CORAL Community Core: Partnering with communities to improve maternal behavioral health
Official title: The CORAL Community Core
Funded at Morehouse School of Medicine · NIH-11415771 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A collaborative program that works with pregnant and new mothers facing behavioral health challenges to create community-focused solutions that reduce pregnancy-related harm.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Morehouse School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,597,967 |
| NIH project number | 5U54HD113292-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415771 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant and postpartum individuals experiencing behavioral health conditions or substance use, along with community partners and healthcare providers serving them.
✕Less likely to help
People without behavioral health concerns or those not engaged with community organizations may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This grant funds a partnership core at Morehouse School of Medicine to involve pregnant and postpartum women, families, and community organizations in shaping research on maternal behavioral health and substance use. The core will establish and sustain community partnerships across all stages of research, from idea development to sharing findings in ways that communities can use. By centering lived experiences and local knowledge, the project aims to identify practical public health strategies to reduce fatalities and improve outcomes for women with behavioral health needs during and after pregnancy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better community-informed strategies to prevent pregnancy-related deaths and improve behavioral health support for mothers.
How similar studies have gone: Past efforts show that strong community engagement can improve relevance and uptake of maternal health interventions, though this exact community-partner framework is innovative in this context.
Where this research is happening
-
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hernandez, Natalie Dolores — Morehouse School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Hernandez, Natalie Dolores
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.