Application Engineering Senior Team Lead MathWorks Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
Wearing a metaphorical mask to protect oneself from societal micro and macro aggressions takes a significant toll on the body, leading to chronic stress. This stress manifests through physiological signs such as increased cortisol levels, resulting in long-term health impacts, including high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, insulin resistance, and diabetes. These health issues stem not from lifestyle choices but from societal impacts on individuals of certain backgrounds. Dr. Arline Geronimus of the University of Michigan emphasizes the importance of understanding the sources of this stress, particularly discrimination against marginalized groups, which leads to severe health problems through a process termed "weathering". This phenomenon, especially prevalent among women of color, contributes to health disparities. The talk proposes using health indicator measurements and AI to identify signs of weathering, creating guidelines to provide resources for affected individuals, and spreading awareness about weathering in communities to mitigate its impacts.
Learning Objectives:
Define weathering and its causes.
Explain how weathering can impact you, your family members, or your colleagues.
Develop a framework using health indicators and AI to detect weathering signs and create strategies to reduce its health impacts.
