Why Do Some Bodies Respond Differently to Disease? | Erika Moore | TED

Summary

Dr. Erika Moore, an equity bioengineer, discusses the impact of biological differences on health, highlighting her own struggles with healing and pain management compared to her siblings. She focuses on studying diseases like lupus, which disproportionately affect women of color, and explores how genetics and environmental factors influence the severity of diseases. Through her work, Moore aims to develop more personalized treatments and address health disparities, using innovative tissue models to study autoimmune responses. Her goal is to create a more equitable healthcare system by understanding and tailoring medical interventions to individual backgrounds.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker, Dr. Erika Moore, shares her personal experience of having a different biological response to healing compared to her siblings, which led to frustrations in her younger years.
• 😀 Dr. Moore highlights her work as an equity bioengineer, focusing on understanding immune system functions, especially macrophages, and how they interact with various environments in the body.
• 😀 Macrophages are described as immune cells that act as 'watchdogs' in the body, always surveilling and responding to injury or infection, sometimes with aggression or calm.
• 😀 Dr. Moore emphasizes the importance of considering who is studied in medical research, particularly in diseases that disproportionately affect certain populations.
• 😀 She explains how health disparities impact diseases like lupus, which affects a higher percentage of women, especially women of color, and how these disparities need to be considered in research and treatments.
• 😀 Dr. Moore addresses the lack of consideration for patients' backgrounds in traditional research, advocating for a more inclusive approach to studying diseases like lupus.
• 😀 The speaker's research on lupus explores how different backgrounds can affect the severity and progression of the disease, highlighting the importance of personalized healthcare.
• 😀 Dr. Moore's team develops tissue models to study patient cells, allowing for a deeper understanding of how disease and inflammation differ based on the patient's demographic background.
• 😀 Findings from Dr. Moore's research show that macrophages isolated from African-American women respond differently to blood vessels than those from European women, showcasing the importance of considering race in medical studies.
• 😀 Dr. Moore envisions a future where health care is more equitable by addressing disease differences and tailoring treatments based on individual backgrounds and responses to illness.
• 😀 The ultimate goal of Dr. Moore's work is to innovate health care systems and treatments to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, receives the best care possible.

Q & A

Why did the speaker feel frustrated with their own body when they were younger?

The speaker felt frustrated because their body did not heal the same way as their siblings. For example, scabs took longer to heal for the speaker, and ibuprofen had no effect on their body, unlike their sisters who found relief from cramps with the same medication.

What is Dr. Erika Moore's profession, and what is her area of expertise?

Dr. Erika Moore is an equity bioengineer. Her work focuses on understanding how the immune system, particularly macrophages, functions and how diseases, especially those that contribute to health disparities, affect different populations.

What role do macrophages play in the body, according to Dr. Moore?

Macrophages are immune cells that act as the body's 'watchdogs.' They are involved in surveillance and help with healing by eating damaged cells and promoting tissue repair. Their state can vary, sometimes being active (angry) or calm (happy), depending on the body's needs.

How does Dr. Moore relate her personal experiences to her research in bioengineering?

Dr. Moore connects her personal experiences with health disparities to her research. Growing up, she witnessed many women of color suffering from lupus, which motivated her to study diseases that disproportionately affect certain populations, aiming to improve health equity.

Why does Dr. Moore emphasize the importance of considering the background of patients in disease research?

Dr. Moore emphasizes this because certain diseases, such as lupus, disproportionately affect specific demographics, like women of color. She believes considering these variables is crucial for understanding how diseases manifest and for developing better treatments tailored to different populations.

What is lupus, and how does it affect women of color differently, according to the script?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, and according to the script, it affects women more frequently, especially women of color. Some women experience mild symptoms, while others face severe flares and early cardiovascular diseases. This difference in symptoms is crucial for researchers to consider in treatment and prevention.

How does Dr. Moore’s research approach studying the relationship between patient background and disease progression?

Dr. Moore’s research uses patient cells to study how they interact with blood vessels in a lab-created tissue model. By isolating macrophages from women of different backgrounds, her team has observed variations in how these cells respond to inflammation, particularly between African-American and European women.

What does Dr. Moore's research suggest about the differences in inflammation between different populations?

Dr. Moore's research suggests that the background of patients plays a significant role in how their immune system responds to inflammation. For instance, macrophages from African-American women showed more blood vessel interactions compared to those from European women, indicating different responses to inflammation.

What are the potential implications of Dr. Moore's research in the field of health care?

Dr. Moore’s research has the potential to revolutionize the way diseases, particularly autoimmune conditions, are treated. By accounting for background differences, such as genetics and environmental factors, her research could help develop more personalized and effective treatments, leading to greater health equity.

What is Dr. Moore's ultimate goal in her work as a bioengineer?

Dr. Moore’s ultimate goal is to build a more equitable health care system by addressing health disparities. She aims to ensure that research and treatments are inclusive and tailored to diverse populations, improving health outcomes for everyone.