We are proud to announce that our team has published a new article in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology for the work they did as part of the 2022 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to center racial health equity in systematic reviews. The publication, “Defining racial health equity: an integrative analysis of terminology and conceptualizations,” was led by Elizabeth A. Terhune and Mahederemariam Bayleyegn Dagne, with significant contributions from Patricia C. Heyn and a multidisciplinary team of collaborators.
This publication reflects a strong, multi-institutional collaboration among partners at the Campbell Collaboration, Texas Christian University, RTI International, Georgia College & State University, and Cochrane. The team was also able to convene experts across fields, institutions, and methodological traditions to contribute to this important work. The publication reaffirms the shared commitment to advancing rigorous and impactful health equity scholarship.
Additionally, in recognition of the work, the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology has also named this article in their Editor’s Choice February 2026 issue. This achievement highlights the significance of the study, which analyzed more than 200 systematic reviews in addition to other relevant documents and interview transcripts. Through this analysis, Terhune and colleagues found that there is no standardized definition of “racial health equity” across research, leading them to present a proposed definition and additional recommendations aiming to standardize future research and the need to acknowledge the role justice, fairness, and historical inequities play in achieving racial health equity.
We congratulate all contributing authors and partners on this accomplishment and look forward to continued collaboration in advancing equitable and impactful public health research.
