Instructor Yerby shares lessons learned in his role at NIH's Howard University
February 14, 2024 – Vivian Pin grew up in rural Halifax County, Virginia, during the 1940s and 1950s. Her grandparents were often sick, her grandfather had cancer and her grandmother had diabetes. She helped care for them as children by giving them painkillers and insulin injections, and her experience inspired her to pursue her career as a doctor.
“That was really my first time caring for my grandparents. Not everyone can deal with people who are suffering, but I always wanted to make them feel better, so I had no problem being there. I did,” she said. “That's why I went into medicine.”
Ping spoke at the Yerby Diversity in Public Health Lecture at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health on February 7th. A senior scientist emeritus at the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), she shares anecdotes from her long career, from being the only woman and black in her medical school class to serving as the school's founding director. and lessons learned. NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH).
The annual lecture, sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, is named in honor of African American public health pioneer Alonzo Yerby MPH '48. We bring scientists and scholars from underrepresented backgrounds to the Harvard Chan School to speak on important health topics.
“As the school's only black tenured faculty member in 1966, Dr. Yerby served as a role model for people from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing careers in the medical field and served as an advisor on career issues. ” said Jane Kim, Dean of Academic Affairs and KT Lee. A professor of health economics gave a welcome address. “This lecture embodies the values and dedication of his pioneering work in public service in academia.”
Promoting women's health
Ping specialized in pathology during his medical training, and his career in the field eventually led him to become a professor and chair of the pathology department at Howard University. Additionally, Pin worked on women's and minority health issues in his own time. She spoke at health fairs in the evenings and spoke on the phone with concerned women and minority patients to explain her specific diagnosis.
In 1991, Ping was selected as the first ORWH Director. “I was doing this [work] “I've been alone for so long,” she remembers thinking. She drew on her own experiences to build the office's mission and her goals.
Ping said she faced backlash for her work. “People said, 'You don't have to do that,' which is just politically correct and just wasting our money,” she said.
Despite the challenges, ORWH's efforts led Congress to pass the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, mandating the inclusion of women and minorities in NIH-funded clinical research. The agency also created other initiatives to advance women's health, including programs to support the careers of researchers studying the topic.
Mentoring the next generation
When Ping was still in medical school, she sought guidance from other women in her field. She was the only senior female faculty member at the time, but she had no interest in talking pins and needles. Since then, Ping has focused on supporting her students.
“My experience with her and that rejection taught me that I have to be there for my students,” she said. “Most of the time they just want advice, but some just want to talk to someone who understands their perspective as a black person or a minority in a white society.”
“My greatest accomplishments are reflected in the students I have taught, who truly feel or say that I have helped influence their work.” she added. “I hope the people who have helped me along the way feel the same way about what they did.”
– Jay Lau
Photo: Jay Lau
