April 13, 2021 Genomic medicine pioneer and leader Claire M. Fraser, PhD, director of the Institute for Genome Sciences and the Dean’s Endowed Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), recently concluded her year as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) with a stirring lecture at the group’s annual meeting. Claire M. Fraser, PhD, In the address, she called for profound changes that will leave the U.S., and the world at large, better prepared for the next global pandemic. Such changes, she said, include the need to address the systemic racism and health disparities that led to higher COVID-19 hospitalization rates and death rates in Black communities. Her forceful call for change also included a reframing of climate change policies to help the public understand the immediate and long-term health benefits of lower carbon emissions, including cleaner air and potential protection against future epidemics.