What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by networking cross-functionally to support LGBTQ+ health research at the University of Michigan?
Wednesday morning, the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) gathered professionals from Nursing, Michigan Medicine, Public Health, OB/GYN, graduate students, and undergrads to form crucial connections to further the impact of LGBTQ+ health studies at the University.
It was such a privilege to be in the same room as all of these leaders in medicine research and health disparity studies. The passion for the right to health of gender-diverse and queer communities was so palpable that I couldn’t help but be inspired by the conversations going on around me. I was able to learn so much about the barriers to conducting research in LGBTQ+ health and the obstacles that these professionals face when trying to collect data, receive funding, and kickstart research in this field. I felt very proud to represent CHEPS at this event and in a space working to improve healthcare for minority communities.
I think its so important for engineering minds to be present in these spaces and to contribute our unique skill sets to these conversations. There was so much talk about data collection and analysis in a healthcare setting that I was shocked to be the only engineer in the room. I know CHEPS has so much passion and skill to support this work and I am beyond excited at the prospect of deepening this network and developing an LGBTQ+ health research project within CHEPS.
— Written by Gabe Ferriero, CHEPS Student