Loma Linda University Hosts 15th Annual Health Disparities Research Symposium

On Aug. 5, Loma Linda University hosted the 15th annual Health Disparities Research Symposium at Wong Kerlee International Conference Center, at the center of the Loma Linda University Health campus, to celebrate diversity and highlight research on Native American children’s health. The event's keynote speaker, Dr. James Jarvis, MD, is a clinical professor of pediatrics at University of New York at Buffalo. He has served as chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Native American Child Health. During his keynote address, Jarvis discussed his work with the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Native American Child Health, and demonstrated how this work integrates into his role as a genome biologist. Jarvis also presented a summary of his research on juvenile arthritis with special focus on Native American children. Jarvis is nationally recognized as a leader in addressing Native American health disparities. The program highlighted poster presentations by students conducting biomedical research at Loma Linda University. The students are part of the summer health disparities research pipeline program. Since its inception, this program has awarded 568 research fellowships to high school, undergraduate, graduate and medical students traditionally underrepresented in biomedical sciences. “We are excited about commemorating major milestones of our 17-year old pipeline program. A significant number of the high school (63 percent) and the undergraduate (96 percent) student participants graduate with a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics four-year college degree. Of additional significance, 53 percent of high school students and 81 percent of undergraduate students progress to enroll in graduate scientific biomedical programs. In total 97 of high school and undergraduate students alumni have already matriculated in doctoral programs nationwide,” said Dr. Marino De Leon, director of the Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine. A Distinguished Seminar Series in Health Disparities covered the topic of Toxic Stress and Health Disparities and the keynote address, "Our Call to Improve Minority Health by Jarvis," began at 5:30 p.m.