>> GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. FOR THE BENEFIT OF COLLEAGUES WHO ARE JOINING US BY VIDEOCAST, MY NAME IS GEORGE MENSAH. I DIRECT THE CENTER FOR TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE OF THE NATIONAL HEART, LUNG AND BLOOD INSTITUTE HERE AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. IT IS AN HONOR AND A GREAT PLEASURE FOR ME TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS INAUGURAL WATKINS LECTURE THAT IS NAMED POSTHUMOUSLY FOR DR. SANDERS, A BALTIMORE CARDIOLOGIST, AND DR. LEVI WATKINS, BALTIMORE CARDIAC SURGEON. BOTH MEN HAD A LIVE LONG COMMITMENT TO PATIENT CARE, TO TEACHING, TO RESEARCH, AND TO COMMUNITY SERVICE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE HONOR THEM FOR THEIR TIRELESS EFFORTS IN TAKING MANY, MANY FIRST STEPS TO ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY FOR MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE GLOBE, AT A TIME WHEN IT WAS NEITHER POPULAR NOR SAFE TO DO SO. ALTHOUGH THE LECTURE HONORS THIS HISTORY, AND THE LEGACIES OF THESE TWO GREAT MEN, THE LECTURE IS DESIGNED WITH A FUTURE IN MIND, SPECIFICALLY IT WAS DESIGNED TO STIMULATE A FUTURE GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS COMMITTED TO ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH AND THE ELIMINATION OF HEALTH INIQUITIES. THAT IS WHY WE ARE THRILLED TODAY TO WELCOME DR. LISA COOPER TO THE NIH AS THE INAUGURAL SAUNDERS/WATKINS MEMORIAL LECTURER. SHE'S THE JAMES FREEZE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE AND BLOOMBERG DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR IN HEALTH EQUITY AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND THE BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SHE TRAINED AS A GENERAL INTERNIST AND SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST. SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST SCIENTISTS TO DOCUMENT THE DISPARITIES IN THE QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICIANS AND PATIENTS FROM SOCIALLY AT-RISK GROUPS. BUT SHE DIDN'T JUST DOCUMENT THESE DISPARITIES. SHE WENT AHEAD AND DESIGNED INNOVATIVE INTERVENTIONS, TARGETING MULTIPLE LEVELS, PHYSICIANS' COMMUNICATION SKILLS, PATIENT SELF MANAGEMENT SKILLS, AND THE ABILITY OF HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS AND HEALTH SYSTEMS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF POPULATIONS THAT EXPERIENCE HEALTH DISPARITIES. SHE CURRENTLY DIRECTS THE JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR HEALTH EQUITY, FORMERLY THE CENTER TO ELIMINATE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH DISPARITIES, WHERE SHE AND HER TEAM WORKED WITH STAKEHOLDERS FROM HEALTH CARE, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO UNDERTAKE RIGOROUS CLINICAL TRIALS AND CLINICAL STUDIES, IDENTIFY INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS RACIAL, ETHNIC AND INCOME DISPARITIES; ADDRESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND PARTICULARLY FOCUS ON DISPARITIES IN HEALTH OUTCOMES. IMPORTANTLY, THE CENTER ALSO TRAINS MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF SCHOLARS. DR. COOPER IS A COMPASSIONATE PHYSICIAN, PROLIFIC RESEARCHER AND DEVOTED MENTOR HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS FOR HER PIONEERING WORK AND JUST TO MENTION A FEW THE PRESTIGIOUS MacARTHUR FELLOWSHIP, ELECTION TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE, RECEIPT OF THE HERBERT NICKENS AWARD, WHICH WAS GIVEN BY THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE IN MEDICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE EQUITY. AND FOR TODAY'S INAUGURAL LECTURE, VERY IMPORTANTLY, SHE WAS THE RECIPIENT OF THE WATKINS/SAUNDERS INAUGURAL AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN REDUCING HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES IN MARYLAND. DR. COOPER WAS THE RECIPIENT OF THE K 24 AWARD, FROM THE NHLBI AND P 50 GRANT WITH TRAINING CORE FROM 2010 TO ABOUT 2015. THESE GRANTS GREATLY INFORMED AND SHAPED HER KNOWLEDGE BASE, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY HER PASSION AND HER SKILL SET IN MENTORING AND TRAINING NOW MORE THAN 60 MENTEES. NOT SURPRISINGLY, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY HAS RECOGNIZED DR. COOPER ON AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR HER REMARKABLE MENTORING EFFORTS. TO DATE SHE'S RECEIVED THE DAVID M. LEVINE EXCELLENCE IN MENTORING AWARD FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE'S VICE DEAN'S AWARD FOR ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND MEDICINE, AND THE PROVOST'S INAUGURAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FACULTY MENTORING. TODAY SHE WILL BE ADDRESSING THE LECTURE WHICH IS THE INAUGURAL LECTURE ENTITLED "TRAINING AND MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCHERS, BRINGING US INSIGHTS FROM THE FIELD." PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING OUR INAUGURAL WATKINS/SAUNDERS LECTURER, DR. LISA COOPER. [APPLAUSE] >> WELL, THAT WAS A VERY, VERY WARM WELCOME. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. MENSAH, FOR INVITING ME TO BE HERE TODAY. IT'S A PLEASURE TO SEE SO MANY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES IN THE AUDIENCE. SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT SOME OF MY EXPERIENCES AND INSIGHTS, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE MANY YOU CAN SHARE WITH ME AS WELL SO I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONVERSATION AFTER THE LECTURE IS DONE. SO I'M GOING TO START BY TALKING ABOUT TRAINING AND MENTORING, TALKING ABOUT WHAT SOME OF MY EXPERIENCES HAVE BEEN, SOME PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ABOUT THAT, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE EVIDENCE TELLS US. SO I WANT TO START OUT TALKING ABOUT MY FOURTH GRADE TEACHER, MISS DOROTHY JACKSON, SO SHE TAUGHT ME IN THE FOURTH GRADE AT THE AMERICAN COOPERATIVE SCHOOL IN MONROVIA, LIBERIA, SO THIS IS MY FOURTH GRADE CLASS. AND HER REPUTATION PRECEDED HER. SO EVERYONE KNEW IF YOU WERE GOING TO BE IN MRS. JACKSON'S FOURTH GRADE CLASS YOU BETTER KNOW YOUR MULTIPLICATION TABLES COMPLETELY, 1 THROUGH 12, BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED. THE OTHER THING YOU KNEW, YOU WERE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO READ CHARLES DICKENS AND SHAKESPEARE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY DID PLAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN HER CLASS. SO WE KNEW SHE DID NOT TAKE ANY NONSENSE FROM ANYONE. HER REPUTATION PRECEDED HER, AND SHE HAD VERY HIGH STANDARDS FOR HER FOURTH GRADERS. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS I LEARNED, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO CHALLENGE YOUR LEARNERS AND TO NOT EXPECT LESS FROM THEM THAN THEY ARE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. SHE WAS ALSO EXTREMELY ENTHUSIASTIC AND HAD A LOT OF ENERGY FOR EVERYTHING THAT SHE TAUGHT. SO EVEN TO THIS DAY, I STILL THINK ABOUT MISS JACKSON WHENEVER I THINK ABOUT FACING SOME SORT OF DAUNTING TASK THAT'S BEFORE ME. ANOTHER ONE OF MY TEACHERS WAS DR. ELIJAH SAUNDERS, MY MEDICINE ATTENDING WHEN I WAS A RESIDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND IN BALTIMORE. AND I WOULD SEE HIM DAY AFTER DAY COME IN TAKING CARE OF ALL OF HIS PATIENTS, EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE DOCTORS IN THE HOSPITAL WHO COULD DO A LOT OF THAT DR. SAUNDER WAS PERSONALLY INVOLVED WITH EVERY SINGLE PATIENT MUCH HIS THAT GOT ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. EVEN WHEN THERE WERE CONFLICTS AROUND WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO MANAGE THE PATIENT OR SOMEONE THOUGHT THEY KNEW BETTER THAN DR. SAUNDER, HE WAS ALWAYS VERY HUMBLE, ALWAYS OPEN TO GETTING INSIGHTS FROM OTHER PEOPLE. HE BASICALLY WAS THERE LATE AT NIGHT. HE WAS THERE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. AND HE JUST DEMONSTRATED A LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO LEARNING. HE WAS ALWAYS READING UP ON SOMETHING NEW AND SHARING THAT WITH US. AND THEN ALSO I REALLY LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING THE PATIENT FIRST FROM DR. SAUNDERS. SO FORTUNATELY FOR ME, I ENCOUNTERED HIM MANY YEARS BEFORE WE ACTUALLY BEGAN TO DO OTHER WORK TOGETHER IN THE AREA OF HYPERTENSION. SO THE OTHER THING ACTUALLY I LEARNED THROUGHOUT MY CAREER IN THIS AREA IS YOU NEED SPECIFIC SKILLS TO BE A GOOD TEACHER. ONE THING I DID AS GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE FELLOW, I WAS A RESEARCH FELLOW, TO MAKE SURE I GOT TRAINING IN TEACHING SKILLS SO THERE WAS A FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT JOHNS HOPKINS RUNS, IT'S STILL GOING ON NOW THAT'S A LONGITUDINAL PROGRAM. FELLOWS CAN ENROLL OVER A NINE-MONTH PERIOD, 3 1/2-HOUR SESSION WEEKLY WHERE YOU PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS IN SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND HOW TO CREATE A COLLABORATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE WHO YOU'RE TRAINING. SO THAT PROGRAM WAS LED BY DR. DAVID KERN AND DR. RANDY BARKER. THEY HAVE ACTUALLY PUBLISHED THE RESULTS OF THEIR WORK SHOWING PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM COMPARED TO A COHORT OF COLLEAGUES, MATCHED COLLEAGUES ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS ACTUALLY SHOW SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN THE AREA OF MEDICAL EDUCATION. THE OTHER THING I LEARNED DURING THIS PROGRAM WAS THAT IF YOU WANT TO DEVELOP A CURRICULUM, YOU REALLY NEED TO FOLLOW SOME SPECIFIC STEPS. I FEEL LIKE I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL ARE EXPERTS IN THIS, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE FRAMEWORKS THAT I'VE USED IN DEVELOPING CURRICULA WHICH WAS DEVELOPED BY DAVID KERN AND HIS COLLEAGUES AND IT'S A 6-STEP APPROACH TO CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AND DOING A GENERAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT BEFORE BEGINNING ANY TRAINING PROGRAM. THAT MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO IS TO IDENTIFY THE GAPS AND I UNDERSTAND THIS WORKSHOP WILL BE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF THAT, HOW YOU IDENTIFY GAPS AND LOOK AT WHAT'S ACTUALLY OUT THERE, WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING, AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL APPROACH TO TRAINING IN A PARTICULAR AREA. THEN THE NEXT STEP IS TO DO A MORE TARGETED NEEDS ASSESSMENT, OF YOUR PARTICULAR AUDIENCE OF LEARNERS. LEARNING WHAT IT IS THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR AND WHAT THEY NEED AND WHAT THEIR GAPS ARE AND WHETHER THEY HAVE PREFERRED STRATEGIES FOR GETTING TO THEIR GOALS. THEN OF COURSE HAVING VERY SPECIFIC GOALS, AS WELL AS OBJECTIVES, AND EVERYONE HERE KNOWS ABOUT THE SMART OBJECTIVES AND MAKING SURE THEY ARE MEASURABLE, SPECIFIC AND ACHIEVABLE. THEN YOU CHOOSE YOUR EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES, WHETHER YOU WANT TO USE A COMBINATION OF DIDACTIC AND EXPERIENTIAL METHODS, AND WE ALL KNOW ABOUT DIFFERENT BEST PRACTICES AND ADULT LEARNING. YOU GO THROUGH YOUR IMPLEMENTATION PHASE, AND THEN THERE'S ALWAYS AN EVALUATION PHASE WHERE YOU INCORPORATE FEEDBACK FROM THE LEARNERS AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, FROM OTHERS ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS SO YOU CAN GO BACK AND AGAIN IMPROVE YOUR PROGRAM. SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT LEARNING? SO LEARNING, YOU KNOW, THERE SEVERAL CATEGORIES OF LEARNING, AND OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO FOCUS ON KNOWLEDGE OF SPECIFIC FACTS AND PATTERNS AND CONCEPTS. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT THAT SKILLS, ACTUALLY GIVING PEOPLE PRACTICAL ABILITIES. SO A LOT OF WHAT WE SEE IN TRAINING PROGRAMS IS THAT WE SEE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE BUILDING, A LOT OF EFFORTS TO IMPART KNOWLEDGE, BUT NOT AS MUCH ON SKILLS BUILDING. SO SKILLS BUILDING, LIKE REALLY PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THIS AREA THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, AND ATTITUDES, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHAT ATTITUDES WE BRING TO OUR WORK ACTUALLY WILL ALLOW US TO BE MORE OPEN-MINDED OR WILL ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE. AND SO THESE ARE IMPORTANT IN ALL KINDS OF TRAINING BUT PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THE AREA OF HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH. SO TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE THE WAY WE ORGANIZE OUR ACTIVITIES SO THAT LEARNERS CAN ATTAIN THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AND ATTITUDES THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. SO WE KNOW THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PROGRAM, THAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO HAVE USEFULNESS. SO I THINK A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WE HEAR FROM OUR TRAINEES IS WHEN THEY GO THROUGH AND THEY LEARN A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT HAS NO PRACTICAL USE, THAT THEY CAN'T ACTUALLY USE IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY WORK. SO IT NEEDS TO HAVE IMMEDIATE USEFULNESS, BE RELEVANT TO PEOPLE'S LIVES, IT NEEDS TO BE IN A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO COME FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS, WHO ARE USED TO BEING MAYBE IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THEY DON'T FEEL AS WELCOME OR AS COMFORTABLE, SO IT NEEDS TO BE A SAFE PLACE SO EVERYONE CAN PARTICIPATE. THE TRAINING PRESENTATIONS NEED TO BE ENGAGING. WE ALL HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO WORK ON THAT. ESPECIALLY AFTER WE GIVE PRESENTATIONS, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE TO KEEP IT FRESH AND ENGAGING. AND THEN ALSO THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER. ACKNOWLEDGING THAT MANY PEOPLE BRING THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCE AND THEIR OWN EXPERTISE TO THE TABLE WHEN THEY COME INTO THIS WORK SO WE NEED TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND THEY CAN TRAIN EACH OTHER AS WELL AS -- AND WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR TRAINEES AS WELL. SO WHO HAVE BEEN MY INFLUENTIAL -- MOST INFLUENTIAL MENTORS? I'VE HAD A LOT OF REALLY, REALLY GOOD MENTORS, AND I'VE BEEN VERY BLESSED AND FORTUNATE IN THAT ARENA. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A FEW LESSONS LEARNED, AND FROM A FEW REALLY SPECIAL MENTORS. SO ONE OF MY MENTORS WAS DR. DAVID LEVINE. AND HE IS A PROFESSOR AND GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, ALSO A BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST IN THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT JOHNS HOPKINS, AND DIRECTED THE CARDIOVASCULAR -- BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH TRAINING GRANT FOR, I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY IT'S BEEN 40 YEARS NOW. BUT DR. LEVINE IS SUCH A WARM AND NURTURING INDIVIDUAL, AND ONE OF THE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM HIM IS THAT IT'S OKAY TO ACTUALLY LIVE OUT YOUR VALUES THROUGH YOUR BEHAVIORS. NOT ONLY IS IT OKAY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO HE ENCOURAGED ME TO DO THAT. HE ALSO ENCOURAGED ME TO KNOW THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE TRUST FROM YOUR MENTEESES OR OTHERS THAT WORK WITH YOU, YOU HAVE TO EARN THAT. SO DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TRUST FROM PEOPLE FROM DAY ONE. SO HE'S BEEN THERE FOR ME FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER, LIKE FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY I WALKED INTO THE GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP. SO I WOULD SAY TRUSTWORTHINESS, AND LIVING BY YOUR VALUES. ANOTHER REALLY INFLUENTIAL MENTOR FOR ME WAS DR. NEIL POWE, WHO IS NOW CHAIR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE AT THE ZUCKERBERG HOSPITAL AT UCSF. SO I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HERE KNOW HIM. AND I LEARNED SOME REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS FROM NEIL. HE WAS A STICKLER FOR DETAILS. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED DIFFERENT KINDS OF MENTORS TOO. THAT'S THE OTHER POINT I WANT TO MAKE HERE IS. DETAILS AND ALSO RIGOR, VERY -- YOU KNOW, A LOT OF RIGOR, SCIENTIFIC RIGOR. HE WAS VERY MUCH A PROPONENT OF THAT. AND DETERMINATION. HE WAS THE ONE MENTOR WHO ALLOWED ME TO RESUBMIT MY PAPER AFTER IT GOT REJECTED. LIKE FLAT OUT REJECTED, BUT TO MAKE A CASE AND ARGUMENT FOR WHY THEY ACTUALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE REJECTED MY PAPER. SO I LEARNED A LOT OF THAT FROM NEIL. FROM DEBRA ROTER, VERY WELL KNOWN BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST AND EXPECT IN PATIENT-PHYSICIAN COMMUNICATION. DEBRA CONTINUES TO TEACH AND INSPIRE ME. WHAT I LEARNED WAS THAT SCIENCE IS FUN. YOU KNOW, AND IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE FUN. SO SHE WAS ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT A NEW IDEA, ALWAYS ENTHUSIASTIC. SHE'S VERY RESILIENT, DESPITE ALL THE REJECTIONS AND UPS AND DOWNS THAT COME WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO. AND JUST ROLE MODELED THAT AND ALLOWED ME TO IMPART THAT TO MY MENTEES, AND ENCOURAGED ME TO REACH FOR THE STARS. EVEN THOUGH SOME THINGS I WANTED TO DO WERE VERY HARD SHE ENCOURAGED ME TO NOT LET THAT LIMIT ME. AND FINALLY DR. LEVI WATKINS WHO YOU HEARD A LOT MORE ABOUT BEFORE. DR. WATKINS ACTUALLY TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT FAITH. FAITH AND COURAGE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS HE JUST -- YOU KNOW, THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW HIM, KNOW THAT HE SEEMS THAT HE WAS FEARLESS. HE WAS OUTSPOKEN, HE WAS NOT AFRAID OF CALLING A SPADE A SPADE. EXACTLY. AND, YOU KNOW, HE ENCOURAGED ME TO DO THE SAME. BUT HE LET ME KNOW THAT IT WASN'T BECAUSE THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE FEAR OR HESITATION HIMSELF. HE HAD ALSO EXPERIENCED A LOT OF THAT. HE HAD GROWN UP IN A TIME WHERE IT REALLY WASN'T SAFE TO SPEAK OUT. BUT THAT IF YOU HAD FAITH IN SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF AND HAD FAITH IN YOURSELF, THAT YOU COULD MOVE THROUGH THAT WHATEVER FEAR YOU HAD AND YOU WOULD HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO. SO THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE AND THE INSPIRATIONAL LESSONS THAT I LEARNED FROM THEM. SO FORMERLY, YOU KNOW -- SO YOU CAN LEARN MENTORING OBVIOUSLY THROUGH FORMAL TRAINING, BUT THERE'S NO BETTER WAY TO LEARN IT THAN TO ACTUALLY WATCH IT AND DO IT, RIGHT? BUT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DOING THAT AND I TOOK ADVANTAGE THROUGH PROGRAMS, THROUGH MY OWN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY, SOCIETY FOR GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, AAMC HOLDS FACULTY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WHERE THEY PROVIDE MENTORSHIP SKILLS TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING NIH PROVIDES WORKSHOPS, AND OBVIOUSLY MY OWN INSTITUTION. ONE PROGRAM THAT I FEEL HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL AND I'D LIKE TO STRONGLY ADVOCATE IT HERE FOR YOUR JUNIOR FACULTY IS CALLED C-CHANGE, CULTURE CHANGE IN ACADEMIC MEDICINE, NOW A LEADERSHIP IN MENTORING INSTITUTE AND IT'S RUN THROUGH BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED OR IF YOU WANT TO REFER SOME OF YOUR TRAINEES TO THAT, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T DO A LOT OF -- YOU CAN DO MENTORING WITHOUT FUNDING BUT IT'S PRETTY HARD. SO FORTUNATELY NIH RECOGNIZES THAT, AND I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE A MID-CAREER INVESTIGATOR AWARD FOR OVER 10 YEARS THAT ACTUALLY ALLOWED ME TO DO A LOT OF THIS WORK. SO INDEBTED TO NHLBI FOR THAT. SO BUT -- YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE KNOW FROM THE EVIDENCE ABOUT MENTORING? AND MANY OF YOU KNOW A LOT OF THIS. THAT MENTOR WAS A CHARACTER IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY, A FRIEND OF ODYSSEUS, AND WHO ACTUALLY WAS LEFT IN CHARGE OF ODYSSEUS' PALACE AND HIS SON TELAMAKUS WHEN ODYSSEUS WENT TO THE TROJAN WAR. THAT'S HOW THE WORD CAME ABOUT. MENTOR, THIS PERSON WAS LEFT IN CHARGE OF TEACHING AND TRAINING AND BEING A FRIEND AND COUNSELOR TO THE SON OF ODYSSEUS. MENTOR NOW IS TRUSTED FRIEND, COUNSELOR OR TEACHER. AND SO MENTORING IS A PERSON OF GREATER RANK OR EXPERTISE TEACHES, GUIDES OR DEVELOPS SOMEONE WHO IS A NOVICE IN A PROFESSION, RIGHT? THE REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS IS THAT THE EXPERIENCE HAS TO HAVE AN UNUSUALLY BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON THE PROTEGƒ'S DEVELOPMENT. BOTH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL. IF YOU GUIDE SOMEONE AND, YOU KNOW, THEY SORT OF DON'T DO MUCH OR FLOURISH, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN MENTORING BECAUSE THIS IS THE HALLMARK OF MENTORING, THAT THAT PERSON BEING MENTORED SHOULD HAVE -- SHOULD JUST BASICALLY BLOSSOM AND SUCCEED. SO THERE ARE MANY QUALITIES OF EXCELLENT MENTORS, AND MANY OF YOU HERE I KNOW ARE -- HAVE DONE THESE THINGS FOR PEOPLE. SO FIRST THING IS TO SOCIALIZE PEOPLE PROFESSIONAL TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE WITHIN A PROFESSION SO THAT THEY BEHAVE APPROPRIATELY AND ARE ABLE TO GET ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NORMS ARE AND CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. YOU HAVE TO BE A NURTURER AND YOU PROBABLY HEARD A LOT OF THESE THEMES, THE PEOPLE WHO I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT WHO INSPIRED ME AND MENTORED ME, A TEACHER, SO YOU HAVE TO GIVE SPECIFIC -- IMPART SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND GIVE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK AND ALSO MOTIVATE. YOU OUGHT TO BE A ROLE MODEL, SO YOU HAVE TO SHOW BY WHAT YOU DO. AND THEN IMPORTANTLY, TO ADVOCATE. ADVOCATE, ADVOCATE,ED , ADVOCATE, TO MAKE OPEN DOORS FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND HELP PEOPLE NAVIGATE COMPLEX POLITICAL ISSUES AS WELL AS PERSONAL ISSUES THEY MIGHT HAVE HAVE TO SORT THROUGH. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC CONTENT, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE WHOLE WORKSHOP IS ABOUT. SO I'M NOT GOING TO CLAIM TO COVER ALL OF IT BUT I'M JUST GOING TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I THINK ARE THE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF TRAINING FOR HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCHERS AND IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE. SO FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE CONTRIBUTORS TO HEALTH DISPARITIES ARE COMPLEX AND MULTI-LEVEL. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, -- AND THEY INTERACT, RIGHT? ACROSS ALL THESE DIFFERENT LEVELS. SO BECAUSE OF THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE TRAIN A CADRE OF RESEARCHERS THAT REPRESENT MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES AND MULTIPLE SECTORS OF SOCIETY. AND THEY HAVE TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THESE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINARY APPROACHES SO THEY NEED TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES, IN ADDITION TO REPRESENTING THESE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES. AND THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK WITH ONE ANOTHER. I THINK THAT'S ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES. ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR US IS THAT WE HAVE THIS GAP IN OUR FIELD WHEREBY WE HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE, THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE DON'T NEED MORE. WE DO NEED MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CLINICAL EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS, MORE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, MORE EPIDEMIOLOGY WHEN IT COMES TO CERTAIN POPULATIONS, CERTAIN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY OF THE WORLD. WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT THOSE THINGS. WE HAVE THIS GAP THAT MANY PEOPLE CALL THE IMPLEMENTATION GAP WHERE WE'RE NOT -- THE KNOWLEDGE IS NOT BEING TRANSLATED SO WE ACHIEVE WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE WHICH IS EQUITY. IN ORDER TO DO THAT WE HAVE TO CHANGE A GENERATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EQUIPPED TO DO TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, WHO UNDERSTAND HOW TO ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS, WHO UNDERSTAND HOW TO DISSEMINATE AND TRANSLATE THESE INITIATIVES AND WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE APPROACHES. I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR THIS. WE NEED TO TRAIN MORE PEOPLE. IT'S NOT BEEN A TRADITIONAL DISCIPLINE. TRADITIONAL DISCIPLINES ARE EPIDEMIOLOGY, BIOSTATISTICS, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES PART OF PUBLIC HEALTH TRAINING, EVEN PUBLIC HEALTH BIOLOGY, BUT IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE CUTS ACROSS LIKE ALL OF THESE THINGS AND ACTUALLY TRIES TO USE THE METHODS FROM A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT FIELDS TO TRANSLATE EVIDENCE INTO PRACTICE AND POLICY. SO IN A WAY, THERE ARE NEW SKILLS THAT NEED TO BE LEARNED AND NEW KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN THE REAL WORLD THAT IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCHERS NEED TO KNOW. THEY ALSO NEED TO INCORPORATE PRINCIPLES FROM A FIELD THAT HAS BEEN GROWING OVER THE YEARS, COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIP, THAT EQUITABLY INVOLVES ALL PARTNERS, RIGHT? EVERY VON HERE KNOWS ABOUT ALL OF THESE. I THINK IMPORTANTLY WHAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN FOCUSED ON IS HOW TO WE TRAIN PEOPLE TO DO TEAM SCIENCE AND BE LEADERS BECAUSE WE NEED PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK IN TEAMS THAT ARE INTERDISCIPLINARY, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY, AND TO COME UP WITH TRANSDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO OUR COMPLEX PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS. SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THESE ARE SOME COMPETENCIES THAT ARE SELECTED FROM THE CTSAs EDUCATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, THAT THEY SUGGEST FOR DEVELOPING COMPETENCIES IN TRANSLATIONAL TEAM WORK AND LEADERSHIP. WE HAVE PEOPLE LEARN THIS BY WATCHING BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE EXPLICIT ABOUT WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT IS THEY ARE LEARNING AND WHAT YOU HOPE THEY WILL ACHIEVE. SO I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE CENTER FOR HEALTH EQUITY, AND OUR TRAINING PROGRAM OVER THE LAST 7 YEARS, AND MAKE SURE I'M DOING OKAY ON TIME HERE. SO IN 2010, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO GET A P50 GRANT TO ESTABLISH A TRANSDISCIPLINARY CENTER TO ADDRESS CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH DISPARITIES IN BALTIMORE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID IS WE OBVIOUSLY INCORPORATE IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE AND CBPR PRINCIPLES INTO ALL OF OUR WORK. WE HAVE THREE INTERVENTION TRIALS THAT WE TESTED, BUT IMPORTANTLY WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED FUNDING FOR TRAINING CORE WHICH WAS SOMETHING THAT USUALLY WE DON'T HAVE WITH OUR REGULAR GRANTS, RIGHT? SO WE ACTUALLY JUST SORT OF HAVE TO DO TRAINING ALONG THE WAY OR WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO GET OUR TRAINING FUNDED. AND THIS TIME WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE FUNDING TO CREATE A TRAINING PROGRAM THAT WOULD PROVIDE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES FOR OUR TRAINEES. SO ALONG WITH THAT, THE MISSION OF OUR CENTER IS TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND HEALTH FOR SOCIALLY AT-RISK POPULATIONS THROUGH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, TRAINING SCHOLARS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR MISSION. SO OUR INITIAL PROGRAM WAS LED BY DR. SHARITA GOLDEN, AND ENDOCRINOLOGIST AND CARDIOVASCULAR EPIDEMIOLOGIST AT HOPKINS, AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS AFTER DOING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT, A GENERAL ONE, AND A TARGETED ONE, WE LEARNED FROM THE TRAINEES AT HOPKINS AND AROUND US BASICALLY WHAT THEY WANTED WAS NOT MORE -- A LOT OF SPECIFIC COURSE WORK BUT WHAT THEY WANTED WAS MORE LESSONS LEARNED KIND OF JUST EXPERIENTIAL TIPS LIKE BASICALLY VERY PRACTICAL TIPS ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO DO HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH IN THE FIELD. SO WE CREATED A CURRICULUM CALLED LESSONS LEARNED, THEY ALSO NEEDED FINANCIAL SUPPORT, A LOT OF THEM, FOR THE TIME, PROTECTED TIME TO DO THE WORK, AND THEN MANY TIMES TO HIRE SOME STAFF TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT DATA FOR THEM, HELP THEM COLLECT DATA. SO THE GRANT PROVIDED FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR FACULTY FELLOWS AND WE HAD PRE AND POST DOC FELLOW. WE DIDN'T EXPECT THERE WOULD BE SUCH A FLOOD GATE OF PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY WANTED SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AND ELECT ELECTIVES. WE DIDN'T PLAN TO DO THAT INITIALLY BUT HAD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WRITING SAYING THEY WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DOING THIS WORK. AND WE HAD UNDERGRADUATES AS WELL AS OTHER GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO WEREN'T NECESSARILY EVEN AT JOHNS HOPKINS WHO WERE FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY OR NEIGHBORING INSTITUTIONS. SO WE OPENED THAT UP AND CREATED SOME ELECTIVE OPPORTUNITIES, SOME SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AS WELL. SO -- AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO PUBLISH EARLY LESSONS LEARNED IN THIS ARTICLE IN "ACADEMIC MEDICINE." THESE ARE SOME TOPICS WE'VE COVERED IN OUR LESSONS LEARNED BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD FROM TRAINEES. A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE NOT SURE HOW TO SELECT AND TRAIN STAFF. THIS IS A BASIC THING THAT YOU WOULD THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MIGHT KNOW BUT THEY DON'T GET IT ANYWHERE ELSE. THEY LEARNED ABOUT HOW TO CREATE MATERIALS BUT NOBODY SPECIFICALLY TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU TAILOR MATERIALS TO A SPECIFIC CULTURE OR DO LITERACY ADAPTATION OF YOUR MATERIALS, FOR RECRUITMENT OR DATA COLLECTION. AND THEN MORE ABOUT GENERATING COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR WORK, AND WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF RESOURCES. FORTUNATELY AT HOPKINS WE WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE SOME OF THE WORK THAT IS GOING ON IN THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM, AT JOHNS HOPKINS, IN THE CENTER FOR HEALTH DISPARITY SOLUTIONS. WE HAVE DR. ROLAND THORPE AND DR. JANICE BOWIE AND DR. BOWIE RUNS A CBPR FELLOWSHIP. WE HAD A LOT OF RESOURCES TO DIRECT TRAINEES TO IN ADDITION TO OTHER SESSIONS WE DEVELOPED. SO WE DID THAT. AND THEN OUR SUMMER PROGRAM, THIS IS OUR FIRST COHORT WE'VE HAD HERE. IT LOOKS DOMINATED BY WOMEN, BUT WHAT WE CAME UP WITH WAS THAT EACH PERSON WOULD DO A MENTORED RESEARCH PROJECT, SO FORTUNATELY WE HAD FACULTY MEMBERS WHO WERE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR TIME. THERE WERE SEVERAL STUDENTS WHO WERE NURSING STUDENTS OR MEDICAL STUDENTS WHO WANTED TO HAVE CLINICAL SHADOWING AS PART OF THEIR EXPERIENCE, SO IF THEY WANTED THAT WE ALLOWED THEM TO HAVE THAT. WE ALSO HAD CAREER DEVELOPMENT PANELS, SO WE HAD STUDENTS FROM THE GRADUATE SCHOOLS AT HOPKINS, WHO WERE JUST MAYBE ONE STEP AHEAD OF THESE TRAINEES WHO WERE ABLE TO GIVE SOME REALLY PRACTICAL TIPS ABOUT WHAT THEY DID TO GET INTO SCHOOL AND HOW THEY HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL. AND THEN WE HAD SOME SHORT DIDACTIC SESSIONS WHICH WERE DURING THE LUNCH HOUR ON SPECIFIC TOPICS, AND THEN IN ADDITION WE HAD COMMUNITY-BASED FIELD EXPERIENCES, SO DEPENDING ON -- A LOT OF THESE TRAINEES LIKE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO SO WE TRIED TO GIVE THEM A RANGE OF DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND SO IT REQUIRED SORT OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, ADVISORY BOARD, TO SET UP SOME OF THESE EXPERIENCES. BUT EXTREMELY REWARDING. I MEAN, THINK SOME OF THE -- MY BEST DAYS WERE ACTUALLY TALKING TO SOME OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AND STILL HEARING BACK FROM THEM ABOUT HOW WELL THEY ARE DOING NOW. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE SINCE THE GRANT ENDED WAS THAT WE THEN DEVELOPED A COURSE BECAUSE WE LEARNED THAT THE LESSONS LEARNED CURRICULUM WAS HELPFUL BUT A LOT OF OUR TRAINEES WANTED SOME ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR THIS WORK, AND HAVING AN ASSIGNMENT TO DO AND HAVING CLASSES TO COME TO SORT OF ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL MOTIVATION TO THAT. SO WE DEVELOPED THIS COURSE CALLED APPLICATIONS OF INNOVATIVE METHODS AND HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH, AND THE INAUGURAL COURSE WAS HELD IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR. AND THE NEW TRAINING CORE DIRECTOR IS DR. TANGELA PARNELL. SHE TOOK OVER AFTER DR. GOLDEN MOVED ON TO ANOTHER LEADERSHIP ROLE IN OUR INSTITUTION, AND SO FORTUNATELY FOR US WE WERE ABLE TO FEATURE A LOT OF OUR FACULTY ACROSS THE INSTITUTION WHO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL EXPERTISE IN HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH AND WHAT WE DO IS TO TALK ABOUT BEST PRACTICES IN HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH AND EXPERIENTIAL TYPES OF LECTURES, TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS AND WHAT IT TOOK TO GET THEM OFF THE GROUND, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE PITFALLS, HOW TO ADDRESS THOSE. SO AND OUR FIRST CLASS HAD ENROLLMENT OF 20 STUDENTS, GREAT FOR AN INAUGURAL CLASS, FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, FROM CANADA, U.K. JAMAICA, ALL OVER THE U.S. THE COURSE WAS CO-SPONSORED BY OUR CENTER AS WELL AS THE JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, BEHAVIOR AND SOCIETY, AND BLOOMBERG AMERICAN HEALTH INITIATIVE EQUITY WORK GROUP. AND DR. BOWIE WAS ONE OF OUR PANELISTS ON OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PANELS. AGAIN, HERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE COURSE IS. WE INCLUDE LECTURES AS WELL AS INTERACTIVE PANELS AND DISCUSSIONS. WE USED A LOT OF CASE-BASED EXAMPLES, AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS WHEN WE GIVE ASSIGNMENTS TO THE STUDENTS THAT COULD CHOOSE FROM AN ASSIGNMENT FOCUSED ON STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT OR INTERVENTION DEVELOPMENT, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT AN INITIAL DRAFT AND TO GET FEEDBACK ON THEIR IDEAS FROM, YOU KNOW, THE COURSE FACULTY BEFORE THEY COMPLETE THE FINAL ASSIGNMENT. WE ENCOURAGED THEM TO SUBMIT ASSIGNMENTS THAT ARE FROM THEIR WORK, SO IT'S JUST NOT AN ACADEMIC EXERCISE BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY REALLY USE. THE OTHER THING WE FOUND OUT WAS THAT IN ADDITION TO THESE LESSONS LEARNED A LOT OF OUR TRAINEES WANTED OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESENT RESEARCH AND PROGRESS AND TO GET FEEDBACK WHILE THEY WERE WORKING ON THEIR PROJECT. SO WE ESTABLISHED A SESSION CALLED THE RESEARCH JAM SESSIONS, HEALTH EQUALITY RESEARCH JAM SESSIONS WE HOLD ON A MONTHLY BASIS. AND BASICALLY, IT'S AN INFORMAL FORUM. TRAINEES CAN COME. WE INVITE SENIOR FACULTY AND THEY SEEM TO BE COMMITTED, AND THEY COME AND THEY CAN DISCUSS THEIR RESEARCH IDEAS AND PROPOSALS, RESEARCH IN PROGRESS, IF THEY HAVE FEEDBACK ON MANUSCRIPT OR GRANT AND WOULD LIKE TO GET INPUT FROM EXPERIENCED RESEARCHERS, THEY CAN DO THAT THERE. AND IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE OTHER THINGS LIKE THIS GOING ON AT OUR INSTITUTION, BUT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON HEALTH EQUITY, AND I THINK THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T FIND THAT IN OTHER PLACES. WHAT HAS HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THESE MEETINGS IS THAT THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH COLLABORATION THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THAT AND FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT. WE HAD DR. BELCHER CAME AND TALKED TO US ABOUT SOME OF HER WORK WITH HER, A TRAINING PROGRAM WITH SOME OF THE YOUNGER SCHOLARS THAT SHE TRAINS AS WELL AS HEALTH POLICY SCHOLARS. ONE THING WE DID TOO WAS THAT WE HELD A JAM SESSION THAT WAS FOCUSED ON SPEED MENTORING BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANTED TO GET TO MEET THE FACULTY, BUT IT'S REALLY HARD, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL KNOW HOW MANY E-MAILS YOU GET FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO COME AND HAVE A ONE-HOUR MEETING ABOUT THEIR CAREER AND WHAT THEY SHOULD DO AND SO WE SET THIS UP SO PEOPLE COULD COME AND THEY COULD INFORMALLY TALK TO FACULTY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, GET TO KNOW THEM, AND THEN WE ALSO CREATED DATABASE OF, YOU KNOW, WITH FACULTY INTERESTS, PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINEES SO THAT NOW WHEN THEY EXPRESS INTEREST, WE HAVE A WAY OF LINKING THEM WITH A APPROPRIATE FACULTY. THE OTHER THING WITH THE JAM SESSIONS WE LIVE STREAM SO PEOPLE CAN WATCH FROM WHEREVER THEY ARE, THANKS TO MENTEES BECAUSE I WAS NOT IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA AGE WHEN THIS CAME ABOUT. WE ALSO HAVE AN ARCHIVE OF THE JAM SESSIONS, USING PERISCOPE SO PEOPLE CAN GO BACK AND WATCH THEM AT ANOTHER TIME. SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF OUR STUDIES WHERE WE ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THE STUDY AND THEN WE LIST OUT SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINEES SO THEY KNOW WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THEY WANTED TO BECOME INVOLVED WITH A PROJECT. AND THIS SORT OF HELPS TO MANAGE THIS WHOLE PROCESS WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE OUT THERE, IF WE JUST PUT IT OUT THERE SO THAT THEY CAN SEE WHAT IT IS AND THEN THEY CAN SELECT A SPECIFIC PERSON THAT THEY WANT TO WORK WITH. SO OUR TRAINEES HAVE ACHIEVED A LOT, AND WE'RE SO PROUD OF THEM. WE'VE EQUIPPED OVER 70 SCHOLARS SINCE 2010, SO MANY OF THEM HAVE GOTTEN K AWARDS OR OTHER CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS. WE'VE HAD EIGHT TRAINEES GET INDEPENDENT RESEARCH GRANTS SUCH AS RO1s OR U01s, NATIONAL AWARDS, PUBLICATIONS, SEVERAL OF OUR PRE AND POST DOCS HAVE NOW GONE TO FACULTY POSITIONS. WE HAVE UNDERGRADS WHO HAVE MATRICULATED INTO PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL, PUBLIC HEALTH OR OTHER GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN SCIENCE. WE FOCUS ON RESEARCH TRAINING, FOCUS ON DISPARITIES INTERVENTIONS BUT WE ALSO INVOLVE CLINICIANS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN IMPROVING THE WAIT THEY DELIVER CARE TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOTS OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THAT ARE GETTING IN THEIR WAY. SO WE TRY TO INCLUDE CLINICIANS, AS WELL AS RESEARCHERS IN OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO HIGHLIGHT SPECIFIC TRAINEES BEFORE WE WRAP UP. SO THIS IS DR. CRITIMA E-BAY, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN INTERNAL MEDICINE AT JOHNS HOPKINS, PREVIOUSLY A RESEARCH SCIENTIST, ASSISTANT SCIENTIST IN THE BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SHE'S NOW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF OUR CENTER FOR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. SHE INITIALLY CAME TO US AS A Ph.D. STUDENT, AND ACTUALLY WAS DR. BOWIE'S ADVISEE, AND THEN I MENTORED HER. JOHNSON AND JOHNSON COMMUNITY HEALTH SCHOLAR, RECIPIENT, NOW WE LEARNED OF AN INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH DIVERSITY SUPPLEMENT FROM NHLBI. SHE'S VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT SHE'S A COURSE INSTRUCTOR WITH DR. BOWIE IN THIS CLASS CALLED IMPLEMENTATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS. AND HER AREA OF EXPERTISE IS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER INTERVENTIONS, AND BASICALLY HOW TO STRENGTHEN THOSE INTERVENTIONS, HOW TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES THEM SUCCESSFUL OR NOT SUCCESSFUL, AND HOW TO SUSTAIN THEM AND TO TRAIN A FUTURE WORK FORCE. OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS. THAT'S DR. IBE WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM DR. IBE? I LEARN FROM MY MENTEES TOO. I'VE LEARNED ABOUT COMPASSION AND EMPATHY, ABOUT PAINSTAKING EXCELLENCE IN DETAILS. SO SHE'S BEEN GREAT WITH THAT. VERY CHARISMATIC, VERY WARM AND WELCOMING PERSON WHO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I ASKED HER TO BE OUR DIRECTOR OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE SHE -- EVERYONE FEELS COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH HER AND SHE HAS A WAY OF MAKING EVERYONE FEEL IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE, WHICH THEY ARE. SO SECOND TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT DID IS DR. TANGELA PARNELL, CURRENTLY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SURGERY AT JOHNS HOPKINS AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR TRAINING IN OUR CENTER. AND HER AREA OF EXPERTISE IS IN DISPARITIES AND KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION. SHE INITIALLY CAME TO ME AS A Ph.D. CANDIDATE IN THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SHE WAS MENTORED BY OTHERS, BY DR. EBONY BOULWARE AND DR. TOM LEBEESE, BUT BECAME INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH ME TOWARDS THE END OF HER TRAINING. AND BECAME FACULTY FELLOW -- SORRY, PRE-DOCTORAL FELLOW IN OUR CENTER. SHY HAS A KO 1 FROM HRQ, NAMED UNDER 40 LEADER IN MINORITY HEALTH BY NATIONAL EQUALITY FORUM, NOW THE UNOS EPTN REGION 2 REPRESENTATIVE, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING KIDNEY DISEASE RESEARCH. SHE'S PROBABLY THE YOUNGEST PERSON WHO HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR THIS ROLE AND TANJALA IS VERY DYNAMIC, VERY CREATIVE, VERY ENERGETIC, AND VERY TECH SAVVY, THOSE ARE THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM HER. AND VERY, VERY FAITH ORIENTED. SO THEN ANOTHER TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT, DR. RACHEL THORNTON, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS IN THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, NOW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR POLICY FOR OUR CENTER. SHE CAME TO ME AS A MEDICAL STUDENT AND Ph.D. STUDENT AT JOHNS HOPKINS. AND WORKED WITH ME, ACTUALLY WAY BACK WHEN I WAS DOING MY INITIAL RESEARCH ON DOCTOR/PATIENT COMMUNICATION, BUT AFTER THAT REALIZED SHE WAS DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN MUCH MORE BEYOND THE CLINICAL SETTING, AND SO BECAME VERY INVOLVED IN POLICY AND WAS SELECTED TO BE A WHITE HOUSE FELLOW, RECENTLY DIRECTED HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF BALTIMORE'S COMPREHENSIVE ZONING CODE REWRITE, AND SHE NOW DIRECTS THE HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES COURSE FOR JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICAL STUDENTS, SHE'S A K23 AWARDEE FROM NHLBI AND RECEIVED AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE. RACHEL IS ONE OF THESE VERY COURAGEOUS PEOPLE, VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND IS ABLE TO PARLAY IN DIFFERENT WORLDS, RIGHT? ABLE TO MAKE SENSE OF WHY RESEARCH WOULD BE RELEVANT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING POLICY DECISIONS, AND SO HER SKILLS HAVE BEEN VERY INVALUABLE AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HER. MY FINAL TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT IS DR. DEIDRE CRUZ, AND SHE IS NOW ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE AT HOPKINS, IN THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, NEPHROLOGIST, AREA OF EXPERTISE DISPARITIES IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE, PROGRESSION AND CARE AND OUTCOMES OF END STAGE RENAL DISEASE. SHE REALLY FOCUSES IN ON SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND HER PARTICULAR AREA OF FOCUS IS IN THE FOOD ENVIRONMENT. AND SO SHE CAME TO US AS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SHE HAD ALREADY BEEN WELL PREPARED BUT WANTED GET MORE TRAINING AND MORE PLUGGED IN TO WHAT WE WERE DOING. AND I'VE NOW ASKED HER TO BE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE SHE SEEMS TO HAVE UNLIMITED ENERGY FOR NEW RESEARCH IDEAS AND SO SHE WILL BE DOING THAT AND HER MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT, SHE'S A K23 AWARDEE FROM NIDDK, RECENTLY HAS BECOME CO- CO-P.I. OF A U01, AWARD FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN HEALTH, FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF A PROGRAM CALLED JOHNS HOPKINS DOCTORAL DIVERSITY PROGRAM WHICH MEANS SHE'S PASSING ON WHAT SHE'S LEARNED, AND ALSO HAS RECEIVED AN EXCELLENCE IN MENTORING AWARD. SO WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE END HERE, SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LESSONS LEARNED? I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED IS WHAT WORKS, WAS THAT A CURRICULUM THAT'S FOCUSED ON PRACTICAL SKILLS, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN CLINICAL AND COMMUNITY-BASED SETTINGS, SO TAKING PEOPLE OUT OF THE CLASSROOM AND PUTTING THEM INTO THE SETTINGS WHERE THE WORK IS GOING ON AND HAVING THEM OBSERVE AND LEARN HOW TO WORK WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING TRAINEES ON OUR RESEARCH TEAMS AND IN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, WHETHER IT'S A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING OR AN OUTREACH EVENT OR AN EDUCATIONAL EVENT. AND THEN ALSO HAVING INTERACTIVE RESEARCH AND PROGRESS SESSIONS. FROM MENTORING ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED IS THAT WHEN I HELP OTHERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS, WE ALL ENJOY THE JOURNEY MORE BECAUSE THIS IS VERY, VERY HARD WORK, SO WE MIGHT AS WELL BE THERE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND HAVE SOME FUN. AND THEN WORKING TOGETHER ALL OF OUR DREAMS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. BECAUSE NONE OF US CAN DO THIS ALONE. SO I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS THOUGHT, THIS QUOTE FROM STEPHEN SPIELBERG. THERE'S SO MANY MENTORING QUOTES OUT THERE, THIS TOOK FOREVER. THERE ARE AFRICAN AND GREEK PROVERBS, BUT I THOUGHT THIS WAS INTERESTING. THE DELICATE BALANCE OF MENTORING IS NOT CREATING THEM IN YOUR OWN IMAGE BUT GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THEMSELVES. SO WE HAVE TEN MINUTES LEFT. AND I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THIS BUT JUST TO SAY THAT I ACTUALLY DIDN'T PAY PEOPLE TO SAY THESE THINGS. >> THIS IS A FABULOUS TALK. IF WE'RE TO LEARN FROM YOUR LESSONS AND WE'RE TRYING TO DISSEMINATE YOUR MODEL AMONGST OURSELVES, WHAT LESSONS WOULD YOU HAVE IN TERMS OF US THINKING ABOUT REPLICATING, GROWING, DISSEMINATING, IMPLEMENTING WHAT YOU'VE DONE AT OTHER SITES. >> OKAY, SO THE QUESTION WAS IF I -- IF YOU WERE TO TRY TO REPLICATE MY MODEL, OR TO DISSEMINATE THIS, WHAT LESSONS WOULD I SHARE WITH YOU. >> IF YOU WANT TO ADOPT IT. >> IF YOU WANT TO ADOPT IT, OKAY. WELL, I'D SAY PULL UP YOUR SLEEVES, GET READY FOR AN EXCITING RIDE. I MEAN, I THINK BE OPEN TO ALL KINDS OF POSSIBILITIES, FOR ONE LIKE I HAD SAID I'M NOT TRAINING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T -- I'M NOT EQUIPPED TO DO THAT. BUT I GOT THESE WONDERFUL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO WERE SO EXCITED AND WHO REALLY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING, SO IT'S LIKE LET'S THINK OF SOMETHING THAT A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CAN GET INVOLVED WITH AND DO. DON'T BE SURPRISED BY WHAT THEY CAN DO. SO, AGAIN, YOU'RE ONLY LIMITED BY, YOU KNOW, BY HOW YOU LIMIT YOURSELF IS WHAT I WOULD SAY. SO, YOU KNOW, I'D SAY KEEP YOUR MIND OPEN. I'D SAY BE FLEXIBLE. I'D SAY THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS CAN YOU DO WITH NOT A LOT OF RESOURCES. I THINK THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN SHOW APPRECIATION TO PEOPLE FOR A TIME THAT DON'T NECESSARILY INVOLVE MONEY. BUT -- AND I ALSO THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE WILLING TO INVEST IN THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES WHO CARE ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FUTURES, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT THERE'S FEDERAL SOURCES BUT THERE ARE ALSO FOUNDATIONS, ALSO PRIVATE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE AND CARE ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION AND DO CARE ABOUT SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING. SO I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY THAT. I'D SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S MY MENTEES WHO KEEP ME GOING, EVERYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T FOR THEM I MIGHT NOT EVEN FEEL LIKE DOING SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS I HAVE TO DO EVERY DAY. BUT SEEING THEM IS ACTUALLY VERY INSPIRING AND EMPOWERING AS WELL. SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY. I HAVE SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW, LIKE NITTY-GRITTY THINGS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT MORE, BUT THOSE ARE THE BIG PICTURE THINGS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO HEAR WHAT OUR MENTEES SAID. >> I THINK THAT WHEN IT COMES TO MENTORSHIP, IN ANY CAREER, SPECIFICALLY ACADEMIA, IT IS THE KEY TO WHAT WILL MAKE A PERSON SUCCESSFUL. FOR ME, I'VE HAD WONDERFUL MENTORSHIP AS A FACULTY MEMBER AT JOHNS HOPKINS >> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I'VE LEARNED IS THAT EVERYONE BRINGS A VALUABLE AND UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE TO THE TABLE. AND I THINK THAT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCHERS ARE THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO SORT OF LEVERAGE THESE UNIQUE GIFTS AND TALENTS FROM OTHERS, WHILE ALSO HELPING EVERYONE TO FEEL IMPORTANT. AND TO FEEL VALUED IN THEIR EXPERIENCES. FORTUNATELY WE HAVE A CENTER DIRECTOR WHO IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT AT DOING THIS. >> I DIDN'T PAY HER. >> AND KNOWS A LOT HOW TO MANAGE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS. >> YOU KNOW, THE REASON I CAME TO JOHNS HOPKINS WAS ACTUALLY FOR THE CENTER. I SAY THAT BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE ACTUALLY VERY -- ALTHOUGH FOR DECADES THERE'S BEEN RESEARCH IDENTIFYING THAT DISPARITIES EXIST AND WE KNOW THAT MINORITY POPULATIONS DON'T RECEIVE THE CARE THEY SHOULD, I FEEL THE CENTER WAS DOING SOME BOLD WORK IN SAYING THIS RESEARCH EXISTS. BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY TRY TO COME UP WITH PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTS IN THE CLINICAL SETTING. >> THAT'S IT. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR. COOPER. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNOW THAT THE SAUNDERS/WATKINS LECTURES WOULD BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF HYPERTENSION, I'M PLEASED TO SAY DR. COOPER HAS AGREED TO WRITE IT OUT AND SO WE WILL MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL YOUR CONTACTS, INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WHO SIGN UP ON THE VIDEOCAST, AS SOON AS WE KNOW IT'S OUT WE'LL TWEET IT OUT. IF YOU'RE NOT A TWITTER, GET ON TWITTER. I THINK I'M ALLOWED TO SAY THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AGAIN, AND TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION I'LL CALL ON DR. LASHANDRA PRICE. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GEORGE. FOR THOSE OF YOU I'VE NOT MET YET, I'M LASHANDRA PRICE, CHIEF OF HEALTH EQUITIES AND GLOBAL HEALTH BRANCH AT NHLBI. ON BEHALF OF MY BRANCH, CENTER FOR TRANSLATION AND IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE, NHLBI AND NIH WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THIS INAUGURAL LECTURE AS WELL AS THANK YOU FOR THE MODEL YOU'VE BEEN BOTH IN TERMS OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY AS WELL AS THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. >> THAT CONCLUDES TODAY'S LECTURE. WE HERE IN OUR WORKSHOP WILL BE TAKING A GROUP PHOTO RIGHT NOW, SO WE'LL PROCEED OUT THE DOORS TO OUR RIGHT, UP THE STEPS, WHERE WE'LL ASSEMBLE FOR THE PICTURE. SO THANK YOU ALL. [END OF PROGRAM]