On Friday, October 13th, CHET celebrated five years of fostering innovative, transdisciplinary, and impactful health equity research in the Commonwealth. There was a terrific turnout, with nearly 100 attendees enjoying a variety of health equity speakers, refreshments, and musical performances.
Health equity speakers included:
- Dr. Nancy Schoenberg, CHET Director
- Dr. Eli Capilouto, UK President
- Dr. Lisa Cassis, UK Vice President for Research
- Vivian Lasley-Bibbs, Director of Disease Intervention Initiatives, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
- Dr. Rebecca Dutch, Vice Dean for Research in the UK College of Medicine
- Dr. Myles Moody, SPARK Alum and Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
These presentations highlighted the important work and impact of CHET over the previous five years in the areas of training and research, while also identifying areas of opportunity for continuing to improve health equity in the Commonwealth.
The Keynote Lecture entitled "Addressing Social Determinants of Health to Improve Caregiver Well-being and Infant Development" was delivered by Dr. Cynthia Rogers (Blanche F. Ittleson Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis). Musical performances were led by Carrie Wells Carter (fiddle), as well as UK Music Students, Jessica Bayne, Christopher Burchett, Pharel Silaban, and Audrianna Hughes, who were accompanied by Professor Tedrin Blair Lindsay on piano.
Thank you to the many organizations, departments, and groups who have worked alongside CHET to champion health equity and support our work. We are grateful for the support of Aetna, Anthem Medicaid, and Elevance Health. Our supporting partners at the University of Kentucky include the Colleges of Medicine, Arts and Sciences, Public Health, and Communication and Information; the Departments of Behavioral Science, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry; the Office of the Vice President for Research; the Center for Clinical and Translational Science; the Markey Cancer Center; the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging; the Human Development Institute; the College of Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the Cardiovascular, Neuroscience, SUPRA, and UNITE Research Priority Areas.