Building Capacity and Trust through Community Engagement: Lessons Learned from a Research in Health Equity Symposium

Abstract

Background: Academic medical centers frequently recognize the importance of community engagement for advancing health equity. Yet, they often lack the infrastructure and skills needed for sustained collaboration. The 2025 Department of Medicine Research in Health Equity Symposium at the University of Rochester directly addressed this issue by focusing on community-engaged research. Methods: The 2025 symposium was designed to foster community engagement through 4 core strategies: (1) selecting a focused health equity topic; (2) issuing a call for community-engaged research abstracts; (3) featuring a panel of community experts; and (4) implementing targeted outreach and accessibility efforts to encourage diverse attendance. Evaluation data were collected via a post-event Continuing Medical Education survey. Results: The symposium drew 220 registrants across academic and community sectors. Survey results (n = 53) indicated an improved understanding of health disparities and increased knowledge of best practices for community engagement. Attendees reported greater motivation to foster community engagement in their work and identified best practices, such as centering lived experiences and reducing participation barriers. Qualitative comments indicated a desire for similar events to be hosted throughout the year. Conclusions: This symposium offers a replicable model for growing community-engaged research in an academic medical center. The event contributed to advancing long-term goals of health equity by building institutional capacity building and community connections. The organizing team is taking continued steps to advance community engagement, including conducting a community-engaged research landscape analysis and developing a longitudinal project to build capacity for community and clinician researchers.