Research Overview

The VCU Department of Family Medicine and Population Health has a tradition of leadership in research since its inception. The seminal "Virginia Study"-(PDF Download), which was published in 1975 and was among the first efforts to characterize the content of primary care practice, served as the guide for both medical student and resident education in the discipline.  The North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) originated at VCU.  We have an active practice based research network - the Ambulatory Care Outcomes Research Network (ACORN) that has tackled practical questions about how to improve care and care experiences since 1999.  Until 2016, NAPCRG's enormously successful Grant Generating Project was led and administered by our department; as of 2015, GGP had helped 175 fellows acquire grantsmanship skills, with a resulting $781,000,000 in funding. Our department also supports the VCU Center on Society and Health, established in 2007 by one of our research faculty leads and now seen as a national leader in social determinants of health research that informs public policy. 

Our core research faculty has expertise in both quantitative and qualitative methods and a well-funded history investigating chronic disease, prevention, practice redesign, medical errors, and health information technology.  We have a terrific team of professional research associates who understand the needs of primary care practices and ensure the success and impact of our research.  Two of our faculty are on tactic teams for the multi-million dollar Family Medicine for America's Health initiative, two of our faculty members have been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine (formerly Institute of Medicine), and two of our faculty are former members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.  We are on an upward trajectory and are energized by the goal of helping achieve better health, better care, and lower costs for all Americans.  Learn more about our team and more about our recent and current work.