No Representation, No Generalization: Health Equity in Research

Unbiased Science

@unbiasedscipod

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.4 • 644 Ratings

🗓️ 4 February 2026

⏱️ 33 minutes

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Summary

In this episode, Jess and Sarah welcome Dr. Kate Wallis and Dr. Diana Montoya-Williams to explore the essential topic of health equity in scientific research. The scientists examine the critical importance of rigorous research design and the transformative role of community engagement in conducting meaningful health studies. They address common methodological mistakes that compromise research validity, particularly focusing on how race and ethnicity are contextualized in scientific studies. Throughout the conversation, there is an emphasis on the need for greater transparency in research practices and how community involvement strengthens both the quality and relevance of scientific work. Despite acknowledging significant challenges in achieving health equity, the episode concludes on a hopeful note by highlighting the power of community solidarity and engagement in advancing public health outcomes. Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/p726HlABGRI (00:00) Intro & Public Health Update (04:22) What's A Health/Science News Item That Caught Your Attention? (06:43) A Collaborative Project About How Science Has Failed Certain Communities (12:04) Common Mistakes In Research Validity (16:24) Understanding Race & Ethnicity In Research (21:25) What Does True Community Engagement Look Like? (30:07) What's Giving You Hope In Public Health And Science Right Now? https://www.inquirer.com/health/expert-opinions/autism-treatments-myths-fda-cdc-changes-20251204.html https://publications.aap.org/pediatricsopenscience/article/2/1/1/205504/Consensus-Recommendations-for-Antiracist-Child?searchresult=1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interested in advertising with us? Please reach out to advertising@airwavemedia.com, with “Unbiased Science” in the subject line. PLEASE NOTE: The discussion and information provided in this podcast are for general educational, scientific, and informational purposes only and are not intended as, and should not be treated as, medical or other professional advice for any particular individual or individuals. Every person and medical issue is different, and diagnosis and treatment requires consideration of specific facts often unique to the individual. As such, the information contained in this podcast should not be used as a substitute for consultation with and/or treatment by a doctor or other medical professional. If you are experiencing any medical issue or have any medical concern, you should consult with a doctor or other medical professional. Further, due to the inherent limitations of a podcast such as this as well as ongoing scientific developments, we do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information or analysis provided in this podcast, although, of course we always endeavor to provide comprehensive information and analysis. In no event may Unbiased Science or any of the participants in this podcast be held liable to the listener or anyone else for any decision allegedly made or action allegedly taken or not taken allegedly in reliance on the discussion or information in this podcast or for any damages allegedly resulting from such reliance. The information provided herein do not represent the views of our employers.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:19.7	Welcome to Unbiased Science, where we bring scientific method to the madness.
0:25.8	We're your host, Dr. Jess Steyer, and Dr. Sarah Scheinman.
0:29.9	And today we have not one but two very, very special guests.
0:35.0	We'll introduce them in just a moment to talk about something that is
0:38.9	long overdue on the pod, which is health equity and how to make science equitable. Unfortunately,
0:47.3	that has become a little controversial of late, but it is certainly an extremely important topic.
0:56.0	So we'll get into that in just one moment.
1:01.1	To kick it off with something in public health that has caught my attention these days, there was just a huge meta-analysis published in The Lancet that investigated or that
1:08.7	looked at all the research to date on acetaminopin or Tylenol,
1:14.0	and it's link or lack thereof to things like autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental
1:23.5	issues in children.
1:25.7	And it affirmed what we have been saying, which is that there is no evidence of any
1:30.7	causal link between Tylenol and these outcomes. And we've, we actually wrote this up on social
1:37.7	media and we'll be doing more coverage of this topic. But I think the crux of the issue is that
1:42.5	it's very difficult to disentangle the reason why the person took Tylenol.
1:48.4	Is it the underlying fever or pain?
1:51.9	Is there something different about people who are more likely to take Tylenol than those who are not?
1:58.3	And whether those factors that we call confounders are perhaps driving those
2:02.8	outcomes. So this review, again, once again, really strengthened our confidence that Tylenol
2:09.4	does not cause those things. And if you are pregnant, this is a conversation to have with your
2:15.2	OBGYN, with your clinician about whether it makes sense
	...

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