The Pittsburgh Hill/Homewood Research on Neighborhoods and Health (PHRESH)

The Pittsburgh Hill/Homewood Research on Neighborhoods and Health (PHRESH) is a community-based and engaged suite of research studies in the Hill District and Homewood communities that began in 2011. PHRESH began to understand the impact on resident diet and food purchasing of the new full-service supermarket that opened in the Hill District in 2013. Since 2011, PHRESH has examined whether and how neighborhood investments including greenspace renovations, housing improvements, and commercial development impact resident health. The study has worked with community partners and stakeholders for nearly 15 years. We have had a field office in the Hill District since 2011, where our full-time Field Coordinator (responsible for all data collectors and data collection) sits, and which also serves as a physical resource for the households enrolled in the study. Our current research has focused on how changing neighborhood conditions throughout life contribute to healthy aging, including thinking and memory.