b'20052020 and BEYOND SHINING A LIGHT ONRACIAL DISPARITY KIMBERLY S. JOHNSON, MDProfessor of Medicine, Duke UniversitySenior Fellow in the Center for the Study of Aging andHuman DevelopmentMember of the Duke Cancer Institute2007 NPCRC Career Development Awardee :Organizational Variability and Racial Disparities inHospice UseDr. Kimberly S. Johnson was already a geriatrician and faculty member at Duke when her gaze turned to research. She began applying for grant after grant, meeting with failure every time.Her fifth attempt and first external award was from NPCRC: her first funding opportunity that specifically addressed palliative care. As a member of NPCRCs first grantee cohort, Dr. Johnsons proposal sought to determine which programs and policies among hospice providers were associated with greater service to African Americans. This work followed her research examining the influence of cultural beliefs and preferences on end-of-life decision-making. Today Dr. Johnson remains focused on equity issues around hospice and palliative care through the lens of the African-American experience. She currently runs a large multi-site study examining the effectiveness of two interventions in reducing disparities between seriously ill older African Americans and Whites in advance care planning and end-of-life care. An active mentor and established investigator, Dr. Johnson has spoken often at the annual NPCRC Foley Retreat, each time shining a light on the subject of racial disparities in palliative care. I was over the moon the day Sean Morrison called to announce Id won a CDA! NPCRC re-energized me. It confirmed this work is important and other people think so, too.My earliest role models were primary care doctors, many working in my small, all-African-American Mississippi hometown. They inspired me to improve equitable access to carefor underserved populations. One mentor advised me to identify exactly what gets meup in the morning and stick to it, since successful investigators are known for doing the thing they most love to think and talk about. I absolutely believe my research is better because as a clinician Im inspired by my patients.While Im always the minority in just about every professional medical setting and whileIm always talking about opportunities to improve care for minorities, particularly African Americans, Ive felt very supported by NPCRC. This fantastic community of investigatorsmany of whom have become my collaboratorsare extremely open to dealing with the impact of disparities, and they join me in addressing these issues. My hope is to pay it forward and serve as a role model for other investigators from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and those who passionately wish to improve equitable access to palliative care.9'