Addressing Clinical Genetic Testing Disparities: Thinking Beyond Clinical Intervention
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Clinical genetic testing implementation in medical settings has grown
exponentially with the advent of precision medicine and preventative
initiatives for hereditary conditions.
Yet, the benefactors of these genetic
tests and related outcomes often remain primarily White, highly educated,
wealthy, and female. Black, Latino, and Native American populations are less
likely to test, often due to limited awareness, knowledge of the purpose, or
privacy concerns around testing. Still, many within the Latino community
express positive attitudes toward testing, and have supportive networks towards
testing, but report low self-efficacy in being able to seek out testing. Many
recent intervention efforts have focused on clinical-level barriers and
facilitators.
Dr. Daniel Chavez-Yenter (he/him) is a health communication researcher,
NHGRI F99/K00 Awardee, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of
Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, in the Division of
Hematology-Oncology and the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Dr.
Chavez-Yenter’s current research is interested in how genetic testing, like
cancer-specific genetic testing communicated to racial/ethnic minorities and in
particular Latino populations. Dr. Chavez-Yenter is interested in how
healthcare providers, medical institutions/organizations, and mass media
communicate with Latino populations and how this impacts their motivations and
intentions to utilize clinical genetic testing. Currently at Penn, Dr.
Chavez-Yenter is working with the Penn Telegenetics Program to learn about the
current clinical initiatives focused on reducing clinical genetic testing
disparities. Dr. Chavez-Yenter holds a PhD in Communication from the University
of Utah and MPH from the University of Michigan.
This event is hosted by the Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Health Group (MERHG).
Zoom link
Contact Information
Jaelyn Chinchilla
jnc323@drexel.edu