As the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice continue to influence our lives every day, there is an urgent need for just leadership. In this talk, we will discuss how the current societal moment has provided the fuel to ensure that justice in an overarching framework of all our professional endeavors. 

Speaker

Utibe R. Essien, MD, MPH 

Utibe R. Essien, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, a general internist and health disparities researcher in the VA Pittsburgh Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion.  

Dr. Essien’s research focuses on racial and ethnic disparities in the use of novel therapeutics in the management of chronic diseases including atrial fibrillation and was recently awarded a 5-year, $1 million Career Development Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has applied his health equity research framework to the COVID-19 pandemic, rapidly becoming an expert in examining the disparities that disproportionately affect minority communities with COVID-19. His work has been featured in leading medical journals including JAMA and the NEJM and he has been interviewed by several national news outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR.  

Dr. Essien is a fierce advocate for diversity and equity in medicine, speaking nationally on the topic and co-directing an “Antiracism in Medicine” series for the Clinical Problem Solvers medical education podcast. Dr. Essien's leadership in advancing health equity has resulted in several local and nation honors including named a 2019 National Minority Quality Forum 40 under 40 Leaders in Minority Health awardee, a 2020 “30 Leaders under 40 Transforming Healthcare” by Business Insider, and a 2021 recipient of the Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship Award from the AAMC in 2021.