The Community Advisory Board is fully functional and they serve as a link between the public and the R-CENTER, thereby forging a bi-directional collaboration and interface with R-CENTER units and the community. In this capacity, the Board brings public perceptions and concerns about health studies to the attention of both trained community and academic investigators; thereby bridging community-based and translational research. They also make recommendations on ways of addressing public perceptions and concerns as it relates to community research, as well as expounding on the facility's present strengths, weaknesses, and long-term goals and potential.