Minority Health Conference (MHC)
Introduction
The Minority Health Conference is a yearly gathering where professionals and students from allied health fields come together to uncover and focus on eliminating the health challenges encountered by marginalized populations. This conference seeks not only to shed light on health inequities that persist in marginalized communities, but to also build a task force of emerging leaders and professionals to address these issues at the local, regional, and national levels.
2025 Theme
This year's theme is Mobilizing for Health: Community Advocacy and Public Policy.
This theme highlights the critical role of community-led advocacy in addressing systemic health inequities and promoting the well-being of minority populations. We aim to explore how public health can harness the voices of traditionally underrepresented groups to prioritize equity and justice in policymaking. By fostering discussions on community mobilization, policy change, and public health equity, we welcome research from both traditional health professionals and non-traditional advocates whose work amplifies the importance of community-driven solutions in advancing minority health.
We hope to bring about new and engaging conversations around this topic in the public health field as it shifts to a more preventative care focus.
How to get involved: Keep checking back to this page or check out social media to stay up to date on further announcements and timelines for abstract/research submissions and registration deadlines.
2025 Keynote Speaker Announcement: Dr. Karriem S. Watson
Karriem S. Watson, DHSc, MS, MPH is the Chief Executive Officer for the UI-Health Mile Square Health Center. As part of the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Science System, the Mile Square Health Center includes several Federally Qualified Health Center clinics throughout south and west Chicago, Cicero and Rockford communities, with a mission to provide holistic, quality health services amid an underserved, urban community. The system includes primary care, behavior health, and dental services, as well as school-based health centers.
Prior to joining the Mile Square Health Center, Dr. Watson was the Chief Engagement Officer for the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program, in which he led te All of Us Research Programs efforts to foster relationships with participants, communities, researchers and providers across the United States and territories through equitable engagement to help build one of the largest and most diverse health datasets of its kind to advance precision medicine research. Dr. Watson has spent over 15 years conducting cancer disparities research. He completed his post-doctoral training in cancer center leadership under Dr. Robert A. Winn at the University of Illinois at Chicago Cancer Center and went on to become an independent funded researcher with funding from the NCI, NIMHD and NHLBI.
Dr. Watson’s work spans across community engaged research, CBPR, and implementation and dissemination science including engaging community members as Citizen Scientists to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical trials. In addition to his research, Dr. Watson also served as a health care administrator overseeing community-based research and serving as the Associate Executive Director for a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Dr. Watson has been recognized by many organizations for his commitment to training and education including being awarded an Innovator in STEM award by the Chicago Urban League.
Minority Health Conference Chair | 2024-2025
Lisa Beltran, MPH, CHS
Hello! My name is Lisa Beltran, and I am a first-year MPH CHS student and the 2025 Minority Health Conference Chair. I recently graduated from Dominican University with a bachelor’s degree in natural science. Originally, I was on the Pre-Med track, but I found my passion somewhere else: Public Health. In the future, I plan to pursue medical school and incorporate my understanding of public health in a medical setting. I believe it’s important to view healthcare as a community rather than at the individual level. I strive to support underrepresented communities in overcoming health inequities.
Minority Health Conference Committee Team
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Program • Varshne Ketheswaran (Lead) • Nidhi Patel • Pablo Paucar • Giselle Gutierrez Savoy • Megan Sanico • Opeyemi Adesioye • Yarid Mera
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Outreach • Prisila Alvarez (Lead) • Shanta Gosh • Jasmine Cross • Natalia Prato • Angelica Glogowski • Zarmina Asghar • Musharrat Islam
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Marketing • Genesis Vasquez (Lead) • Kelsey West • Hadiya Severin • Mariana Pedraza • Alex DeVinney • Catherine Chan