In this upcoming virtual workshop to be held on April 27th from noon -1:30 pm, five researchers who are experts in the field of “epigenetics and environmental stressors” explain how social determinants can affect the resulting health outcomes of individuals as well as health outcomes of future generations. They will use stories and explanations to help people understand this emerging scientific field.
This is a new way of thinking about social determinants of health.
Health science professionals study how a person's biology and other determinants such as where they live or access to resources impact their health now and in the future. Racism, poverty, lack of healthy food, exposure to chemicals, and environmental stress are all problems that are deeply rooted in communities and can impact the ability of genes to be active or not (called epigenetics), without changing the DNA sequence determined at birth (heredity). These epigenetic changes can persist after the exposure has stopped to cause long-lasting effects on development and health, sometimes even in subsequent generations.
“Today’s action will have a generational impact; we need people to think about this,” said Dr. Xiaobin Wang, Zanvyl Krieger Professor in Children’s Health and Director of Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a guest speaker at the upcoming workshop who encourages multidisciplinary workshops like this one to find out how disparities are operating at a deeper level.
This epigenetic program is designed for people from many different professions including social workers, lawyers, public health workers, and medical providers, who will be able to utilize their expertise in helping to find solutions to these issues. It is also designed for students and the broader community who are interested in learning more about epigenetics and health disparities.
Everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of their level of knowledge.
RECORDING OF THE APRIL 27th PROGRAM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8r2fEAqSkI
