ABSTRACT
There is a striking disparity in the burden of stroke for race-ethnic minorities (African Americans, Hispanics,
Native Americans vs. Non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) in the United States (US). The impact of these disparities
translates to huge economic costs for the US. Adding to the sense of urgency is a substantial projected future
widening of stroke prevalence in the US for race-ethnic minorities. As a society, we need to have a better
understanding of the causes for these disparities, and test solutions to reduce them, but too few studies to date
have demonstrated substantial reductions in stroke outcome disparities. Moreover, fostering the successful
development of the next generation of stroke disparities researchers is crucial to resolving this growing
challenge. The Health Equity & Actionable Disparities in Stroke: Understanding & Problem-solving (HEADS-UP)
symposium, is a multidisciplinary forum focused on race-ethnic disparities in cerebrovascular disease, with the
overarching goal of reducing disparities in stroke and accelerating translation of research findings to improve
outcomes for race-ethnic minorities who reside in the US. HEADS-UP 2020 will be held on February 18, 2020 in
Los Angeles, California, featuring plenary talks by distinguished researchers, career development activities, and
poster sessions. HEADS-UP 2020 will focus on the various determinants of racial stroke disparities. HEADS-UP
2020 is a collaborative initiative with the American Stroke Association (ASA) and will occur a day before the start
of the ASA’s two and half International Stroke Conference, the premier global stroke science meeting, where >
5000 stroke scientists from all over the world gather to present their research & network. Involvement of ASA
brings to this important effort, wide access to relevant scientific disciplines, volunteer engagement from leaders
in the field, financial support, worthwhile in-kind resources, and proven experience in implementing high impact
programs. Basic scientists, translational researchers and clinicians, seasoned investigators and early career
scientists will be invited, but a major emphasis is to encourage active involvement of an early career cohort of
investigators. HEADS-UP 2020 Specific Aims are: To host a forum which will identify knowledge gaps and
provide opportunities for researchers from diverse disciplines to discuss cutting-edge research about race-ethnic
disparities in stroke; 2) To accelerate collaborations via networking opportunities among stakeholders; 3) To
award travel scholarships to 20 multidisciplinary Post-Doctoral Scholars from a national pool from diverse
professional backgrounds committed to stroke disparities research careers; 4) To disseminate knowledge
generated from HEADS-UP via scientific & public venues; 5) To evaluate effectiveness of HEADS-UP by
assessing number of attendees, and Young Awardee Achievements.
