
IBS Speaker Series: Melissa Walls
February 17 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Join in person at IBS 155 or via Zoom, email ibs-contact@colorado.edu for the password.
*Light lunch served at 11:45 a.m.

Title: Strengths-Based Research with Indigenous Communities: Approaches, Outcomes, and More!
Bio: Melissa Walls, PhD (Anishinaabe), is a Bloomberg Professor of American Health in the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins University and Co-Director of the Center for Indigenous Health. She strives to work in authentic collaborative relationships with Indigenous communities to advance health equity in culturally safe ways. She has engaged in Indigenous health research partnerships for over 20 years on topics including mental health epidemiology, substance use prevention and mental health promotion, and understanding strength and thriving in the face of ongoing assaults related to colonization.
Abstract: This presentation will provide an overview of partnership-focused health equity research led by and with Indigenous Peoples across North America. We will begin with brief background on who Indigenous Peoples in the United States and Canada are today. Next, we will highlight how Indigenous activism and survivance continues to influence research agendas (including data sovereignty) and approaches today. We will transition to discussing definitions of “strengths-based” research from an Indigenous lens and conclude with tangible examples of positive outcomes in Indigenous research programs.