The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a request for information last week about how to counteract the effects of structural racism on brain health and research.
The request, or RFI, seeks comments from scientists on “(1) the impact of structural racism on brain, cognitive, and behavioral function across the lifespan and (2) the role of structural and systemic racism on the conduct of brain and behavioral health research,” the announcement states. The NIH also “encourages” patient advocacy groups, health-care providers and “people with lived experience of brain or behavioral health disorders” to share their thoughts, the notice states.