White scholars can complicate research into health disparities

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Usha Lee McFarling from STAT reports that an increase in funding and attention to health disparity research means some researchers of color who've long been in the field are being pushed aside. PeopleImages/Getty Images hide caption

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Usha Lee McFarling from STAT reports that an increase in funding and attention to health disparity research means some researchers of color who've long been in the field are being pushed aside.

PeopleImages/Getty Images

The COVID-19 has exposed longstanding and massive health disparities in the U.S., resulting in people of color dying at disproportionately higher rates than other races in this country. Today on the show, guest host Maria Godoy talks with Usha Lee McFarling about her reporting — how new funding and interest has led to increased attention to the topic of disparities in health care and health outcomes, but also left out or pushed aside some researchers in the field — many of them researchers of color.

You can follow Maria on Twitter @MGodoyH. Email ShortWave@NPR.org.

This episode was produced by Thomas Lu, edited by Gisele Grayson, and fact-checked by Rasha Aridi and Margaret Cirino.