Equity in Biomedicine past talks

2023

November 30, 2023

Join ӳý’s Lindy Barrett, Ralda Nehme, Sean Misek and MIT's Jesse Boehm as they present on the ways that genetic ancestry can limit scientific understanding and impact equity in downstream translational benefits. Lindy Barrett and Ralda Nehme will discuss why increasing genetic diversity of pluripotent stem cell models is critical for ensuring equitable and broadly useful scientific insights and translational benefits. Sean Misek and Jesse Boehm will discuss their work showing how genetic ancestry-based CRISPR guide bias can lead to false negatives in cell-based screens.

The format for the session will be short presentations by each team, followed by a panel discussion focused on challenges and opportunities in this area, and ending with a Q&A from the audience.

Speakers
Sean Misek
Cancer Program
ӳý

Break Through Cancer
Ralda Nehme
Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research

Stem Cell Program
ӳý

Lindy Barrett
Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research
ӳý

Visiting Scholar
Harvard University

Moderator
Opening remarks
Todd Golub
Director
ӳý

 

June 15, 2023

“Population descriptors” — including race, ethnicity, and genetic ancestry — can broadly be thought of as describing “descent-associated” groups, whose members are thought to share some characteristic that derives from their common origin. These descriptors are used ubiquitously across genetics and genomics research. However, inappropriate use of these terms, without proper contextualization, can make problematic essentialist links to biology and propagate incorrect and racist notions that discrete genetic groups exist. In an effort to address these problems, the NASEM formed a working group to create guidance about the use of population descriptors as well as an opportunity to implement substantive changes to the ways they are used. Join Katrina Claw (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus), Genevieve L. Wojcik (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), and Anna Lewis (Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University and ӳý) for a panel discussion on why using group descriptors thoughtfully is important for science and society and what researchers should consider when making these decisions in their own work.
Speakers
Katrina G. Claw
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Anna Lewis
Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics,  Harvard University
Brigham and Women's Hospital
ӳý
Genevieve Wojcik
Johns Hopkins University 
Opening remarks
Todd Golub
Director
ӳý

March 16, 2023

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people—including members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer communities—are understudied and underrepresented in precision medicine research. In addition to lack of funding and barriers to participation driven by medical mistrust, there are numerous limitations to standard reporting practices which create additional challenges in identifying and serving these individuals. These challenges include failing to ask individuals in surveys and the clinic about their sexual orientation and gender; focusing family studies on biological family structures; varying behavioral and identity relationships across ethnicities and cultures; and differentiating and reconciling multiple definitions of sex and gender. We further need more community driven selection and recruitment efforts for individuals holding multiple marginalized identities, particularly queer and trans* people of color (QTPOC). Looking forward, thoughtfully including SGM people in research and improving our oversimplified understanding of sex and gender and can help reduce SGM health disparities. 
Speaker
Nasa Sinnott-Armstrong
Assistant Professor, Herbold Computational Biology Program Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center

 

Opening remarks
Alham Saadat
Associate Director, Scientific Equity, IDEA Office
ӳý

 

2021

May 7, 2021

Speakers
Jeri Lacks-Whye
Granddaughter of Henrietta Lacks
Rebecca Skloot
Author, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Moderators
Foxy Robinson
ӳý
Ayanah Dowdye
ӳý
 
Opening remarks
Bill Sellers
ӳý

May 12, 2021

Speaker
Shawneequa Callier
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Moderator
Alicia Martin
ӳý

 

March 31, 2021

Speaker

UC San Diego
Moderator
Heidi Rehm
ӳý

 

March 29, 2021

Speaker

UCLA
Moderator
Anne Carpenter
ӳý
Opening remarks
Todd Golub
ӳý

 

February 25, 2021

Speaker

Columbia University
Moderator
Benjamin Neale
ӳý
Opening remarks
Todd Golub
ӳý

Equity in Biomedicine Seminar Series