Georgetown University Medical Center
Georgetown University Medical Center
A female student presents her poster to other people during a poster session
GUMC Stories

Building Bridges Conference Brings Together Georgetown, MedStar Health and Community Partners Around Health Equity

(September 25, 2026) — The Georgetown University Center for Health Equity brought together students, faculty, staff, trainees and community partners on September 10 at Georgetown’s Capitol Campus for its fourth annual Building Bridges to Healthier Communities Conference. The conference highlighted health equity research, education and community engagement across Georgetown University, MedStar Health and community partners, with 227 people registering for the event.

Yalda Jabbarpour headshot

Yalda Jabbarpour, MD

The day included a keynote address by Yalda Jabbarpour, MD, vice president and director of the Robert Graham Center and vice chair for research in Georgetown’s Department of Family Medicine, on “Investing in Primary Care: The Missing Strategy to Creating Healthier Communities.” Participants also took part in panel discussions, networking, presentations by early-career investigators and a showcase of student research. Across the day, a common theme emerged: Meaningful progress in health equity depends on collaboration with communities, mentorship of the next generation and partnerships that connect research, education and clinical care.

Research on Display

Forty-three students, residents and fellows submitted posters for consideration, with 20 selected through peer review for presentation at the conference. The projects reflected health equity research and mentorship taking place at Georgetown University and MedStar Health.

By the Numbers

227 conference registrants
123 students
42 faculty members
20 staff members
10 residents and fellows
43 poster submissions
20 posters selected for presentation

A young woman presents her poster to two conference attendees

Recognizing Outstanding Research

Medical students Jonathan Yu (M’28) and Anshule Takyar (M’28) received the Best Abstract Award for a Poster Presentation. Christina Marea, PhD, MA, MSN, FACNM, and Catherine (Katie) Daily, DNP, CNM, FACNM, of the Berkley School of Nursing received the Best Abstract Award for an Oral Presentation.

Two individuals present their poster to several others in a hallway area

(From l) Anshule Takyar (M’28) and Jonathan Yu (M’28)

Katie Daily speaks with a presentation projected behind her

Catherine (Katie) Daily, DNP, CNM, FACNM

Building With Communities

Community engagement was a central theme of the conference, including the importance of developing programs with community partners. Discussions also highlighted opportunities for greater collaboration across Georgetown and MedStar Health, the community-engaged work being led by early-career investigators, and strong student interest in research mentorship and service.

Scenes from the 2026 Building Bridges to Healthier Communities Conference

Slide 1 of 6

A woman stands behind a table speaking with conference attendees
Conference attendees visited tables for community partners, including Ayuda, a nonprofit serving low-income immigrants in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Two students speak to conference attendees in a hallway
Georgetown medical students Aakash Bhegade (M’29) and William Cheong (H’29) spoke to conference attendees about their research on unmet vision-care needs in the Dominican Republic.
Sadia speaks before a room of attendees
Sadia Obaidul, PhD, led the session “Promoting Cancer Genetic Testing Among South Asian Americans in Washington, D.C.”
Several individuals are seated around a table in a classroom
Shikha Chandarana, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in health equity in Georgetown’s Department of Family Medicine, led the session “Safe Babies Safe Moms: Addressing Maternal and Infant Health Disparities Through Integrated Care.”
Heather Bradford listens to participants in a session
Heather Bradford, PhD, CNM, FACNM, Mary L. and Raymond T. Holden Endowed Professor in Maternal and Infant Health at the Berkley School of Nursing, led the session “Mitigating Harm and Improving Quality of Care by Examining Weight Bias in Perinatal Care in Washington, D.C.”
Danyel Smith speaks to three attendees at a breakout session
Danyel I. Smith, PhD, an alumna of Georgetown Lombardi’s Cancer Population Science Program postdoctoral training program, led the session “The Role of Family Communication in Shared Behavioral and Metabolic Obesity-Related Risk.”
Tagged
Building Bridges Conference
Center for Health Equity
community health
health equity
population health