Mountain West Prevention Research Center
Prevention Research Centers Network
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds the Prevention Research Centers Network (PRCs) to conduct research on significant chronic diseases in the U.S. The PRCs work as an interdependent Network of community, academic, and public health partners to study how people and their communities can avoid or reduce their risk for chronic diseases.
All PRCs explore differences between how health interventions work in research settings and how they work in real-world settings, with a focus on improving health outcomes for chronic conditions. They do this by studying how to share interventions proven to promote good health with communities to have the greatest health impact and focus on improving health outcomes. PRCs collaborate with community partners to address local public health priorities and scale up evidence-based interventions.
Mountain West Prevention Research Center
The University of Utah hosts the Mountain West Prevention Research Center (MW- PRC) to address childhood obesity in rural and small communities across Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The MW-PRC is part of a network of 20 academic research centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The MW-PRC collaborates with community-based organizations and local experts to develop strategies that engage communities in family healthy weight programs (FHWP) that have proven to promote good health and support lifestyle changes.
Options for FHWP, such as the Building Healthy Families program, provide nutrition education and promote healthful eating and physical activity for families who live in rural communities and small towns and have children aged 6–12.
Announcements
Mountain States Community-Engaged Dissemination & Implementation Science (MS-CEDI) Virtual Training
The MS-CEDI virtual training is a week-long opportunity designed for investigators centered on community-engaged, health equity-focused implementation research.This training is led by MS-CEDI faculty from across supporting institutions and national experts. Participants are also invited to join monthly virtual seminars through the Dissemination &Implementation (D&I) Affinity Network.
The workshop sessions run from 4:00 p.m., August 10, 2025- 12:00 p.m., August 15, 2025 (all times listed in Mountain Daylight Time/MDT), via Zoom. $500 per participant, OR $400 for early-bird special* until July 15th. use discount code “EARLY BIRD” at registration. Register here.
Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center (DMRC) 2025 Rising Stars
Join us for the Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center (DMRC) 2025 Rising Stars. Hosted in partnership with the Mountain West Prevention Center (MW-PRC), this event features rising stars from institutions across the country with the aim of amplifying voices and fostering connections with scholars committed to careers in metabolic health across the translational spectrum. Held Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at the University of Utah from 9:00-5:00 in the Health Science Education Building. Register here and contact Samantha Weeks for more information.
Join the Mountain West Family Healthy Weight Collaborative
The Mountain West Family Healthy Weight Collaborative (MWFHWC) aims to reduce the prevalence of obesity and related chronic conditions through a supportive network. This collaborative, with representation from community-based organizations who promote whole family health and wellbeing across the Mountain West Region, meets quarterly to network, share knowledge and resources, with the aim to improve health outcomes for families across the region.
Focused on the Mountain West
The Mountain West Prevention Research Center (MW-PRC) is the first PRC with partnerships in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The MW-PRC helps meet the unique needs of the Mountain West by bringing local community leaders together for region-wide collaborations to leverage assets in rural communities and small towns to address childhood obesity through locally delivered programs.
MW-PRC Leadership
PAUL ESTABROOKS, PHD
Director, Co-Principal Investigator
JULIE LUCERO, PHD
Deputy Director, Co-Investigator
DAVID WETTER, PHD
Co-Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator LUNG-IS SIP
GUILHERME DEL FIOL, MD, PHD
Co-Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator Arthritis SIP
contact us
NDEYE "SALLA" FALL, BS
Project Manager, Communication Manager
SHANNON JONES, MS
Dissemination and Translation, Co-Investigator
MADELEINE FRENCH, MS, RD
Project Manager
The Mountain West Prevention Research Center is supported by the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Center (1U48DP006789), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U. S. Government.
