Biobanking, Health Equity, and the Colorado Longitudinal Study (DRAKE HALL)

Health is our most valuable currency. When we are in good health, we naturally have a higher quality of life and are able to enjoy everything life has to offer fully.  For too many of us, health declines with age. New research methods are required to study the early stages of disease in order to discover better diagnostics and therapeutics. Research must be inclusive of historically marginalized and underrepresented communities so that as new discoveries are made, everyone can benefit. The Colorado Longitudinal Study (COLS) is cultivating an inclusive cohort and new research tools that we believe will accelerate research on aging while simultaneously advancing health equity.  During this two-part course, you will gain a better understanding of biobanks and their role in supporting researchers who are studying healthy aging, as well as chronic and acute diseases. We will connect the current state of biobanking and innovations being implemented at COLS that are working to dismantle the barriers to participation and inclusivity that often restrict research participation. By trailblazing an innovative way to connect researchers to a diverse resource, COLS will support research about disease trajectories that make connections that can shift the health paradigm from health treatment to health prevention.

Meredith Guerrero is the Chief Operating Officer for the Colorado Longitudinal Study (COLS).  After receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology and English from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mrs. Guerrero took a position at Bain & Company’s global headquarters in Boston. At Bain she was part of a core team that created an investment fund subsidiary. After four years, she left Bain for graduate school at New York University, where she received a master’s degree in integrated marketing, a program that focused on quantitative metrics, direct marketing fundamentals, social media, and ROI analysis by channel. Mrs. Guerrero originally intended to work in the fashion industry and held internships at Prada and Ann Taylor. However, while in graduate school, Mrs. Guerrero lost both of her parents to preventable diseases. That life-changing experience convinced her to pursue a more meaningful, fulfilling path in work and life.

Valerie Schultz is Community Engagement Manager at COLS. She is a visionary advocate for global equality. She received her bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnic Studies from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where her passion for social justice took root. In 2003, Valerie traveled to Mali, West Africa, as a Peace Corps health volunteer to empower girls and women with knowledge of their rights and reproductive health. Her stay in the remote village of Djoliba ignited her curiosity about local healing practices, blending traditional wisdom with her Lebanese-Mexican healing and culinary background.

Notes

• A current OLLI membership is required to register for all courses and lectures. 
• If you do not have a Spring 2024 membership, one will be added to your cart at checkout. 
• OLLI membership fees and course tuition are critical to the Institute's sustainability and are non-refundable.