Prejudice, Progress, and Potential: Understanding Sickle Cell Disease, Racial Inequities in Care, and Innovations in Treatment
This presentation will provide an overview of sickle cell disease, discuss the challenges in healthcare faced by patients, and explore new treatment advancements like gene therapy and stem cell treatment.
Speaker – Fola Ayibiowu
Folayemi Ayibiowu is a third-year Medical Student at University College Dublin in Ireland. She is a Nigerian-Canadian with a passion for Human Rights activism, clinical research, and regenerative medicine. Folayemi began her research experience at the Hospital for Sick Children, performing laboratory experiments and investigations into phagocytosis, kidney health, and cell biology. She currently works as a Student Volunteer at UHN with Dr. Mucsi’s KHE-ACB and CARM laboratories, while also volunteering in the SickKids Rheumatology research lab. Through working with CARM and KHE-ACB, Folayemi hopes to educate others, especially black youth, about regenerative medicine and clinical research.
Unmasking Anti-Black Racism in Healthcare: Exploring Racialization as a Social Determinant of Health and Its Impact on Access and Outcomes
This presentation delves into the pervasive issue of anti-Black racism in healthcare. Through evidence-based insights and real-world examples, the presentation aims to shed light on systemic inequities and offer strategies for fostering equitable and inclusive healthcare practices.
Speaker – Hayden John
Hayden John is an incoming medical student at Queen’s University. He is currently a research student with the Kidney Health Education Research Group (KHERG). In this role, Hayden is examining risk and benefit perception to kidney failure treatment options among ACB Canadians. Outside of academics, Hayden is passionate about mentorship and community engagement.
The Silent Burden: Chronic Kidney Disease in Black Patients
This presentation explores the two primary risk factors for chronic kidney disease in Black patients—diabetes and hypertension—both often undetected due to their subtle symptoms. The discussion includes genetic contributors to kidney disease and highlights prevention, treatment, and regenerative medicine solutions to combat this silent epidemic.
Speaker – Mowa Ayibiowu
Mowa Ayibiowu is a fifth-year medical student at University College Dublin with research experience at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). She is passionate about advocating for African, Black and Caribbean patients and currently works at Toronto General Hospital Research Institute as part of the Kidney Health Education and Research Group.
Understanding Structural Determinants of Health in Black Communities
This presentation will provide insights into the structural determinants and barriers impacting Black Canadians’ health. By examining systemic inequities, the presentation aims to provide recommendations for culturally-relevant approaches in Black communities.
Speaker – Marwa Douelrachad
Marwa Douelrachad is a third-year Global Health student specializing in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at York University. Her research and community endeavours focus on the intersectionality of health equity and structural determinants to improve chronic disease outcomes in racialized people and immigrants. Currently, she is a research student at St. Michael’s Hospital as part of Unity Health Toronto.
Roots and Remedies: Afrocentric Approaches to Breast Cancer
This presentation explores the challenges and opportunities in addressing breast cancer through an Afrocentric lens. It highlights the impact on African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) individuals, focusing on disparities in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Through evidence-based insights, it offers practical strategies to reduce risk, improve outcomes, and support ACB communities after diagnosis.
Speaker – Dream Tuitt-Barnes
Dream Tuitt-Barnes is an incoming Queen’s University medical student. As a NSERC research student in the Queen’s University School of Computing, Dream utilizes machine learning algorithms to analyze the biological nature of triple-negative breast cancer tissue samples. Beyond academics, Dream is passionate about mentorship, health equity, and community involvement.
The Added Benefits of Racial and Cultural Representation in Healthcare for ACB Communities
This presentation will discuss racial and cultural representation in health care. We will define what “representation” means in healthcare and the evidence to support the benefits of racial and cultural representation in healthcare for African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) communities. Then we will discuss barriers to representation in healthcare for ACB communities and finally what we can begin doing to overcome some of these barriers to representation.
Speaker – Devron Swaby
Devron Swaby is an Honours Life Sciences student at McMaster University. His research and community work focus on health equity for ACB communities, psychosocial factors in chronic kidney disease and transplantation, systemic barriers faced by neurodivergent Black youth and biomedical research methodology. He is dedicated to promoting health equity and educational access for ACB communities.
How APOL1 gene mutations in ACB communities increase their risk of kidney disease
This presentation discusses one of the genetic factors that causes disparities in kidney health in ACB communities. The discussion surrounds a mutation in the APOL1 gene, found in many individuals in ACB communities, particularly those with West African ancestry. The presentation includes underlying causes, diagnosis, and treatment of black patients with kidney disease who may have this gene mutation.
Speaker – Kayla-Rae Barnes
Kayla-Rae Barnes is a second-year Health Sciences student at Queen’s University. She is passionate about promoting health equity and education in marginalized communities. As an aspiring healthcare professional, she is dedicated to making a positive impact in the healthcare industry.
