# Presentation: 090878

## Why is it Important for Minorities toParticipate 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)**

## Major Themes

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

**Notes:**
Have to convince both power structure and Minorities
All rooms, labs, clinics panels

## The Purple Polka-Dot Argument

- I just want the best scientist and it doesn’t 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.

**Notes:**
Ask people of South Africa if it matters who holds the patents on the anti-HIV drugs

## 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.

**Notes:**
Mention volunteering for clinical trial

## 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.

## Let’s Meet Some of the Investigators

## 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 14;328(2):73-80.
- Clinical and hematological responses to hydroxyurea in Sicilian patients with Hb S/beta-thalassemia.Hemoglobin. 2001 Feb;25(1):9-17.

## 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 1;67(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 Mar;121(1):49-55. Epub 2006 Nov 21.

## 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 Aug;19(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 Aug;77(15):8237-48.

## Georgia M. Dunston, Ph.D.Howard Univ.

- Unique HLA-D region heterogeneity in American blacks.Transplant Proc. 1987 Feb;19(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 Jan;11(1):51-8.

**Molecular Genetics**

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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.

**Notes:**
Why we have to be in the room.

## Tips for Advancement

## #1 Tip for AdvancementThose 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!

## #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).

**Notes:**
Deal with it for now-important to be in the room.  Will get better with more of us

## #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.

**Notes:**
Deal with it for now-important to be in the room.  Will get better with more of us

## #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."

**Notes:**
You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

## 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

## 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 Aug;106(3):373-84.