Last year, officials and public health leaders across the United States were also talking about a public health emergency besides Covid-19: racism. Jamela Martin says that racism’s direct impact on health is well-documented. What we know less about is how to fix it. And: Cancer is caused by a combination of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and environmental causes. Li Li studies colon cancer and he’s trying to understand the particular combination of factors that causes African Americans to get and die of colon cancer at much higher rates than white Americans.

Later in the show: Racial health disparities are, of course, much more complicated than Black and white. Elyas Bahktiari says that Middle Easterners and North Africans are considered white on the American census, but they have worse health outcomes than other white populations. Plus: People living with HIV have extra healthcare needs, but they’re often some of the least able to get those needs met. Leah Adams studies the extra difficulties people with HIV face getting care in the justice system and getting care for chronic pain. Adams was named Outstanding Faculty by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.