Conference Chair Lovoria Williams, Endowed Research Professor in Cancer Health Equity in the UK College of Nursing told WUKY more than 800 clinicians, scientists, trainees, community members, and high school students shared valuable research on addressing persistent disparities in the commonwealth.
Attendees also heard a presentation from Vanessa Northington Gamble, professor of Medical Humanities and Health Policy at George Washington University titled: "What's 'Tuskegee' Got to Do with It: Trust, Trustworthiness and African Americans." Dr. Gamble talked about how the infamous study involving untreated syphilis-infected black males in Macon County, Alabama was far from the first example of researchers using marginalized groups to advance science.
Gamble says it’s too easy to point to the Tuskegee study as THE reason some African Americans still have a strained relationship with the medical community.
The conference also provided students from Frederick Douglass High School’s Biomedical Pathways Program to polish their presentation skills. One team studied why white or caucasian people develop leukemia more often than African-Americans.
The team comprised of Jonas Maggard, Kristi Clare, Charis Raglan and Evan Neary were tasked with tackling an issue that no one can fully answer. Still Raglan said the project provided a vital opportunity for relationship-building.
There were also health equity research presentations from UK undergraduates and faculty members on range of topics including racial/ethnic health disparities, substance use disorders and lung cancer in Appalachia.
The keynote address "An Exploration Toward the Mindset of Equity": was delivered by David Butts, MA, CDE, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Officer at Bluegrass Care Navigators.
