Letter to the White House on the selection of a new NIH Director

Senior Research Scientist, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation

Community Outreach and Care Supervisor

Above and beyond scientific and leadership considerations, it is vitally important that the incoming Director not only understands the importance of community engagement and health equity, but also demonstrates a consistent record of sincere commitment to these values.

MDisability Director; Co-Director for the Center for Disability Health & Wellness; Department of Family Medicine; University of Michigan Medical School

Dr. Wallerstein has been a seminal leader of Community-Based Participatory Research.

This letter excellent and brings out an essential piece of puzzle that we all are working to solve regarding inequities in public health. As President of the National Medical Association and on behalf of the Association, I fully support the sentiment of this letter. President Biden, we are all counting on you to do the right thing!

Co-Director and Co-Founder, Antiracism and Health Equity Program Department of Family Medicine University of Michigan

3 years ago Featured

An NIH Director who understands the importance of community engagement for health and social equity is essential for living up to the promise and commitments to Tribal communities in the US. Community engagement is a path toward equity and honoring the treaties with the first people of this land.

This is scientifically and ethically the right thing to do. Research itself is a social determinant of health by virtue of whom we include/exclude, what questions we ask, and how we apply the findings.

Solutions to health disparities are in the community. An NIH director must understand the power of engaging community in order to address health disparities.

The real advance of science is by incorporating communities

This is critical.

I fully support this movement

A person who does not agree with resonate for a leader of NIH SHOULD NOT HOLD THIS POSITION!

Views are my own.

Associate director for engagement, CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University

Environmental Justice Community Organizer Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation

Equitable health resourcees, access, and delivery of health services is a necessity for the overall public health. We must end health disparities.

We thank you for your support and consideration, Honorable President Joseph Biden.

PhD student in Public Health and Health Policy at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health