Sissela Bok Ethics and Population Research Seminar

Please join us as we welcome Sirad A. Hassan, MS, doctoral student in population health sciences in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, for this special seminar. Hassan is the recipient of the 2026 Sissela Bok Ethics and Population Research. She will present “Beyond the diagnosis: Storytelling, community, and the pursuit of autism equity.”

Presentation topic summary: What does it mean to study autism not only as a diagnosis, but as an experience shaped by migration, race, family, community, and systems of care? In this talk, Sirad will reflect on her research examining autism inequities among Somali and other underserved families, drawing from population health data, community-engaged research, and caregiver narratives. She will discuss how centering lived experience can deepen our understanding of health disparities, challenge conventional approaches to research, and help build more equitable systems of care.