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

David Satcher
Championed eliminating racial health disparities, especially infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, and care for minorities.

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

Barney Morris
Championed prostate-cancer awareness and care equity, focusing on preventing late diagnoses among Black men.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kemi Doll
Improved diagnosis, treatment, and advocacy for Black women with endometrial cancer facing delayed care.
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

Crystal Cené
Focused on reducing cardiovascular and chronic-care disparities among under-served populations through social-determinants research.

Mary Bassett
Centered her work on structural racism’s impact on Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities’ health outcomes.

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

Chandra Jackson
Researched how social and environmental factors drive racial disparities in sleep and metabolic health.

Tesa Anewishki
Led a West Side safety-net hospital where she combats diabetes, food insecurity and access issues for Black and Brown patients.
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.

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

David R. Williams
Illuminated how structural racism harms health, documenting worse outcomes for Black Americans and other marginalized groups.

Harriet Washington
Exposed racism’s historic and ongoing impact on Black health through research, writing, and advocacy.

Avonne Connor
Studied breast-cancer outcomes among African-American, Hispanic and underserved women and the factors that contribute to unequal outcomes.

Diane Mahoney
Investigated social-determinant and survivorship disparities among Black and Hispanic ovarian cancer survivors.
Black women more likely to suffer from uterine fibroids
HIV infections impact Latino and Black communities
Lupus more likely to strike Black women