My name is Yenis Gonzalez. I am a resident of San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles–a community of mostly people of color–and I am a first-generation college attendee.

As a public health Masters student at the California State University Los Angeles, I learned about urban community health and how to improve it. In my final semester of graduate school, I also learned about the disparities in public health in different communities. Now, I am doing an experiential internship at MiOra to get real-world experience on the subjects I learned at school and practice my health education skills. 

Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Treatment Outcomes

I am currently working on a project to close the disparities in Multiple Myeloma; which is a deadly disease of the bone marrow and primarily affects the Black and Hispanic populations as well as other underserved populations. The outcome is worse among Black male patients, and people who have barriers to healthcare, low-income people, people who are obese and those with family history of cancers.

Unfortunately, there is insufficient awareness of Multiple Myeloma in the community and potential new tests that may allow early detection. We also learned from the medical experts at GSK about the lack of clinical trial participation by people of color and how this participation is critical for the development of more effective and safe treatments for people of color.

Advocacy begins with careful data collection to identify the community needs. At MiOra, my colleagues and I conducted a literature analysis and we noticed that there is a limitation of scholarly articles on Multiple Myeloma in people of color. We developed a survey tool and came up with an action plan to educate the communities about clinical trials and will soon obtain IRB approval and implement the survey. We are also developing educational resources for Multiple Myeloma. Furthermore, we also hope to share our findings with stakeholders.

As a future public health professional, I firmly believe that it is crucial to address the gaps in public health and achieve good health for all community members. I am conducting research, informing my community and advocating on their behalf to bring real change.

Yenis Gonzalez is studying to receive her Master of Public Health, California State University Los Angeles