Symposium Highlights Community-Engaged Research

A recent symposium brought together faculty, trainees, staff and community members to discuss advancing equitable healthcare, addressing health disparities and building momentum for community-engaged research.

Hosted by Feinberg’s Office of Health Equity, the Fall Lyceum, a capstone event of the annual Health Equity Research Symposium, featured nationally recognized experts and Northwestern Medicine leaders examining some of today’s most pressing health equity challenges.

“It’s the mission of Feinberg School of Medicine to use scientific discovery to impact the health and well-being of all persons who seek our care,” said Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc, the Magerstadt Professor, chief of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine and vice dean for health equity, who introduced the Lyceum keynote speaker to a packed auditorium.

The keynote lecture from Nancy E. Schoenberg, PhD, the Marion Pearsall Professor of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky, centered on health disparities in rural communities.

During the keynote, Schoenberg explored how community partnerships can overcome longstanding barriers to care and improve health outcomes in rural populations.

“At the end of our time today, I hope you’ll have more understanding around rurality and how it is defined, as well as some of the epidemiology behind rural health inequities,” Schoenberg said. “We will also talk about the distinct and intersecting ways that we can address and impact health equity in the rural space.”

During her lecture, Schoenberg described her health equity research in Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains, where many residents lack access to urban medical centers and health education.

“Rural residents experience disproportionately higher rates of respiratory disease, diabetes, unintentional injury, heart disease, cancer and stroke,” Schoenberg said. “Looking at the state of Illinois, it’s very important to remember that 89 of your 102 counties are in rural areas with health professional shortages.”

By building strong community connections and partnering with faith-based organizations, Schoenberg and her collaborators have begun improving health outcomes for rural residents struggling with chronic health issues, she said.

Schoenberg also participated in additional engagements throughout the day designed to foster learning, mentorship and collaboration. These included a student mentoring breakfast, a faculty roundtable, and a workshop where she shared her expertise and experience in community-engaged research.

Following the keynote address, the Health Equity Research Symposium featured a poster session highlighting the role of community-engaged research in advancing health equity and addressing health disparities. More than 115 research posters showcased scholarship, innovative approaches, and ongoing efforts to address inequities in health and healthcare.

The poster session also featured resource tables from organizations offering information, resources, and opportunities to support health equity research and community partnerships. Participating organizations included Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS), the Center for Community Health, Galter Health Sciences Library, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Schreiber Community Health Institute, which also presented early research reports during the symposium.

The symposium also recognized outstanding contributions to health equity research through its annual awards:

• John E. Franklin Innovation Award (Student): Ahmed Ebada
• Melissa A. Simon Champion Award (Faculty): Robert Turelli, MD
• Health Equity Excellence Award (Resident/Fellow): Sean Rowan Halloran, MD
• Health Equity Advancement Award (External Participant): Riya Patel, MPH

Sean Halloran, MD, MBA, an Internal Medicine resident physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, presented his research poster describing health disparities in incarcerated populations.

“There are almost two million Americans who are incarcerated. That’s a huge population,” said Halloran. “We know the care they receive is most likely suboptimal, but very few studies have actually quantified the particular health inequities.”

Ahmed Ebada, a second-year medical student, also received the John E. Franklin Innovation Award for his research on barriers to receiving musculoskeletal care in the Philippines.

“The area of the Philippines we studied had no orthopedic surgeons, so we wanted to understand where the gaps are, and how efforts in the area to develop healthcare could really address these barriers,” Ebada said. “These interventions are going to take years to build up, but there has to be a start, and hopefully work like this can start defining directions for developing appropriate care.”

For Ebada, the Lyceum and symposium highlighted the impact that community-focused research and interventions can have in improving health outcomes, he said.

“Feinberg students are fortunate to have this venue to present our research,” Ebada said. “We have the resources, we have the knowledge, and we have the ability to go out to places that need help, and we’re able to make a difference and help people get the healthcare they deserve.”

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