1Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
2Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
3Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
4Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
5Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
6College of Computer and Information Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
Journal of Physical Activity Research.
2018,
Vol. 3 No. 2, 74-77
DOI: 10.12691/jpar-3-2-2
Copyright © 2018 Science and Education PublishingCite this paper: Rachel A. Millstein, Nicolas M. Oreskovic, Lisa M. Quintiliani, Peter James, Stephen Intille. The Need for Local, Multidisciplinary Collaborations to Promote Advances in Physical Activity Research and Policy Change: The Creation of the Boston Physical Activity Resource Collaborative (BPARC).
Journal of Physical Activity Research. 2018; 3(2):74-77. doi: 10.12691/jpar-3-2-2.
Correspondence to: Rachel A. Millstein, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, U.S.A.. Email:
ramillstein@mgh.harvard.eduAbstract
This commentary describes the development, vision, and initial progress of the newly-founded Boston Physical Activity Resource Collaborative (BPARC). Our aims are to move the field of physical activity forward, with broader dissemination and translation, by creating a local Boston and Massachusetts hub for researchers, practitioners, advocates, and policymakers. Participants come from multiple academic and medical centers, local advocacy groups, and government agencies, all of whom are working on components of physical activity promotion. We have had initial success in collaborating on study design, methodology, and grant applications. Future endeavors aim to produce streamlined methods and products with maximal impact for the field of physical activity research, policy, and practice.
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