Expert on Native American Health Risks to Address Pitt’s Center on Race and Social Problems

PITTSBURGH—An expert on health issues among Native Americans will deliver a free public lecture at noon Oct. 25 as part of the University of Pittsburgh Center on Race and Social Problems’ Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC Speaker Series. 

Karina Walters, William P. and Ruth Gerberding Endowed Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington, will present her talk—titled “Bodies Just Don’t Tell Stories, They Tell Histories: Embodiment of Historical Trauma and Microaggression Distress”—in Pitt’s School of Social Work Conference Center, 20th floor, Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland. Registration is not required; lunch will be provided. For more information, call 412-624-7382 or visit www.crsp.pitt.edu.

An enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Walters founded and directs the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute at the University of Washington, an interdisciplinary unit that works to marshal community, tribal, academic, and government resources toward collaborative social and behavioral research benefiting indigenous peoples. 

Walters’ research focuses on historical, social, and cultural determinants of physical and mental health among Native Americans, including the indigenous peoples of Alaska. She serves as principal investigator on several groundbreaking studies, including the HONOR Project—a nationwide health survey that examines the impact of historical trauma, discrimination, and other stressors on the health and wellness of native lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and two-spirited men and women. Another of her studies is Healthy Hearts Across Generations—a project in collaboration with the Tulalip Tribes, which involved designing and testing a cardiovascular disease prevention program among Native Americans living in the Pacific Northwest.

The Center on Race and Social Problems’ annual Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC Speaker Series provides an opportunity for faculty, staff, students, and members of the community to engage in race-related discussions of mutual interest. 

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10/24/12/mab/cjhm