Wednesday night, in downtown Boston, a gathering of physicians, researchers, CEOs, reporters and more celebrated STAT’s 2024 STATUS List. The list features 50 leaders in the life sciences who were recognized for their contributions to their fields.
During the event, members of the list spoke about the issues that need to be prioritized to improve healthcare across the U.S. and the rest of the world. One key theme that emerged was the need to address equity and inclusion in medical science.
Jonathan Jackson, executive director of Community Access, Recruitment, and Engagement Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, emphasized the importance of divesting research from elite institutions to prioritize the needs of marginalized populations. He criticized researchers and advocates for offering the same solutions to institutions that do not prioritize these populations.
Similarly, Stuart Orkin, a professor at Harvard Medical School, highlighted the underinvestment in sickle cell research by powerful institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical industry for decades. He has become an equity spokesperson after his research provided the blueprint for Vertex’s gene therapy for sickle cell disease which disproportionately affects Black individuals. These discussions underscored the importance of addressing equity and inclusion in medical science to improve healthcare outcomes globally.
