Why is it Important for Minorities to Participate in Biomedical Research

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Why is it Important for Minorities toParticipate
in Biomedical Research?

• Roland A. Owens, Ph.D.
• Chief, Molecular Biology Section
• Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology,
  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
  Kidney Diseases
• (April 19, 2007)

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Major Themes

• Health disparities research is good science that
  leads to good medicine.
• It is important for us to be in the room.

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The Purple Polka-Dot Argument

• I just want the best scientist and it doesnt
  matter to me if they are Black, White, Brown or
  Purple Polka-Dot.
• Or
• If somebody cures cancer, does it matter if they
  are Black, White, Brown or Purple Polka-Dot.

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Connecting the Dots Between Minority Scientist
Training and Health Disparities Reduction

• Adds skills to motivation.
• Provides trainee with access to health
  information.
• Creates a cadre of Minority individuals capable
  of truly informed consent in clinical research.
• Creates conduits through which health information
  can be disseminated.
• Training a person for a good paying job could be
  sufficient to improve their long-term health.

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Investigator-Driven Research

• Huge chunk of NIH spending
• Means that best way to control research agenda is
  from the inside.
• Even a graduate student can influence research
  priorities.

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Lets Meet Some of the Investigators
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Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D.Director, NIDDK/NIH

• Augmentation by erythropoietin of the
  fetal-hemoglobin response to hydroxyurea in
  sickle cell disease.N Engl J Med. 1993 Jan
  14328(2)73-80.
• Clinical and hematological responses to
  hydroxyurea in Sicilian patients with Hb
  S/beta-thalassemia.Hemoglobin. 2001
  Feb25(1)9-17.

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John D. Carpten, Ph.D.Translational Genomics
Research Institute

• Genome-wide linkage of 77 families from the
  African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer Study
  (AAHPC).Prostate. 2007 Jan 167(1)22-31.
• Fine-mapping the putative chromosome 17q21-22
  prostate cancer susceptibility gene to a 10 cM
  region based on linkage analysis.Hum Genet. 2007
  Mar121(1)49-55. Epub 2006 Nov 21.

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James E. K. Hildreth, M.D., Ph.D.Meharry Medical
College

• Lipid rafts and HIV pathogenesis
  virion-associated cholesterol is required for
  fusion and infection of susceptible cells.AIDS
  Res Hum Retroviruses. 2003 Aug19(8)675-87.
• Cholesterol depletion of human immunodeficiency
  virus type 1 and simian immunodeficiency virus
  with beta-cyclodextrin inactivates and
  permeabilizes the virions evidence for
  virion-associated lipid rafts.J Virol. 2003
  Aug77(15)8237-48.

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Georgia M. Dunston, Ph.D.Howard Univ.
Molecular Genetics

• Unique HLA-D region heterogeneity in American
  blacks.Transplant Proc. 1987 Feb19(1 Pt 1)870.
  
• In search of susceptibility genes for type 2
  diabetes in West Africa the design and results
  of the first phase of the AADM study.Ann
  Epidemiol. 2001 Jan11(1)51-8.

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Genetics And Race

• Potential for gross misunderstandings without
  educated Majority and Minority populations.
• Even though Race is a social construct, can it
  have genetic and medical consequences?
• Recognition of diversity within the Black
  community vs. Black drugs.
• Understanding that there may be no such thing as
  a disease that only affects a particular racial
  group.

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Tips for Advancement
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1 Tip for AdvancementThose who make their
bosses look good get promoted.
If your boss can say "We simultaneously
increased diversity and productivity." he or she
will look really good!
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2 Tip for Advancement Do not underestimate the
social aspects of science.

• Often the difference between success and failure
  is what you do in your spare time.
• The system favors persons whose entire life is
  within science.
• Minority scientists have to put forth a greater
  effort than majority scientists to maintain a
  professional network for collaboration and career
  advancement and a second, Minority network for
  everything else (e.g. marriage, mentoring, being
  a conduit for health information).

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3 Tip for Advancement Be Smart about your
Committee Work and Outside Activities

• Try to stay close to your areas of expertise.
• Support your boss and your boss's boss. Higher
  may not help.
• Understand who actually controls your
  professional future within your organization.

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4 Tip for Advancement When Pushing for Change,
Keep it Positive and about the Science.

• Example Advertisement of Postdoc Positions
• Rejected Negative Argument
• "It is prima facie evidence for
  discrimination if someone never hired a minority
  scientist, has never advertised and has hired
  multiple persons from the same foreign country."
• Partially Accepted Positive Argument
• "Advertising all postdoc positions on the web
  will expand our applicant pool and allow us to
  more easily recruit high quality fellows."

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Questions?
Since new developments are the products of a
creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and
encourage that type of mind in every way
possible. -- George Washington Carver
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Crystal C. Watkins, M.D., Ph.D. Johns Hopkins

• Insulin restores neuronal nitric oxide synthase
  expression and function that is lost in diabetic
  gastropathy.J Clin Invest. 2000
  Aug106(3)373-84.