The Diversity and Inclusion Office brought back its Black Excellence at UMass Chan series for Black History Month, with a focus on student scholarship. Atinuke G. Oyinbo, MPH, a PhD candidate in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, discussed how acculturation research is conducted in the African diaspora and how it can be applied to Black migrant populations. Favour Akabogu, a PhD student in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, discussed her research on therapeutic strategies for gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
“The Black Excellence Series during Black History Month was created to celebrate the rich contributions to medicine, health care and science our Black community members have made,” said Marlina Duncan, EdD, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion. “Last year we highlighted the work of our faculty members, and we thought it was important to bring the series back and highlight the impactful work and scholarship of our Black students. This dedication to diversity not only honors history but actively promotes a more inclusive and innovative future in medicine, fostering a sense of community, and more importantly, a sense of belonging in medicine, health care and biomedical research.”
Acculturation research
Acculturation refers to the modification of cultural values, attitudes and practices by an individual or group to adapt to another culture. Oyinbo said this is not her current area of research, but one she wants to explore in the future.
“It’s important because cultural changes are understood to impact the overall health, well-being and social experiences of any given diasporic population,” Oyinbo said.
Oyinbo described psychologist John Berry’s model of acculturation, which includes assimilation, separation, integration and marginalization and shared the results of four studies. One found those who were acculturated were two times more likely to have diabetes compared to those who were not acculturated; another found a connection with elevated blood glucose levels; and a third found African immigrant adults who spoke English very well were less likely to rate their health as good or fair. A fourth study showed sub-Saharan African immigrants considered integrationists were seven times more likely to be screened for cervical cancer than traditionalists.
Oyinbo concluded her talk by noting data limitations and making recommendations for future research, noting that there is a scarcity of research on long-term health impacts, as well as mental health, and reproductive and infectious disease health outcomes.
Research on gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Akabogu is studying sarcomas in the UMass Chan lab led by Matthew L. Hemming, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine. Sarcoma is the general term for a rare group of cancers that form in the bone or soft tissues.
Although together sarcomas represent just 1 percent of adult cancer diagnoses, there are more than 100 different subtypes. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are one of the most common. Akabogu said they are primarily found in the stomach and small intestine.
Akabogu shared that there is only one type of targeted therapy available for GISTs that contain mutations in the KIT gene, tyrosine kinase inhibitors or TKI. Research has shown that after 24 months, the first line of this targeted treatment fails.
“We have found that there are secondary mutations that make the cells resistant,” Akabogu said.
Akabogu noted that there are other molecular subtypes that don’t have any therapies.
UMass Chan’s Black History Month events conclude at noon on Feb. 28 with a virtual talk with Uché Blackstock, MD, the author of the 2024 Diversity Campus Read, Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism.
