Harvard professor to speak at YSN's Bellos lecture on April 16
New Haven, CT — March 26, 2008
David R. Williams, the Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of Public Health in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health and Professor of African and African American Studies and of Sociology at Harvard University, will be the keynote speaker at the Sybil Palmer Bellos Lecture on Wednesday, April 16, 3:30 pm, at Yale University School of Nursing (YSN).
The Wisser Tea will immediately follow the lecture.
Dr. Williams' talk at the Bellos Lecture is titled, "Social Sources of Health Disparities: Patterns, Causes, Interventions."
His work explores social influences upon health, including trends and specific mechanisms by which socioeconomic and racial differences affect physical and mental health, as well as interventions that might reduce those health disparities.
Dr Williams is an internationally recognized authority on social influences on health, and his main research interests are in the areas of the socioeconomic status, the experience of discrimination or racism, and resulting health effects. He has examined the extent to which psychosocial factors, ranging from stress, racism, social support, and religious involvement, to psychological resources and health behaviors, are linked to health and social status, and can explain socioeconomic and racial variations in health.
"We are very excited to have Dr. Williams as the keynote speaker for our Bellos Lecture," commented Margaret Grey, Dean and Annie Goodrich Professor at YSN. "He brings an unparalleled depth of experience and wisdom on the topic of health disparities, and we are honored to have him speak at YSN."
Dr. Williams has been involved in the development of health policy at the national level in the United States. He has served on the Department of Health and Human Services' National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics and on six panels for the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He has held elected and appointed positions in professional organizations, such as the American Sociological Association, Academy Health and the American Public Health Association. Currently, he is a member of the MacArthur Foundation’s Research Network on Socioeconomic status and Health. He is also serving as the executive staff director of the recently announced Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America. This national, independent and nonpartisan health commission is focusing on evidence-based non-medical strategies - both short-and long-term - that can improve the health of all Americans and reduce socioeconomic and racial/ethnic gaps in health.
In addition, he can be seen in the PBS documentary "Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?" Beginning March 27 at 9 pm, Dr. Williams will be a primary participant within the introductory segment and then appear throughout the remaining segments. Shown in four parts, the last segment will air on April 17, the day after Dr. Williams' visit as YSN's Bellos speaker.
Unnatural Causes coincides with the intensifying presidential election year debates focusing on the estimated 47 million Americans lacking health coverage. While embracing the essential need for universal health care, Unnatural Causes goes further, questioning what makes people ill in the first place, and probing why economic status, race and zip code are more powerful predictors of health status and life expectancy than even smoking.
