The GROklahoma Podcast Show | Science with Sovereignty: Serving Native Communities – The One with Dr. Ashley Comiford: Episode 20 (2025)

Continuing our exploration into Native American and American Indian health, this episode features Dr. Ashley Comiford, an epidemiologist at Cherokee Nation Health Services and a fierce advocate for equity. From a small Oklahoma town to leading research on cancer disparities, infectious disease, and tobacco-related illness, Dr. Comiford shares the powerful story of how her Cherokee identity shaped her path in public health.

She pulls back the curtain on what it truly means for American Indian/Alaska Native tribes to be sovereign nations and how this legal and cultural reality influences everything from healthcare access to who owns the data in research. We also discuss the challenges of conducting ethical, community-led research, the importance of tribal Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and what sustainable partnerships should entail. She also reflects on her frontline work during the COVID-19 pandemic and explains why the recent $17 million NIH ICON grant could be a game-changer for cancer outcomes in Native communities.

This episode is as personal as it is a political reminder that data without trust is dangerous, and that the most impactful science is built in collaboration with, not on, the comPlease tunety. Tune in to hear from a public health leader who’s turning her lived experience into systemic change and lighting the way forward for Native health equity.

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