2022 AHSRA Conference at AdventHealth University

This hybrid conference will take place in Orlando, Florida, May 18-21

A subsidized fee structure makes it very affordable for in-person attendees to enjoy a package price which includes this year’s membership fee, up to four nights lodging, as well as supper on Wednesday, and two meals each day on Thursday, Friday and Sabbath. There is an early bird discount for both in-person and virtual registration until March 31. (Photo by Paul Martin)

The 2022 Annual Conference of the Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association (AHSRA) will be hosted at AdventHealth University in Orlando, Florida, from May 18–21. The conference will be hybrid, with both in-person and virtual attendance options.

The overall theme for the 2022 AHSRA Conference is “Faith and Wholeness—The Role of Faith in Healing and Thriving.” This theme is broad and intended to cover a wide variety of human-subject research in health behaviors, community-based research, educational research, and missiology. Submission of abstracts on other topics outside of this theme are encouraged as well.

Duane McBride, PhD, current ASHRA president; executive director, Institute for Prevention of Addictions; director, Center for Drug Policy Research; and senior research professor of sociology at Andrews University, encourages university faculty and graduate students to submit abstracts to https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/ahsra/2022/. Submissions are being accepted until April 8, 2022. There were 5,000 downloads of AHSRA presentations and publications on Digital Commons last year.

McBride states, “Good scholarship is a form of evangelism. It shows the quality of Adventist research and the strength of many our beliefs about the effect of religion on health and thriving. Many of our studies have been repeated in other faith communities, thereby broadening the impact of the research.”

Registration and additional information for the conference is available at www.ahsra.net. A subsidized fee structure makes it very affordable for in-person attendees to enjoy a package price which includes this year’s membership fee, up to four nights lodging, as well as supper on Wednesday, and two meals each day on Thursday, Friday and Sabbath. There is an early bird discount for both in-person and virtual registration until April 8. All in-person hotel reservations must be made before April 16 to receive the discounted rate.

Scholarships for conference presenters at 50 percent off are available. A limited number of 50 percent off scholarships are also available for other attendees. If you wish to apply for a scholarship, please contact AHSRA at ahsra@andrews.edu prior to registration to receive a discount code.

AHSRA is a scientific research organization so will be following best practices at the conference. Proof of full COVID vaccination status (as defined by the CDC/WHO guidelines) will be required (an on-phone photo that has your vaccination status is fine) or a recent (within the last two months) COVID antibody test is acceptable. Masks are required at all meetings per AdventHealth University requirements.

There will be three plenary sessions with internationally known keynote speakers, as well as multiple paper and poster presentations by researchers from around the world.

Tyler VanderWeele, PhD, will present the first plenary session, “Religious Community and Human Flourishing?” on Wednesday evening, May 18. VanderWeele is the John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology in the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and director of the Human Flourishing Program and co-director of the Initiative on Health, Religion and Spirituality at Harvard University. He is a leading figure in research that examines the role of religion and spirituality in human thriving. His findings indicate that spirituality is a significant contributor to better mental and physical health.

Daniel Ganu, DrPH, professor of public health at Adventist University of Africa, will be the presenter for Thursday morning’s keynote address, “Adventist Wholistic Health: The African Perspective.” Ganu is the principal investigator for Adventist Health Study in Africa, chair of AHSRA-Africa and editor-in-chief of the Pan African Journal for Health & Environmental Science.

David Williams, PhD, will give the Friday morning keynote address, “How Racism Shapes our Health,” and also participate in the Vespers presentation, “The Role of Faith Communities and Equity.” Williams is the Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of Public Health and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is also a professor of African and African American Studies and Sociology at Harvard University.Williams has provided some of the strongest research on the role of religion and health and the importance of addressing equity to ensure health. His work shows that religious involvement contributes to a longer and healthier life but inequities in society result in poorer mental and physical health.

“The Role of Faith Communities and Wholeness” will be the focus of worship on Saturday, followed by an afternoon tour of Leu Gardens.

The Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association (AHSRA) was formally organized in the fall of 2013 with the sponsorship of the General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics and Research. The Association was developed during two conferences, the first at Andrews University in the spring of 2012 and the second at the General Conference in the fall of 2013.

AdventHealth University(AHU) is a leader in health care education, transforming the science and practice of whole-person care and developing professionals with uncommon compassion. The University, marking 30 years of academic excellence, seeks to develop skilled professionals wholivethe healing values of Christ and works in collaboration with AdventHealthto effectively extend His healing ministry.

AHU has campuses in Orlando, Florida, and Denver, Colorado, and offers undergraduate, graduate and online programs, including Biomedical Sciences, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Health Sciences, Healthcare Administration, Medical Lab Science, Nurse Anesthesia, Nuclear Medicine, Nursing (BSN), Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Radiologic Technology and Spiritual Care.