Please join us in celebrating Cohort 3 ASCEND Scholar, Ketrell McWhorter, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Public Health, on her selection as a 2026 Health Disparities Research Institute (HDRI) Scholar by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).
The HDRI is a highly competitive professional development program that prepares promising early-stage investigators to become leaders in minority health and health disparities research. Through lectures, seminars, mentoring, and consultation with NIH scientific staff, scholars strengthen their research programs while developing competitive NIH grant applications to advance impactful, solution-oriented research.
Dr. McWhorter's selection reflects both her exceptional promise as an early-stage investigator and her commitment to improving health outcomes for populations disproportionately affected by chronic disease. Her research examines sleep health, tobacco exposure, pain, inflammation, and cardiometabolic outcomes among individuals with pancreatic disease, with a particular emphasis on addressing health disparities in underserved communities.
Reflecting on this opportunity, Dr. McWhorter shared:
"I view this opportunity as an investment not only in my career but also in the communities my research is intended to serve. For epidemiologists and public health scientists, our greatest opportunity is to identify upstream, modifiable factors that can prevent disease and improve quality of life before poor health outcomes occur. Continuing to prioritize underserved communities and the challenges they face is essential to improving population health. The HDRI will help me strengthen my research program and develop innovative approaches to improving health outcomes among populations that bear a disproportionate burden of chronic disease."
This national recognition celebrates Dr. McWhorter's commitment to advancing health disparities research and highlights the impact of ASCEND in supporting emerging investigators who are improving the health of communities in Kentucky and beyond. Congratulations, Dr. McWhorter, on this well-deserved honor.