Moderator: David Farelo, PhD, NHHRI Chief Research Officer

Panelists:

• Krystal Tsosie, PhD, MPH, MA

• Shannon Sanchez-Youngman 

• Ilan Shapiro, MD

• Waleska Crespo Rivera, DPH, PhD, MHSA

• Geraldine Luna. MD

Strategic Focus: AI methodology, Indigenous data sovereignty, and scientific integrity. 

As artificial intelligence becomes more common in health research, the methods used to collect, interpret, and apply data must reflect the communities they are intended to serve. This panel will explore how research can maintain scientific rigor while respecting cultural context, Indigenous data sovereignty, community consent, and the diverse ways that knowledge is created and shared.

Panelists will examine the methodological standards needed to ensure that community-based participatory research remains credible, transparent, and accountable as new technologies are introduced. The discussion will address how researchers can reduce bias, protect community knowledge, strengthen consent practices, and develop evidence that is both scientifically sound and grounded in the lived experiences of the communities that contribute to it.