson is the Executive Secretary of the Primary Care Consortium Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and the Center for Healthy Families and Cultural Diversity in the Department of Family Medicine. She has been with the fellowship program since its inception and has experience and knowledge in administering the fellowship program. Ms. Duncan-Robinson has extensive technical expertise in computer oriented applications. She is responsible for the development and implementation and maintenance of procedures and processes to ensure the efficient and effective administration of the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program.