A study reported in the June edition of BMC Pediatrics was conducted to characterize childhood asthma in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, a diverse community with a large percentage of Puerto Rican, African American, and Mexican American families. In 2005, community organizers designated asthma a high priority concern and sought partners in academia to address the problem. Multiple initiatives resulted, including a community-academic partnership. The study concluded that children in Humboldt Park suffer from tremendously high rates of asthma prevalence and adverse outcomes. Although little can be done to address the genetic components of pediatric asthma at this time, interventions on the community level to combat disease have been efficacious and replicated in multiple urban environments. The work suggests that community-academic partnerships in activated communities such as Humboldt Park can result in effective research initiatives and hold promise for successful and sustainable asthma interventions. To read the complete study, click here.