Black mothers are more likely than other mothers to die within a year of giving birth
Hispanic and Black Americans face the highest dementia risk in the United States
Native Americans and Alaska Natives Have the Shortest Life Expectancy in the United States

Arline Geronimus
Developed the “weathering” theory, showing chronic racism caused early health decline, especially in Black mothers and infants.

Otis Brawley
Fought cancer inequities by exposing delayed diagnoses and poorer treatment among Black patients and underserved communities.

Lola Fayanju
Focused on reducing racial disparities in breast-cancer outcomes and treatment delays among Black women.

J. Nadine Gracia
Guided federal efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in care for minority and underserved populations

Denise Dillard
Led community-engaged research on behavioral health, chronic disease, and trauma among Alaska Native and American Indian populations.
Black Women Have the Highest Breast Cancer Mortality Rate Among U.S. Women
Black men have the highest prostate cancer death rate in the United States
Black Americans have the highest rate of heart attacks, heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest in the United States

Eraka Bath
Improved mental-health services and justice-system support for foster-care and juvenile-justice-involved youth from marginalized communities.

Alyson Shirley
Advanced Indigenous health by providing mobile HIV/STI testing, education, and culturally responsive interventions.

John Carpten
Investigated cancer genomics to explain higher rate and mortality from prostate cancer among Black men and other underserved populations.

Lauren McCullough
Studied how obesity and neighborhood deprivation drive breast-cancer outcome disparities among underserved populations.

Paola Gonzalez
Championed bilingual, culturally responsive oncology care and improved health access for Latino communities facing resource barriers.
Asian female non-smokers face elevated lung cancer risk
Suicide Rates rising fastest among Black Americans, Native Americans and Alaska Natives
Black stroke patients receive fewer advanced treatments and face more delays than White patients
Black Americans have the highest colorectal cancer death rate in the United States.
Elderly White senior Americans are the most likely to die from falls
Puerto Rican Americans suffer the highest rate of asthma in the United States
Historic Redlining Still Drives Poorer Health Outcomes and Higher Disease Risk in Affected Neighborhoods

Linda Villarosa
Exposed racism’s role in health, highlighting systemic causes of Black health inequities nationwide.

Nadine Burke Harris
Tackled childhood trauma and toxic stress, highlighting disproportionate impacts on Black and low-income children.

Marcia Cruz-Correa
Led efforts to reduce colorectal and hereditary cancer disparities among Hispanic and Puerto Rican populations.

Kizzmekia Corbett
Helped develop mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and worked to build vaccine trust in Black communities.

Avonne Connor
Studied breast-cancer outcomes among African-American, Hispanic and underserved women and the factors that contribute to unequal outcomes.
American Indian/Alaska Native People Have the Highest Drug Overdose Death Rate in the U.S.
Black women have the highest cervical cancer death rate among U.S.
Black women experience the highest death rate from endometrial cancer in the U.S.
American Indian/Alaska Native people have the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in the U.S.
Black Americans have the highest hypertension rates in the United States
Black and American Indian/Alaska Native adults have the highest obesity rates in the United States.

Denise Dillard
Led community-engaged research on behavioral health, chronic disease, and trauma among Alaska Native and American Indian populations.

Paola Gonzalez
Championed bilingual, culturally responsive oncology care and improved health access for Latino communities facing resource barriers.

John Carpten
Investigated cancer genomics to explain higher rate and mortality from prostate cancer among Black men and other underserved populations.

Renee Brady-Nicholls
Reduced cancer inequities by developing mathematical models of treatment differences, especially among Black and white prostate-cancer patients.

David R. Williams
Illuminated how structural racism harms health, documenting worse outcomes for Black Americans and other marginalized groups.
Black women more likely to suffer from uterine fibroids
HIV infections impact Latino and Black communities
Lupus more likely to strike Black women