The COVID pandemic has highlighted the worldwide need for a better understanding of both this particular virus and of pandemics in general, as well for a more organized approach to developing and sharing new diagnostic tests, treatments, and vaccines for infectious diseases. At the same time, the tragically disproportionate effects of this pandemic have brought home the need to improve public health in the hardest-hit communities and to strengthen global cooperation in health care and science.

In the starkest way possible, for the first time in a century, we’re seeing that lives depend upon how we handle events like this. The world’s new appreciation for the value of science makes this a time of enlightenment, underlining the importance of investments in top-notch research and disease-management capabilities. But while some scientific efforts are advancing rapidly right now, other important projects may be stalled, with potential repercussions across multiple fields. How do we prioritize the most essential research, for the long term as well as the short term, while we’re constrained by these unprecedented times?

Join Anne Schuchat, MD, and Francis Collins, MD, PhD, as they discuss the pandemic, the vaccine progress, funding for research and public health, and initiatives to achieve greater diversity in medicine and science.

Throughout our country’s history, racism has affected every aspect of our collective national life — from education to opportunity, personal safety to community stability, and health care to housing. Events earlier this year made it all too clear that racism — systemic and individual — is still prevalent today.

But there is hope. More Americans than ever before stand ready to combat racism. Yet how do we create lasting change beyond this moment?

Ibram X. Kendi, PhD, and Nikole Hannah-Jones, two of the most influential voices in the conversation about racism, white privilege, and social justice, will explore where we are today and what it will take to make true progress in eliminating racial injustice and inequality.

Dr. Kendi, a cancer survivor, history professor, and celebrated author of bestselling books — including How to Be an Antiracist — is a frequent and persuasive voice on all matters related to race and equity. Hannah-Jones, the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, a National Magazine Award, a Peabody, and a Polk Award, has written about federal failures to enforce the Fair Housing Act, the resegregation of American schools, and policing in America. She is currently partnering with Oprah Winfrey to produce an expansive portfolio of films, television series, and other programming based on The New York Times’ groundbreaking 1619 Project, marking the 400th anniversary of American slavery.

The session will feature individual remarks from Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ibram X. Kendi and each will have a conversation with AAMC President and CEO, David J. Skorton, MD.

Dr. Kendi and Hannah-Jones will hold a candid discussion — facilitated by AAMC President and CEO, David J. Skorton, MD, on how entrenched programs, policies, and societal mores, including in health care, have stood in the way of justice and equity for all people.

Dr. Kendi will take questions from members of the audience in a follow-up session.

Please note: This sessionis live and only those portions with Ibram X. Kendi will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing after conclusion of the session.

Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer Ann Curry has witnessed unfathomable conflict, oppression, and inequality during her celebrated 30-plus-year career in television. As a former network news anchor and fearless international correspondent, Curry has covered topics ranging from global conflicts to humanitarian disasters.

More recently, she served as executive producer of two critically acclaimed television series — We’ll Meet Again (for PBS) and Chasing the Cure (for TNT) — both of which demonstrate her exceptional ability to connect communities and inspire hope. In Curry’s “Witnessing Humanity” TED Talk, she cautions against perpetuating divisive us-versus-them narratives, warning that such polarization can “spread like viruses.”

In this plenary session, Curry will explore how our impulse to categorize people can often lead us down dangerous paths. After her talk, Bon Ku, MD, Thomas Jefferson University’s assistant dean for medical education and an advisor for Chasing the Cure, will join Curry for a conversation about a range of topics, including humanism in medicine, the patient’s perspective, gender equity, and resilience.