October 2, 2020

Disability Research Symposium

8:30 am to 12:30 pm

The Center for Disability Health & Wellness at the University of Michigan held its inaugural Research Symposium in October 2020, uniting disability researchers from across the university on October 20, 2020.

These researchers included members of the Department of Family Medicine; the School of Public Health; the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center; the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation; the Taubman Library; the Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital and UM Program for Research on Women's Health and Disability, as well as medical students who presented their own research.

The event was hosted by Michelle A. Meade, Ph.D., professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who moderates the event, and Mike McKee, M.D., MPH, associate professor of Family Medicine at U-M. The event explored how research can be used to promote health, functioning, participation and life quality for those with disabilities.  You can download the agenda from the symposium as a PDF file.

Professor Thomas Pearson, a leading expert in translational research and epidemiology from the University of Florida’s College of Public Health and Health Professions, served as keynote speaker. Dr. Pearson discussed how research can help those with disabilities live their best lives.

We hope you find the symposium video educational and inspirational!

 

About the keynote speaker:

Dr. Pearson received his Doctor of Medicine, Master in Public Health, and Doctor of Philosophy in cardiovascular epidemiology, all from the Johns Hopkins University, where he also completed residencies in preventive medicine and internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiology. He holds board certifications in Internal Medicine, Preventive Medicine, and Clinical Lipidology. Dr. Pearson is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, the American College of Preventive Medicine, the American College of Physicians, and the National Lipid Association. Dr. Pearson’s major research interests are in the epidemiology and prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with a special interest in the prevention and treatment of disorders of lipids and lipoproteins. He has actively participated in basic science studies, clinical investigations, and community-based projects. He has previously been Principal Investigator/Program Director for numerous NIH research and training grants, a CDC Prevention Center, and a Clinical and Translational Science Award. He currently directs the Translational Workforce Development and KL2 Programs of the UF Clinical Translational Science Institute.