The American Diabetes Association® (ADA) will launch a new award lecture series at the 85^th Scientific Sessions in honor of Dr. Felicia Hill-Briggs, a renowned diabetes health scholar, revered mentor, and beloved colleague. The inaugural Dr. Felicia Hill-Briggs Health Equity Trailblazers in Diabetes Award will premiere at the opening of Health Access Symposium—Community Interventions and Connections, on Sunday, June 22, from 4:30–6:00 p.m., in Room W181 A–C in the McCormick Place Convention Center.

Felicia Hill-Briggs, PhD, (1965–2023) was recognized as a leader in the fields of diabetes care and health equity. A faculty member at John Hopkins School of Medicine for more than two decades, she mentored new generations of scholars and clinicians as she published or led numerous studies, many focusing on social determinants of health and diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

After 2021, Dr. Hill-Briggs worked at Northwell Health as the Vice President of Prevention and was the Simons Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine and an associate director and professor within the Institute of Health Systems Science at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research.

Dr. Hill-Briggs, who lived with type 1 diabetes since her youth, was also an early and effective advocate for patients in all health care settings. She developed the groundbreaking DECIDE self-management program to assist individuals in overcoming economic and societal barriers to better health.

“Dr. Hill-Briggs was simply ahead of her time,” said Terri Wiggins, the ADA’s Senior Vice President, Health Access and Quality. “She found the intersection of science and deep compassion to improve lives through health, research, education, and advocacy. She worked to address imbalances in health access and in quality care.”

The respect and admiration that friends and colleagues held for Dr. Hill-Briggs was reflected in the formation of her memorial fund. Four of Dr. Hill-Briggs’ friends—Dr. Mary de Groot, Dr. Sherita Hill Golden, Dr. Stephanie L. Fitzpatrick, and Dr. Cynthia Muñoz—as well as her sister, Talmira Hill, rallied to create the endowed lecture series in her name.

Tiffany L. Gary-Webb, PhD, MHS, a leading scholar in epidemiology and health equity, will receive the inaugural Dr. Felicia Hill-Briggs Health Equity Trailblazers in Diabetes Award.

Dr. Gary-Webb’s “outstanding contributions in advancing equity in diabetes care and in public health” made her “a clear and unanimous choice” for the recognition, Ms. Wiggins said.

Dr. Gary-Webb, Professor in the Department Epidemiology and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, will deliver brief remarks after accepting the award during the Health Access Symposium.

 “She will talk about the science and research she has worked on, amplifying community voices and driving change,” Ms. Wiggins noted. “She has spent her entire career addressing social and structural determinants to chronic disease.”

The author or co-author of more than 130 scientific publications, Dr. Gary-Webb has examined a range of themes, such as community stressors with cardiometabolic outcomes in urban Jamaica, the difference in how Black and white couples communicate and the effect this has on managing dietary adherence of type 2 diabetes, and more.

The lecture award will be given at each annual Scientific Sessions and includes an honorarium, reimbursable travel expenses, and complimentary meeting registration.  Donations to the Dr. Felicia Hill-Briggs Memorial Fund can be made through the ADA.

Ms. Wiggins noted that the legacy of Dr. Hill-Briggs at the ADA expands well beyond the award.

“She lives on in our commitment to people-centered solutions that create lasting, sustainable impacts and ensure that everyone receives the care they deserve,” Ms. Wiggins said.