Gloria Sarto Reproductive Health Equity Symposium

The first UW Women’s Health and Health Equity Research Lecture and Symposium grew out of the pioneering vision of Dr. Gloria Sarto and Dr. Gloria Johnson-Powell in 2005. Since then, hundreds of people have shared their research addressing persistent gender, racial, and health disparities through presentations and posters at the event.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Symposium and Dr. Sarto’s immeasurable impact as an advocate for health equity, we are honored to announce a new name for this important event: moving forward, the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology will host the annual Gloria Sarto Reproductive Health Equity Symposium.

This meeting will remain a crucial connection point for health care professionals, population health experts, and community advocates who are dedicated to advancing health equity. We can think of no better way to honor Dr. Sarto’s enduring legacy than to name this event in her honor.

Keynote Presenter:

Charlotte Gamble, MD, MPH

Attending Surgeon in Gynecologic Oncology
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
Washington Cancer Institute MedStar Washington Hospital Center

History of the Symposium:

The Symposium grew out of the pioneering vision of Dr. Gloria Sarto and the late Dr. Gloria Johnson-Powell.

Dr. Gloria Johnson-Powell (1936-2017), the first African American female professor at Harvard, joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty in 2001 as Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Associate Dean for Cultural Diversity, and Director of the Center for Cultural Diversity and Health Care. Dr. Johnson-Powell had remarkable influence in highlighting the importance of social equality as it impacts health equality.  She labored all her life to seek equality for all, through her research, writings, and work within communities.   

In 2003, Dr. Johnson-Powell and Dr. Sarto received NIH funding to establish a comprehensive center to investigate the role of biological and social factors on disparate health outcomes, primarily among minority ethnic and racial populations.  The first Symposium was held in 2005.

Dr. Gloria Sarto has championed the health of women in innumerable ways throughout her professional career. As a physician, she personally treated many women and delivered their babies; as a department chair, she taught and mentored many students, residents, and young faculty; and as a national voice for women’s health, she continues to influence public policy, educational curricula, and national research initiatives.

Past Symposium Keynote Speakers:

• 2023: Denise Howard, MD, MPH (video)
• 2022: Vanessa Northington Gamble, MD, PhD (video)
• 2021: Elizabeth Howell, MD (video)
• 2020: Erica Marsh, MD (video)
• 2019: Tiffany Green, PhD (video)
• 2018: Sheri Johnson, PhD
• 2017: Haywood Brown, MD (video)
• 2016: Melissa Gilliam MD, MPH (video)
• 2015: Florence Haseltine, MD, PhD
• 2014: David Grimes, MD, FACOG, FACPM (video)
• 2013: Vivian Pinn, MD (video)