Spotlight on Jordan Henry
Jordan Henry
Intern
How did you first learn about Michelle Birkett, who directs I.AIM's Center for Computational & Social Sciences in Health (COMPASS)?
I first learned about Michelle and COMPASS from coming across the Bias in Big Data 2019 Workshop series. I was researching the organization Data for Black Lives (D4BL) and saw that the founder, Yeshimabeit Milner, had collaborated with Michelle and ISGMH to create this workshop. They talked about how lacking quality data renders Black and Brown communities as invisible in HIV studies and that really struck a chord with me. I reached out to Michelle via email and we were able to meet over Zoom to talk more about her projects and she determined I was a good fit to join the team as an intern.
What factors interested you in working with I.AIM?
The systems perspective and integration of social science and data science really piqued my interest. A lot of my love for public health stems from its ability to bridge the gap between numerical data and lived experience. I am passionate about making sure communities are seen and heard, and not silenced. The systems approach that the COMPASS team takes accounts for the fact that people do not exist in a vacuum. Our health and lives are immensely affected by our circumstances and our identities. This team has done some truly revolutionary work in collecting and analyzing data looking at the drivers of racial disparities in HIV transmission and I am so ecstatic to be a part of this.
How has your experience in I.AIM changed you?
My experience in I.AIM has definitely helped me to broaden my understanding of how AI can be used in the sphere of public health. I was very sceptical of AI before I started but when it comes to creating predictive models and such, I have learned that AI can be super helpful. I am more optimistic about these new technologies and their future because of my time in I.AIM.
What are your plans for the future?
I am going to college in the fall and I plan to double major in sociology and cognitive neuroscience so that I can explore social behavior and relationships on both an individual and societal level. I ultimately want to get my PhD and become a public health researcher and professor. My career path has been very inspired by Michelle from seeing how she conducts lots of extraordinary studies and that’s exactly what I want to do.
What projects are you currently working on or interested in?
I am interested in investigating phenomena such as memory, perception, and sensation as well as illuminating the countless factors and histories that affect the choices we have access to and that ultimately shape our lives. I would love to work on more projects focused on the intersection of HIV transmission and substance use.
Would you like to share a publication you are most proud of being associated with?
I am not currently associated with any publications but a publication that I love is a paper from 2022 called “Ending the HIV epidemic for all, not just some: structural racism as a fundamental but overlooked social-structural determinant of the US HIV epidemic” linked here.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I love to sing! I used to sing when I was little and only started singing in front of people again about a year ago. I sang in my school’s Black culture show and I’m singing in the upcoming Latinx culture show.
What is a cause that you are passionate about?
I am a huge proponent of harm reduction, a set of practical strategies and public health policies that minimize harm associated with various behaviors (most commonly used for substance use). There is such a rich history of harm reduction within the HIV/AIDS epidemic and so many amazing harm reduction organizations are currently working to keep people safe in the midst of the opioid overdose crisis. I recently helped draft bill HB1910 along with the office of Illinois Representative Anna Moeller to expand access to Naloxone to all public libraries in Illinois. I want to lower barriers to the life-saving medication.
What have you learned (or are learning) that's made a difference for you?
I have learned that lots of racial and ethnic disparities within HIV transmission among YMSM and TW in Chicago are unable to be explained by looking at individual-level behaviors and risk factors alone. It is when we look at the networks and systems that we can see what shapes these disparities.
What has been your greatest challenge?
Because I am currently a senior in high school, my biggest challenge has been trying to balance my internship with college applications and extracurriculars.
What advice would you give to a student wanting to get into this field of study?
As a fellow student in this position, my advice is to read as much as you can and talk to as many professors and researchers as you can! Soak it all up. Chase all of your curiosities. Research is formalized curiosity.
What is your favorite spot on campus and why?
I work in the Michigan Avenue building and have not explored the Northwestern campus but I love my desk space that has a killer view of the city.
Who inspires you?
I love Audre Lorde’s quote, “I want to live the rest of my life, however long or short, with as much sweetness as I can decently manage, loving all the people I love, and doing as much as I can of the work I still have to do. I am going to write fire until it comes out my ears, my eyes, my noseholes — everywhere. Until it’s every breath I breathe. I’m going to go out like a ******* meteor!” It’s so important to imagine a world full of community and compassion so that we know it is possible and can fight for it with everything we have.