PET faculty members set a strong example by investigating racial disparities in mental health diagnoses in the United States. “At the end of the day, we know that Black folks and people of color have very different lived experiences in this country and that has affected their health outcomes,” says former PET fellow John R. Pamplin II, MPH ’14, PhD ’20, now a Columbia Mailman assistant professor of epidemiology.
Racial differences have been documented in asthma rates, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, maternal and infant health outcomes, and overall lifespan, with stark disparities highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pamplin’s doctoral research examined differences in depression and suicidality, topics that Keyes, MPH’06, PhD’10, also a former PET fellow, has studied for over a decade.