Homepage
Check our events, resources and members to learn more about what we do!
Welcome!
The Cross-cultural and Cross-linguistic Excellence and Enrichment in Research (CrEER) group endeavors to advance cross-cultural and cross-linguistic collaboration in community-based research at Rutgers University and beyond. The essence of CrEER is to leverage the strengths and knowledge within and outside Rutgers to combat the lack of orientation and the professional isolation often experienced by faculty conducting community-based research, as well as to offer guidance on topics that are not usually addressed regarding how to work with multicultural and multilingual communities. The name CrEER also reflects this double mission, as it can be read as “Career” but also as “Creer”, which in Spanish means “Believe”.
Events
Community-Engaged Strategies to Strengthen Cross-Cultural Communication in Patients with Non-English Language Preferences
March 25 @ 6:00 pm
Effective patient–clinician communication is critical to addressing health disparities among patients with non-English language preferences. Healthcare interpretation requires not only linguistic proficiency, but also cultural knowledge and communicative skill. Differences in communication styles—such as narrative storytelling versus symptom-focused reporting—can complicate clinical encounters.
Within the Hmong American community, particularly among older adults, patients often describe conditions through stories and metaphors, while clinicians prioritize biomedical precision. Interpreters working in this space must navigate culturally embedded language, differing expectations, and assumptions that the Hmong language “lacks” biomedical vocabulary—tensions that can hinder mutual understanding and patient-centered care.
Using community-engaged methods, Hmong-speaking interpreters, patients, and family members collaborated to develop two tools to bridge these gaps:
An English–Hmong Medical Terminology Lexicon
A pain assessment information visualization tool
These tools aim to strengthen cross-cultural communication, support interpreters, and improve the quality of clinical interactions.
View Event
Applications Open for MARS 2026
May 22
Expand Your Research Impact: Apply for Multilingual Methods Training
Now in its 5th year, the Short Course on Multilingual Approaches to Research Studies helps prepare health researchers to recruit and engage children, youth, and families who prefer a language other than English. Hosted on June 1-3, 2026 at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, course programming includes dynamic lectures from expert faculty as well as interactive sessions comprising case studies, small group work, workshops, and consultations. New for 2026: A virtual attendance track for those unable to travel to Philadelphia. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through May 22 and scholarships are available. Apply today at https://redcap.link/apply_2026MARS
View Event
View More Events