Epidemiologist warns Trump-era policies block research on U.S. racial health gaps

Luisa N. Borrell, a 61-year-old epidemiologist, traced her shift from dentistry in Florida and New York to a 26-year focus on health inequities in the United States. Speaking at the Spanish Society of Epidemiology congress, she highlighted stark disparities: Black infants die at 2.4 times the rate of white infants and the national life-expectancy gap stands at four years. She attributed these outcomes to intertwined socioeconomic deprivation, residential segregation, and a resurgence of openly racist rhetoric since Donald Trump’s 2016 election.

According to Borrell, federal agencies now flag 197 specific words in grant applications, effectively blocking funding for research on the most affected populations and jeopardizing the collection of race-based data. She noted that cuts to community programs further harm Hispanic and Black communities, while similar inequities appear in Spain, though the health system differs. Borrell continues her work by leveraging remaining databases, warning that the current policy climate could shape American health for decades.