Articles

Childbirth complications are unacceptably high among women of color—and the disparities have been widening. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we cannot solve system-wide problems in a vacuum—particularly when lives are at stake. We all need an all-in approach to create a better, more equitable system of health for all mothers. Presented by Blue Cross Blue S...

Our changing climate represents one of the greatest challenges to health for the 21st century. Though all of humankind is at risk, communities with weak health and public health infrastructure are the least equipped to cope with the impacts. We must take urgent steps now to develop effective, long-term, and sustainable climate health action. Presented by CDC Foundation.

Soon, we may be able to visualize any biological process in the human body, at any scale, in real time. Here’s what it will take to get there. Presented by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Katie Keith is director of the Health Policy and the Law Initiative at Georgetown University Law Center, where she is adjunct professor of law. Keith’s analysis focuses on ways litigation shapes health policy and the role of the courts in influencing legislative and regulatory outcomes. Before she takes the stage at Aspen Ideas: Health, she agreed to talk to us about the s...

Watch select daily livestreams and join the virtual #AspenIdeasHealth conversation from June 22-25!

Neurologist Anjan Chatterjee explains why humans evolved to enjoy beauty, how sociocultural contexts shape our aesthetic preferences, and the "beauty is good" stereotype.

Secretary Albright served on the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees from 2002 until her passing in March 2022.

Alaina Wood, aka "The Garbage Queen" on TikTok, shares the importance of imperfect sustainability and her advice for dealing with climate doom.

The Aspen Ideas Festival Fellows are a diverse group of global leaders who are selected for their work, accomplishments, and ability to transform ideas into action.

The Aspen Ideas: Health Fellows are a diverse group of health leaders who are selected for their work, accomplishments, and ability to transform ideas into action.

Meet Gitanjali Rao, a 2022 Aspen Ideas: Health speaker with a goal to create global change by starting an innovation movement of teens looking to make a difference.

Writer Thomas Chatterton Williams on the moment his understanding of race shifted and what we need to unlearn to be truly anti-racist.

Race, ethnicity, age, sex, environment, and other social determinants of health can all impact how different people respond to the same medicine or vaccine. This is why diversity and inclusivity at every stage of the medical research process are critical to learning about the safety and efficacy of potential treatments for all patients. Presented by Pfizer.

"My organization in Tulsa is making pregnancy tests, emergency contraception, and condoms available, but these solutions need to be scaled and distributed more broadly." Laura Bellis, a 2022 Aspen Healthy Communities Fellow, discusses ways to support reproductive autonomy beyond abortion access.

"As long as my existence as a Black physician is noteworthy, communities of underrepresented minorities’ health will suffer." Jabraan Pasha, a 2022 Aspen Healthy Communities Fellow, reflects on the lack of diversity among American physicians, its impact on patients, and solutions for closing this critical gap.

The Aspen Ideas Festival team is proud to showcase the diverse writing of our speakers. Their books will be highlighted in talks at the Festival and available at the campus bookstore. See the list below for recent releases by Festival presenters. The books are arranged by Festival track.

Meet the 2022 cohort of Bezos Scholars, an inspiring collective of students and educators spanning nine U.S. states and six countries across Africa.

Aspen Ideas Digital is for everyone, from anywhere.

Meet Lea Masamo, a 2022 Aspen Ideas: Health Fellow who's building a movement of people living with sickle cell disease to advocate for programs and policies needed to improve access to quality health care.

Meet Kistein Monkhouse, a 2022 Aspen Ideas: Health Fellow who's bridging gaps in patient/provider communication with a storytelling app that empowers people to own the narrative of their health journey.