HeLa Conference Highlights Solutions to Health Equity

“We wanted to stress the importance of solutions,” said Mill Etienne, M.D. ’02, M.P.H., FAAN, FAES, seventh from right, vice chancellor for the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, associate dean for student affairs, and associate professor of neurology and medicine. “Yes, we recognize the disparities, but our focus is on what we can do to address them. We also wanted to showcase real-world efforts—demonstrating that these interventions work. While we’re discussing disparities, we’re ultimately talking about uplifting all of society because when we come together to tackle these challenges everyone benefits.”
 
Researchers and distinguished speakers focused on critical health care issues including accessibility, maternal-fetal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology care. They examined these topics through both historical and contemporary lenses, addressing present-day inequities and their impact on communities, as well as what must be done to bridge the present gaps.
 
“The conversations around equity have gained momentum, however, awareness alone is not enough,” said Matilde Roman, Esq., sixth from left, senior vice president and chief equity, inclusion, and diversity officer at WCMHealth, who facilitated the event alongside Dr. Etienne. “It is time to translate our understanding into concrete actions that drive change. The goal today is to move beyond discussion and focus on actionable strategies that can make a tangible difference. We will explore innovative solutions, share best practices, and collaborate on initiatives that promote inclusivity and fairness.”
 
Neil W. Schluger, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine and professor of medicine; Kenneth W. Jenkins, Westchester County executive, and Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., chancellor and CEO, provided opening remarks. 

Dr. Schluger urged the audience to view patients as human beings rather than research subjects, citing Henrietta Lacks' legacy. Though her cells, taken without consent, revolutionized medicine through breakthroughs in treatment and vaccines for polio, AIDS, cancer, and IVF, Lacks and her family struggled without health insurance or any compensation—a stark reminder of medical ethics' human cost.

“We need to continue to lift up and understand how diversity, equity, and inclusion make us a better society and allow us to move forward in a way where people don’t feel like they’re being studied, but that they’re being cared for,” said Jenkins, the first Black Westchester County Executive, who shared the sentiment.

Dr. Halperin echoed in his address the ethical complexities behind breakthrough medical research in history. “I invite you today in your deliberation in the conference to remember the distinction between human drama of history and melodrama,” he said. “To bear in mind presentism as a risk in engaging in historical figures. That does not mean one needs to abandon moral stance of view of what’s right or wrong. I am only suggesting that it has to be tempered to the reality of human nature and human reality." 

Keynote speaker Vinnie Bagwell, a lifelong activist, historian and sculptor presented on her talk entitled, “Making History,” highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of Black women to medical science, many of whom advanced the field without consent or recognition. Monique Farrow, M.D. FACOG, director of complex Gynecology and minimally invasive surgery, Penn Center for Integrated Fibroid Care, and assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, followed with her keynote address titled, “The Evolution of Gynecology: How Diversity and Equity Efforts Can Change HERStory.” Dr. Farrow explored the historical foundations of gynecology and the persistent health disparities Black women face in obstetrics and gynecology, emphasizing the need for equitable care and systemic change.

Presenters

Filling the Brain Health Awareness and Resource Gaps
Daniel José Correa, M.D., M.Sc., FAAN, associate professor of neurology and associate dean for community engagement and outreach, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Disability in the Urban Environment: Medical Insights and Accessibility Standards
Stephanie Rand, D.O., residency program director, Montefiore Einstein

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Importance of Pathway Programs to Medicine
Courtney Brown, M.D., M.S. ’19, diversity and inclusion officer, NYMC

Transforming Medical Education: Addressing Systemic Racism and Implicit Bias through NYMC’s TELP Initiative
Rahim Hirani, M.S., M.D.-Ph.D. candidate, NYMC

Poster Session Presentations

Evaluating Al performance in Clinical Neurology: The impact of Patient Race/Ethnicity on Large Language Model Accuracy
Juliet Manu, SOM Class of 2026

Investigation of Social Media Trends and Sentiments on the r/Epilepsy Subreddit (2023-2024)
Kelly Fisher, SOM Class of 2027

Investigating the Relationship between Hypothyroidism and Depression in Individuals with Down Syndrome
Gregory Sabel, SOM Class of 2027

Innovating Inclusive Health: Al Applications in Obesity Prevention and Management
Ellen Huhulea, SOM Class of 2026

Artificial Intelligence and Transgender Healthcare: A Stress Test*
Jessica Williamson, SOM Class of 2027

An Analysis of Recruitment Rates by Admitting Service for a Randomized Control Smoking Cessation Study
Kayla Koffler, M.D.-M.P.H. Class of 2027

Socioeconomic Disparities and Trends in the Utilization of Regional and Neuraxial Anesthesia for Pediatric Femur Fracture Repair
Kelsey Murray, M.D.-M.P.H. Class of 2027

Manicures and Mammograms: Community-Based Interventions to Increase Breast Cancer Screening in East Harlem
Miriam Katz, SOM Class of 2025

Assessing Diversity in Sports Medicine and Brain Injury Medicine Fellowships: An ACME and U.S. Census Comparative Analysis*
Ryan Mohebpour, SOM Class of 2028

Modulatory Approaches for Leveraging Mesocorticolimbic Dopaminergic Systems: A Review of Proposed Theories to Optimize Neurocognitive Performance
Steven Youssef, M.S. ‘25

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Foley Catheter Duration
Thomas Pustorino

Addressing Disparities in Early Detection and Management of Cardiovascular Diseases Among Minority Populations in Urban and Rural Settings: A Systematic Review
Venkata Tirumalasetty, M.P.H. Class of 2025

From Lab to Life: Producing [18F]FTHA Radiotracer for Pre-Clinical and Clinical Studies
Camry A'Keen, SOM Class of 2028

Analyzing insurance status and antenatal care for singleton first births (ages 15-44) in the U.S. using birth record data from the National Vital Statistics System 2023
Jermaine Cail, GSBMS M.S. Class of 2025

Assessment of Factors and Practices Affecting Racial and Economic COVID-19 Vaccination Equity in Ten Large U.S. Cities
Jacqueline Contento, SOM Class of 2027

Social, Economic, and Health Disparities Associated with Drug, Alcohol, and Firearm Mortality in the United States from 2014-2022*
Roshan Dhand

The Cultural Significance of dental education: engaging underserved youth and families
Kwadwo Ampofo

Disparities in Severe Maternal Morbidity Outcomes in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
Zior Zweig

Insights into Al-Powered Translation in Psychiatry: Linear and Goal Directed, or Word Salad?
Michael Vazquez, SOM Class of 2025

Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Incarcerated: Comparison of Treatment Rates and Clinical Outcomes with the United States General Population
Mill Etienne, M.D. ’02, M.P.H., FAAN, FAES, vice chancellor for the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, associate dean for student affairs, and associate professor of neurology and medicine

*=selected for oral presentation

Named in honor of Henrietta Lacks, whose unwitting contribution to science revolutionized medicine, the annual conference serves as a platform for ongoing discussions on critical issues including research ethics, informed consent, privacy, and compensation. Lacks, tragically diagnosed with cervical cancer and passing away at 31 years old in 1951, unknowingly provided the world with an invaluable gift. Her cancer cells, known as HeLa, was the first immortal cell line, or group of tissue samples that could survive in a lab and reproduce indefinitely, leading to advances including the polio vaccine, cancer treatments and in vitro fertilization. In 2023, Lacks’ family settled its lawsuit against biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scientific over its claim that the company had been “unjustly enriched” by its use of her cells.

The video from the HeLa Conference and other NYMC events are available on the NYMC Youtube Channel.