The purpose of this study is to describe current knowledge and opinions about anal cancer screening among men who have sex with men (MSM), as well as their experience receiving guideline-compliant care aimed at anal cancer risk reduction using a large-scale survey disseminated via social media.

This is a study about a special park program built for kids and families who identify as African American or Black, live in the Twin Cities region, and participate in less physical activity than is recommended. This research study takes approximately 4 months, from June to September, with 1 additional visit in May. All activities will happen at French Regional Park, in Plymouth, MN.

The purpose of this study is to better understand how switching from smoking to the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) may change users’ exposures to various harmful chemicals. Your participation will also help us to understand how nicotine that is present in e-cigarettes is taken in and modified by your body.

To maintain a biorepository (sample bank) of biological samples from different tobacco users and non-users to investigate how tobacco and nicotine products affect our bodies. The samples will be used by researchers to develop methods to look for biological “markers” (biomarkers), or chemical changes in the body, that occur due to tobacco or nicotine exposure. The goal is to eventually use these biomarkers to improve detection, prevention, and treatment strategies for tobacco-related diseases.

The goal of this study is to better understand how drinking alcohol may lead to oral cancers. Acetaldehyde, a chemical formed when the body breaks down alcohol, is believed to play an important role. This study will measure acetaldehyde and DNA damage levels in the mouth of participants after a low dose of alcohol. The levels will be compared between three groups, all having different degrees of risk for developing oral cancer, in order to identify DNA damage that might be crucial to cancer formation.

Black Americans are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and 2 times more likely to die from T2D than non-Hispanic White Americans. Recent research has shown that sedentary behavior (such as sitting or lying down) have a significant negative impact on health. We are doing a small study with older people who identify as Black or African American and have T2D to look at ways to reduce sedentary behavior. The study will last about 1-2 months for each participant.

The purpose of this study to examine the effects of cigarette smoking and drinking alcohol on the formation of DNA damage in the mouth. The overall goal is to identify DNA damage that may be important to the development of head and neck cancers.

The goals of the current proposal are to systematically approach the development and iterative testing of a novel, culturally-responsive, evidence-informed psychotherapeutic activities (MyGender Dolls) for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children (ages 5-10) and their caregivers. There are two primary objectives: 1) to develop and refine the MyGender Dolls psychotherapeutic activities based on feedback from community stakeholders, and 2) to assess the initial feasibility, acceptability, and usability of the MyGender Dolls with TGD children and their caregivers.

This is a study of individuals older than 18, undergoing abdominal surgery, and are amenable to fat samples being collected during their surgical procedure, with the option to participate in other tests that can provide information on insulin sensitivity and fat distribution. This study is trying to figure out how fat tissue is related to an individual's health status and health conditions, and the analysis of the aging of cells that make up the human body.

The purpose of this study is to study the evolution of early life risk factors that may lead to cancer and other conditions. This is a prospective cohort study of families who reside in Minnesota.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) confers a high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly among older adults who tend to be physically inactive. Most studies that have examined the effects of changing sedentary behavior (SB) have focused on young healthy males and prioritized glycemic outcomes. We will look at the effect of 3 different ways of breaking up sitting: 1) 4 hours of prolonged SB, 2) 4 hours of SB broken up by 5 minutes of self-paced walking every hour, and 3) 4 hours of SB with one 20-minute bout of self-paced walking. In addition to examining the overall effects of each condition, differences between men and women will be evaluated.

We are exploring ways to increase physical activity after stroke using a web-based rehabilitation program. The purpose of this study is to adapt the Activating Behavior for Lasting Engagement (ABLE) program using video visits so people with stroke can participate from home.

The proposed study is an individual three-arm randomized controlled tiled aimed at utilizing state-of-the-art intervention methods to examine whether increasing the quality and the quantity of family meals reduces childhood obesity.

This is a study of individuals older than 18, undergoing abdominal procedures in which the liver is accessible, and are amenable to liver samples being collected during their surgical procedure, with the option to participate in a specialized scan that can provide information on liver health, stiffness, and fat content. This study is trying to figure out how senescent (aging) cells in the liver are related to an individual's health status and better understand the association between these cells and different metabolic diseases.

This study includes healthy adults between 18-70 years old who are either non-smokers or cigarette smokers interested in quitting. The purpose of this study is to learn more about how people respond to stress and to taking one dose of a widely and safely used drug called naltrexone as well as to learn about how these responses relate to whether or not someone smokes, smoking cessation, and smoking relapse.

The purpose of this study is to better understand how tobacco and nicotine products affect our bodies. In this observational study smokers, vapers, smokeless tobacco users, nicotine replacement product users, non-users, and ex-users will be asked to provide biological samples. We will look for biological “markers” (biomarkers), or chemical changes in the body, that occur due to tobacco or nicotine exposure. Collected samples will be used for the development of biomarkers of toxicant exposure and for assessing exposure between the different groups. The intent is to eventually use these biomarkers to improve detection, prevention, and treatment strategies for tobacco-related diseases. This study will allow us to test currently used biomarkers, and to establish a biorepository (sample bank) to identify and develop new biomarkers associated with tobacco exposure and cessation. The type of samples and amount collected will depend on the specific biomarker(s) being developed or tested. Potential samples include saliva, cheek (buccal) & oral cells, blood, urine, hair, and/or nail clippings.