Health & Society

Roundtable to Explore Vaccine History, Racial Disparities Within the Medical System, and COVID-19 Vaccine Options

Tuesday, April 13, 2021, By Shannon Andre

The Barnes Center at The Arch, in partnership with the College of Law, COVID Project Management Office, Office of Student Living and Office of Diversity and Inclusion, will host a roundtable on Friday, April 16, at 1 p.m. focused on the COVID-19 vaccination. The virtual event, titled “,” will include information about the COVID-19 vaccines, as well as address disparities and racism that Black, Indigenous and people of color communities have faced within the medical system.

Moderating the roundtable is College of Law Professor and Director of the Children’s Rights and Family Law Clinic Suzette Meléndez. The panelists include:

Lillie Head

Head is the daughter of Johnnie Mae Neal Tyson and Freddie Lee Tyson, one of the 623 men who was a victim in the United States Public Health Service Syphilis Study (USPHS) in Tuskegee and Macon County, Alabama, from 1932-1972. She is the president of , an organization formed by descendants in 2014 to remember, celebrate and honor the 623 men that were unethically treated in the USPHS Syphilis Study.

Karen Nardella, M.D.

Nardella is the medical director at the Barnes Center at The Arch, a position she has held for the last seven years. Prior to coming to ϲ, Nardella was in private practice in Manlius, New York. She is a family physician. In addition to her role as medical director, Nardella serves on the University’s Public Health Team.

Susanne Rios, LMFT

Rios is a staff therapist at the Barnes Center at The Arch. In addition, she facilitates the Daring Way and COVID-19 Grief Group Therapy offerings. Rios’ therapeutic style is driven by the goal of creating safe spaces to explore what holds us back from happiness, connection, acceptance and balance. She has a strong trauma-informed background and utilizes a systemic lens. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Pacific Lutheran University.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided. The discussion will also include time for Q&A with the panelists. is now open.