This year has been a busy one for the Cobb Institute and for the field of health disparities research, and we have welcomed delving deeper into Our Work.
Among our many program activities, our nearly two-year role as an Engagement Partner to the NIH All of Us Research Programof the Precision Medicine Initiative has funded our continued engagement with African Americans and other medically underserved populations. Our collective aim is to increase research participation of those populations who face disproportionate health burdens, and who are also currently underrepresented in research for health, as well as to foster strict adherence to bioethics within research.
In addition, I would like to draw your attention to one of our signature achievements: the launch of our Cobb Scholars Programwith funding from the NIH Scientific Workforce Diversity Office. As those familiar with our activities know, one of our core aims is to support the development of new independent principal investigators who can rigorously research the persistent inequities in the U.S. health care system and gain the frameworks, insights, and professional connections necessary to effectively forge solutions. This is mainly achieved by our Advisors to the Cobb Scholars Program who are Senior Fellows of the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute as well as members of the Association for Academic Minority Physicians (AAMP). By next year, we intend to see increased programming and funding for this effort.
Finally, we would like to congratulate our Board Chairman, Rahn Kennedy Bailey, MDwho was recently announced the new Assistant Dean for Clinical Education at the Charles R. Drew, School of Medicine. He also accepted a clinical appointment at the Kedren Acute Psychiatric Hospital and Community Mental Health Center. Prior to this Deanship, Dr. Bailey served as Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Please remember to stay engaged with our News and Updates, and identify opportunities for Collaborative Partnership with us.
Sincerely,
Randall C. Morgan, Jr., MD, MBA
Announcements
Your donation to the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute fuels innovative, data-driven research and community-centered programs that work to eliminate health disparities.
The W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association Health Institute, in collaboration with the National Medical Association (NMA), honors the life and enduring legacy of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., a towering figure in the pursuit of justice, equity, and human dignity. The full video of this discussion can be found on our webinar page.
Cobb & Company Podcast Episode 15: Dr. Hassan Tetteh talks about the many ways that artificial intelligence is reshaping healthcare, research, and the workforce, and it's origins in military applications. Cobb Institute Podcast
Physician scientists: Calling all researchers to Join the Project IMPACT2 subscriberlist. Complete the 10-minute survey
Cobb President & CEO Receives JRGOS 2026 Augustus A. White, III, MD, PhD Founders Award: Read more
The Inaugural World Congress on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, presented in partnership with NMA, Imhotep, The Cobb Institute and Springer Nature’s Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, featured a keynote from Cobb Institute President Dr. Randall Morgan.Read more
2026 W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute Health Disparities Symposium The 2026 Health Disparities Symposium, presented by the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute in collaboration with Howard University Hospital, was a great success. The main symposium and the evening gathering were well attended and featured dynamic speakers and presentations.
Congratulations to Leon McDougle, MD, MPH, member of the Cobb Institute Board of Directors and the first African-American professor with tenure in The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine’s department of family and community medicine, on receiving the 2025 Louis W. Sullivan, MD, Award from the AAMC. Read the full announcement here.