Moderator: David Farelo, PhD

Panelists

• Shannon Sanchez-Youngman  

• Ilan Shapiro, MD  

• Waleska Crespo Rivera, PhD, DPH,  

Strategic Focus: Scientific evidence standards. 

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into health research, the definition of credible and actionable evidence is evolving. This session examines how community-based participatory research (CBPR) can be strengthened by AI while preserving the scientific rigor, cultural context, and lived experience that make community-generated knowledge essential to better health outcomes.

Participants will explore the national standards needed to ensure AI-enabled community research can inform policy, funding, and public health decision-making. The discussion will address evidence validation, the protection of community and Indigenous knowledge systems, and the role of federal agencies in establishing a framework that enables trusted, equitable, and actionable evidence for the future of public health.