Texas Conference on Health Disparities celebrates 21 Years
UNT Health Fort Worth’s Institute for Health Disparities hosted its 21st annual meeting in cancer research this summer on campus. The conference brought more than 200 attendees, both local and national. Led by Jamboor K. Vishwanatha, PhD, executive director, and Riyaz Basha, PhD, director of research for IHD, the conference provided a multidisciplinary forum for research and community collaboration focused on cancer outcomes, research and engagement.
The two-day event featured nationally recognized experts from leading academic institutions and healthcare systems. Through keynote presentations and panel discussions, attendees had the opportunity to participate in emerging research and strategies to reduce disparities across cancer care.
UNT Health leadership recognized the conference as a reflection of IHD’s commitment to advancing research and improving community health.
"The Texas Conference on Health Disparities represents the very best of UNT Health's commitment to improving health and well-being through innovation, collaboration, and service. The Institute for Health Disparities continues to create meaningful opportunities for researchers, healthcare professionals, and community partners to come together and address some of our nation's most pressing health challenges,” said Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun, president of UNT Health. “This conference reflects our mission to transform lives and our core values of excellence, compassion, and service to communities. We are proud of the Institute's leadership in advancing health equity and reducing cancer disparities.”
Dimitrios Karamichos, PhD, vice president for research and graduate studies, recognized the conference as an example of impactful, mission-driven research.
"The Institute for Health Disparities continues to demonstrate how research excellence can be translated into meaningful change for patients and communities. TCHD 2026 brought together outstanding experts and diverse stakeholders to address critical challenges in cancer health disparities through science, innovation, and partnership,” Karamichos said. “The conference exemplifies UNT Health's commitment to advancing transformative research that improves health outcomes and promotes equity. We congratulate the institute team on organizing another successful conference that strengthens our research enterprise and community impact.”
The keynote address was delivered by Steven R. Patierno, PhD, deputy director of the Duke Cancer Institute, who discussed precision approaches to understanding and addressing the complex drivers of cancer health disparities. Additional speakers represented institutions including UT Southwestern Medical Center, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Emory University, Cornell University and many more.
The institute received more than 90% in positive reviews from attendees, further emphasizing the passion and skill of all those involved in making the conference possible. Through TCHD 2026 – and more than 20 years of work – IHD and its collaborators continued to strengthen partnerships across research and healthcare while providing evidence-based solutions to improve cancer outcomes.
Thank you to all of our speakers: Steven R. Patierno, PhD; Meghana Kashyap, MD; Maen Abdelrahim, MD; Cherie Butts, PhD; Michael T. Halpern, MD; Kalyani Narra, MD; Susan Hannum, PhD; Jason Yustein, MD; Glenn Simmons Jr., PhD; Manoj Mishra, PhD. To the team at the Institute for Health Disparities, UNT Health staff, faculty, and community members—this event would not have been possible without your dedication.
