We are excited to highlight an important contribution to public health research from our center, led by Dr. Tayla von Ash and co-authored by several SPH faculty members, including fellow CHPHE faculty members Dr. David Zelaya and Dr. Diana Grigsby-Toussaint.
A newly published article explores the landscape of antiracism research in public health, expanding the emerging scholarship on antiracist research methodologies. The authors introduce a new framework aimed at supporting researchers in intentionally countering racism and advancing health equity.
While this framework is especially valuable for researchers whose primary focus is not health disparities, it offers essential guidance for all public health professionals committed to conducting equitable, culturally responsive, and community centered research.
The framework outlines five key guidelines:
• Frame race as a social construct – Recognize race as a socially constructed, rather than biological, concept.
• Engage racial and ethnic minorities – Actively involve racial and ethnic minority communities through inclusive recruitment strategies and meaningful community engagement.
• Use mindful terminology – Employ current, respectful language and remain attentive to the diverse identities and lived experiences within racial and ethnic groups.
• Consider contextual factors – Integrate measures that account for discrimination, structural inequities, and other social determinants that shape health outcomes.
• Be intentional with research design – Apply health equity frameworks and draw from relevant literature when designing studies and interpreting findings.
Together, these guidelines emphasize the responsibility of all public health researchers to examine how their work may unintentionally reinforce systemic racism. They call for sustained commitment, growth, and cultural humility—ensuring that research practices contribute to a more equitable and inclusive public health system.
We commend Dr. von Ash and our SPH co-authors for advancing this practical and impactful framework, which holds significant potential to drive meaningful change across the field of public health. Let this work inspire continued reflection and action toward building research practices that promote justice, equity, and improved health for all.