Welcome to the Public Health Joy podcast, the safe space for real and honest conversation about what building a public health research career is really like: the challenges, the triumphs, and all the lessons we learn along the way. I’m your host, Dr. Joyee, a Public health researcher, PhD survivor, and entrepreneur. In today’s episode, we are talking all about when research gets real as we work with communities to make positive impacts. Special guest, Leonore Okwara, founder of the Association of Black Researchers joins us to share her journey. Leonore Okwara, MPH is the Founder of the Association of Black Researchers (ABR), a 501c3 nonprofit organization that serves as a central resource to inform, support, and advance a multidisciplinary community of Black Researchers. For over 15 years, she has served in a research program management capacity and coordinated many single and multisite research projects. She has cultivated equitable partnerships between researchers and the community, and organized events that focused on addressing community mistrust in research. Because of this experience, Leonore understands the importance of bringing researchers together to share best practices, strategies, and lessons learned with future researchers. To learn more about the Association of Black Researchers visit: https://www.blackresearchers.org To learn more about the Public Health Joy podcast and get transcripts visit: https://joyeewashington.com/podcast/  This is where research meets relationship and together, we will find our Public Health Joy!