We want to congratulate Morgan Clennin on her recently awarded funding of an American Heart Association Career Development Award. The project will examine societal factors that influence blood pressure (BP) disparities, particularly structural racism (SR).  The proposed research will leverage data from the unique and high-quality Kaiser Permanente Research Bank (2016-2020), which incorporates (1) clinical electronic health record (EHR) data; (2) self-reported surveys on experiences of discrimination; and (3) indicators of neighborhood inequalities (i.e., deprivation) and SR (i.e., redlining, racial mortgage lending bias) derived from longitudinal home addresses. 

Two specific aims will be addressed: 1) determine the extent to which SR contributes to racial and ethnic disparities in BP; and 2) determine the extent to which cumulative neighborhood inequalities influence the relationship between SR and BP disparities. 

The findings of this project will significantly contribute to our understanding of ‘why’ disparities in BP persist and reveal new research questions for future studies that will aim to disentangle these complex relationships. A better understanding of the root causes driving BP disparities will help identify ways to develop targeted clinic-based strategies and community-level interventions.

Further, congratulations are extended to Morgan on her recent marriage to Justin Antonson.