Kendrick Brandon Gwynn

I graduated from McDonogh School in Owings Mills, MD in June 2003 and will be a sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri in Septemeber 2004. I plan to major in Biology but am also considering a minor in their interdisciplinary, social science program, American Culture Studies.

I am actively involved in the social justice and cultural diversity groups on campus, including the Association of Black Students (ABS) and the Coalition for the Advancement of Diversity (CAD). Next year, I will be president of Students Taking on Multicultural Pursuits (STOMP), a group that holds forums on social, political, and cultural issues as well as being involved in service worker appreciation. I am also active with the Enrichment Committee for the Black Pre-Medical Society.

I developed an interest in the area of health disparities because it combines the aspects of biomedicine and health with social justice and cultural diversity. I became impassioned by issues of diversity awareness and action back in high school and have continued to maintain a high interest. I considered going into the biological sciences after taking high school biology and after a summer research experience at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University as a part of the 2002 NASA Summer High School Research Apprenticeship Program (SHARP Plus). While there I performed experiments with plant tissue cultures and air pollution under the guidance of my mentor, Dr. Marihelen Glass and colleagues.

As a Project EXPORT trainee, I worked with Dr. Olivia Carter-Pokras on a project investigating the Use of Race and Ethnicity by Pharmaceutical Companies. The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of race and ethnicity by the pharmaceutical industry in clinical trial recruitment, marketing, and reporting of dosage recommendations and adverse events of cardiovascular drugs for African-Americans. I conducted a detailed review of the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) for explicit references to different dosages and adverse events with respect to race. In addition, I performed a series of key informant interviews with experts in various fields, such as pharmacology, epidemiology, anthropology and cardiology, to receive their opinions on the subject matter. I plan to submit my findings for publication.

I am currently planning to go to medical school to pursue a joint M.D./ Masters in Public Health (M.P.H) degree. In addition, I would like to further explore the world of health disparities research.

I would recommend this program to anyone who wishes to explore a scientific career in medicine or public health. It provided me with vast knowledge and experience in the field and has helped to shape my career interests

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