The Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance culminated its 15-year anniversary celebration Monday, March 30, with a lecture featuring Dr. Giselle Corbie-Smith, MD, MSc, and Alan Richmond, MSW.
The lecture, titled “Building and Sustaining Authentic Partnerships,” was the third in the 15-Year Anniversary series. The lecture series theme was “Health Disparities and Population Health” and was launched by the Alliance recognizing 15 years of collaboration, innovation and partnerships. The series brought national experts specializing in the Alliance’s three pillars – Community Engagement, Research and Interdisciplinary Education – to the Nashville area.
Alliance Executive Director Dr. Consuelo H. Wilkins, MD, MSCI, opened the lecture by citing the MVA’s importance, its work and the milestone achievement of 15 years. “Any kind of partnership that lasts 15 years should be celebrated,” she said. “At a time when many institutions are just starting to form partnerships with one another, we have the privilege of having a strong foundation in which two institutions with very different goals have found many in common.”
Corbie-Smith and Richmond discussed their involvement in community-engaged research, issues around increasing public trust in research and discussed ways to measure the impact of community engagement on research..
A key theme throughout their collaboration, Corbie-Smith noted, was the idea of mentorship versus sponsorship. “To me, the mentorship is the advice and guidance,” she said. “Sponsorship is the act of making and supporting connections.”
Richmond said it’s been important for the two of them to continually learn from one another and to continue forming partnerships with communities in research whenever possible. “All of this is done through partnerships. We would hope that any work that’s developed by the community is always presented with the community at the table.”
Maria Fatima Lima, PhD, who serves as Dean of the Meharry Medical College School of Graduate Studies and Research, introduced Corbie-Smith and Richmond. Lima told those gathered she was there when the MVA was first established, and she lauded the accomplishment of a 15-year partnership. Of the lectures, she said, “This series really has been outstanding, and I commend you, Dr. Wilkins, for putting it together.”
Corbie-Smith is a Kenan Distinguished Professor of Social Medicine and Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine, and nationally recognized for her scholarly work on the practical and ethical issues regarding engaging communities of color in research to address racial and ethnic disparities in health. She is the Director of the new UNC Center for Health Equity Research, directs the Program on Health Disparities at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at UNC, and has been a member of several national and regional committees, including Institute of Medicine committees. Dr. Corbie-Smith also serves as the Director of NC TraCS’ Community Academic Resources for Engaged Scholarship (CARES) Services.
Richmond has over 25 years of exeperience in a career that has uniquely blended social work and public health to address racial and ethnic health disparities. As a founding member and past chair of the Community-Based Public Health Caucus and the National Community-Based Organization Network – both affiliated with the American Public Health Association (APHA) – he helped to foster effective partnerships focused on community-identified health concerns and increasing the number of community leaders actively involved in APHA. A past CCPH Board Member, Richmond served as planning committee member and speaker for all three National Community Partner Forums on Community-Engaged Research, contributing to the Development of the Community Network for Research Equity and Impact.
Previous lectures in the series featured Cheryl Boyce, PhD, Chief and Associate Director for the Child and Adolescent Research Brain & Behavioral Development Branch (NDA-DCNBR-BBDB) at the National Institute on Drug abuse, and Barney S. Graham, MD, PhD, Senior Investigator, Deputy Director and Chief of the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH.
Click here to view video highlights from the event.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance is proud to celebrate 15 years of bridging institutions and communities. The Alliance's mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University and the communities they serve.
About Meharry Medical College
Founded in 1876, Meharry Medical College is a United Methodist related institution that has long been recognized as one of the finest institutions for medical, dental and biomedical science education in the nation. For nearly 140 years, Meharry alumni, students, staff and faculty have fulfilled and continue to live the college’s mission of educating health care providers and researchers to serve the underserved.
About Vanderbilt University
The mission of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine is to improve human health. It graduated its first class in 1875 and is one of the leading medical schools in the United States. It is ranked in the top 15 by U.S. News and World Report, and ranks in the top 10 American medical schools in the receipt of National Institutes of Health funding. The school seeks the best and brightest students and provides them with a foundation in the basic and clinical sciences that enables them to become leaders and scholars. The dedicated faculty works closely with each student in a supportive environment that encourages creative thinking and diversity.
