Andrea Deyrup
Professor at Duke University, USA
Controversial opinion? Pathology and pathologists must reject race-based medicine, discard outdated beliefs in biological race and commit to science based on data, not conjecture or prejudice. To me, these truths are self-evident. However, I have discovered through my advocacy work that these ideas are deeply controversial, particularly among groups that have traditionally held much of the power. They hold fast to their assertions that racialized medicine is useful, that there are significant biological differences between socially defined races and that race is a critical risk factor in many diseases. I understand that an honest evaluation of the science and the truths it holds threatens their essentialist beliefs and their place in the hierarchy (as well as, perhaps, their careers and decades of research!) but it is tragic that science has been perverted for so long.
Book recommendation? Focusing on pathology, medicine and education, I would say that everyone who works in the life sciences, particularly those who study human health and disease, must read the consensus report issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) in March of 2023: “Using Population Descriptors in Genetics and Genomics Research: A New Framework for an Evolving Field.” Though it is available as a free, downloadable PDF, at 215 pages, its heft (as well as its intellectual weight!) qualifies it as a book to my mind. While the focus is genetics and genomics research, its impact extends far beyond that field and is relevant to all areas where “race” is considered a variable such as clinical trials, pathological case series, medical textbooks, device manufacture, etc. This document provides a useful approach to understanding how past and current medical research have been deeply flawed and how future studies can be more scientifically accurate.
For people who wish to delve more deeply into why publications like the NASEM document are necessary, consider “Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century” by Dorothy Roberts. Though published in 2012, it is still highly relevant today and is required reading in some medical schools. I also recommend all of Joseph Graves, Jr.’s books (see below).
And, while my work focuses primarily on disparities due to race, “Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men “by Caroline Criado Perez and “The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science” by Kate Zernike are two excellent books that offer models for change and remind us of the recent (and still ongoing) battle against sexism in science.
Inspiring leader? Joseph L. Graves, Jr., the first African American to earn a PhD in evolutionary biology, is one of the most extraordinarily productive scientists I know, and his role as an antiracist leader is readily apparent in his numerous books on the topic. But it is not just Dr. Graves’ scholarship that inspires me; it is also his fierce commitment to justice, truth and scientific accuracy. The opportunity to work with and learn from someone who embodies this commitment has helped me reframe my role in this work and urges me to push even harder. His memoir, “A Voice in the Wilderness: A Pioneering Biologist Explains How Evolution Can Help Us Solve Our Biggest Problems,” speaks to the injustices he has faced and the challenges he has overcome. Throughout all of this, he has maintained incredible grace, compassion and humor. Truly an inspiration for all of us.
