Overcoming Public Mistrust
Revisit the talks and Q&A using the link above, and/or check out the video and bios below.
About the Panelists
Valerie Lewis, PhD
Twitter: @DrValLewis
Dr. Valerie Lewis is a postdoctoral researcher at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) and the VA Medical Center in Oklahoma City, OK (VAMC-OKC). Her research focuses on sex bias in autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and Sjogrens Syndrome. Dr. Lewis additional responsibility includes diversity outreach at both institutions. She has been integral in establishing HBCU research programs at OMRF and the VAMC-OKC.
Chris Bourne
Twitter: @TheBourneImmuno
Chris Bourne is a 5th year PhD Candidate at Weill Cornell/Sloan-Kettering Institute. He received a BA in Biology and Spanish Literature from Swarthmore College. For his graduate work he studies cancer immunotherapy, aiming to use T cells to deliver drugs to tumors, and uncover novel immunotherapuetic targets. He is Director of Sponsorships and Partnerships for Black in Cancer and is passionate about diversity in biomedical research. He has also done outreach about COVID-19 to underserved high school communities.
Ari Kozik, PhD
Twitter: @dr_kozik
Dr. Kozik is a Research Investigator in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Michigan. Dr. Kozik studies microbial-immune relationships in adult asthma, with emphasis on asthma phenotype and treatment responses. Dr. Kozik’s broad interests include microbiome-immune interactions, integrative multi-omics, applied bioinformatics, and biopsychosocial frameworks to address health disparities. She is passionate about transforming systems to sustain future generations of research scientists, and has worked on a number of initiatives to promote equity in STEM. Dr. Kozik is the Co-Founder and Vice President of the Black Microbiologists Association (Black In Microbiology), and a member of the Microbes and Social Equity Working Group. Dr. Kozik has been engaged in outreach and science communication efforts to various groups throughout the pandemic to address topics including recognizing disinformation, understanding Covid-19 pathogenesis, mitigation strategies, and vaccine development.
Ti’ara Griffen, PhD
Twitter: @blkstemhero
Ti'ara Griffen is a recent graduate of Morehouse School of Medicine's Biomedical Sciences PhD program. While in the program, her dissertation research was focused on characterizing transcriptomic and proteomic signatures in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, a B cell derived hematological malignancy. With this research she hopes to improve diagnostics and treatment strategies for CLL patients. She is currently in a drug development training program in industry focused on teaching her how to apply oncology biomarker discoveries in clinical trials. Outside of her research career, Ti'ara enjoys reading Marvel and DC comics, watching Disney+ series, and spending time with her family, friends, and dogs.
Alika Jefferson Shah, MD MSc
Twitter: @DrAkilahJ,
Akilah A. Jefferson, MD, MSc is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine (UAMS) and Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). She is also a researcher at the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics at UAMS.
Dr. Jefferson received her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and completed Internal Medicine residency at George Washington University. Dr. Jefferson completed her Allergy and Immunology fellowship at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. She is also trained in health policy and bioethics, completing post-graduate training in both fields at Georgetown University and the National Institutes of Health, respectively. She joined the faculty at UAMS/ACH in 2020.
Dr. Jefferson is a clinician scientist in the ACRI asthma research program. Her research is focused on asthma, health disparities, health policy, and ethics. She has a special interest in novel approaches to health policy and social determinants related to disparate asthma health outcomes.
Dr. Jefferson is a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI), and American Academy of Pediatrics. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Allergy/Immunology.