Webinar: Abolishing Ableism in STEMM: The Past, Present, and Future

A conversation with Dr. Bonnielin Swenor, founding director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center, disability equity researcher, and disability advocate. This discussion will explore Dr. Swenor’s personal and professional journey as a disabled researcher, highlighting both the barriers she has faced and the ways she has pushed for change. This session will also explore how the long fight for disability rights in the U.S. offers insight and hope for fostering more inclusive STEMM environments, even during challenging times.

When: June 26, 2025 at 3:30pm – 4:30pm EST

Where: Zoom – Recording available here

With: Bonnielin Swenor, PhD, MPH Director, The Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center Endowed Professor of Disability Health and Justice, Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Bonnielin Swenor is an epidemiologist and disability health researcher whose work bridges science and policy to advance health equity for people with disabilities. She is the inaugural Endowed Professor of Disability Health and Justice at Johns Hopkins University and is the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center, which uses data-driven approaches to shift the paradigm from ‘living with a disability’ to ‘thriving with a disability’. Drawing on both her research and lived experience with disability, Dr. Swenor’s work focuses on creating more inclusive health systems, advancing disability representation in data and policy, and ensuring disabled people benefit from research and succeed in STEM careers. She has advised government agencies and policymakers on strategies to make systems more inclusive, and played key roles in efforts to improve disability data collection, build inclusive research practices, and expand access to health care and education for people with disabilities.