PRC Faculty and Student Meeting

The first University of Maryland Advisory Meeting open to all faculty and students. The purpose of this initial meeting is to begin a process of faculty/student input to help the University of Maryland Prevention Research Center meet its Community Based Participatory Research mission in Prince George's County Maryland. Dr. Donald Milton, Director of the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health will Chair the meeting. Dr. Jane Clark, Chair of Kinesiology and Dr. Elaine Anderson, Chair of Family Science, will Co-Chair the meeting.

Breakfast with Mrs. Fridge

It's breakfast with Mrs. Fridge.

Mammography Screening And Breast Cancer Biology In African American Women--A Review.

Renee Royak-Schaler, PhD, MEd
Director, MPH Program
Associate Professor
Dept of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine

MCFR Research Symposium

The Research Symposium showcases the research of Family Science undergraduates in FMSC 302: Research Methods in Family Science. This event is sponsored by the Department's student-run organization, Maryland Council on Family Relations (MCFR). We hope that you will be able to join us for this great event!

Occupation, Gender, Race, and Lung Cancer.

Sania Amr, MD, MS, FACPM
Associate Professor and Director
Preventive Medicine Residency Program
Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine

SPH Commencement Ceremony

SPH Commencement Ceremony

Family Science Change of Major Workshop

Students who wish to change or declare a major in Family Science can only do so through a 'Change of Major Workshop.' Family Science 'Change of Major Workshops' help facilitate the change of major process. With one visit, students will have the opportunity to learn about the FMSC major and our requirements, as well as complete their Academic Plan and leave the workshop as a new FMSC student. Normally, the change of major process would entail meeting with the FMSC Undergraduate Coordinator and the SPHL Academic Advisor separately in two different visits. The Change of Major workshops will enable you to complete both steps in one location at one time. Please know that we do not change students' majors outside of a workshop. You must register in advance for your workshop in order to participate!

Family Science Change of Major Workshop

Students who wish to change or declare a major in Family Science can only do so through a 'Change of Major Workshop.' Family Science 'Change of Major Workshops' help facilitate the change of major process. With one visit, students will have the opportunity to learn about the FMSC major and our requirements, as well as complete their Academic Plan and leave the workshop as a new FMSC student. Normally, the change of major process would entail meeting with the FMSC Undergraduate Coordinator and the SPHL Academic Advisor separately in two different visits. The Change of Major workshops will enable you to complete both steps in one location at one time. Please know that we do not change students' majors outside of a workshop. You must register in advance for your workshop in order to participate!

Epidemiology of Prostrate Cancer and Related Risk Factors

Presenter: Ann Hsing, PhD, MPH, Senior Researcher, National Cancer Institute, NIH

Dr. Hsing and her colleagues are carrying out population-based, interdisciplinary studies to investigate the determinants of hormone-related cancers, particularly of the prostate and biliary tract. Risk of these cancers is being evaluated in relation to endogenous and exogenous hormones, lifestyle factors, and genetic susceptibility and their interactive effects. This seminar will describe the epidemiology of prostate cancer and risk factors associated with the disease.

Climate Change, Chesapeake Bay and Human Health: Is Regional Earth System Prediction for Human Health a Reality?

Presenter: Raghu Murtugudde PhD, Professor, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center and Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Forecast Project

Dr. Murtugudde is a professor at the Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center within the department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science. He has been working on climate variability and change over the past 15 years and has published over 90 papers on topics ranging from climate change to earth system modeling and prediction of pathogens such as Vibrio cholerae.

One of the pressing issues facing our society today is how changes in climate may affect living things including humans. The talk will provide an overview of the intricate relationship between climate, Chesapeake Bay and Human Health. An overview of ongoing activities will provide a glimpse to complex models that are being built to predict the future burden of disease related to climate change.

Epidemiologic Evidence of Dietary Factors on Cancer Outcomes

Presenter: Arthur Schatzkin MD, DrPH, Chief, Division of Nutritional Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute

Dr. Schatzkin and his group focuses on three areas of research to clarify the relation between nutrition and cancer: error in dietary assessment, dietary homogeneity within study populations, and uncontrolled or unmeasured confounding in observational studies. This seminar will describe the epidemiologic evidence of dietary factors on cancer outcomes.

Epidemiologic Evidence of Dietary Factors on Cancer Outcomes

Presenter: Arthur Schatzkin MD, DrPH, Chief, Division of Nutritional Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute

Dr. Schatzkin and his group focuses on three areas of research to clarify the relation between nutrition and cancer: error in dietary assessment, dietary homogeneity within study populations, and uncontrolled or unmeasured confounding in observational studies. This seminar will describe the epidemiologic evidence of dietary factors on cancer outcomes.

Ethics and Stem Cell Research

Presenters:

Robert Wachbroit PhD, Research Scholar, Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy

Mary Kivlighan MA, JD, Assistant Dean and Affiliate Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Dr. Wachbroit is a Research Scholar in the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy and Adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine at UMB. He has written numerous articles in the areas of bioethics, health policy, science and technology policy, challenges of genetic testing and diagnosis and controversy over cloning and stem cell research.

Dr. Kivlighan is the Assistant Dean for Admin Affairs and Strategic Initiatives in the School of Public Health and an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services Administration where she teaches Public Health Law and Ethics. As a Constitutional scholar she will provide the insights into the relationship between the law and ethics.

This session is intended to expose students to the role law and ethics plays in setting the pubic health agenda related to stem cell research. These issues are not settled by Science and Law alone. There needs to be a reasonable debate about the ethical implications of this topic to better inform policy makers.

National Health Reform: Update, Next Steps, and Implications for Public Health

Presenter: Jack Meyer, Ph.D., Professor of the Practice, University of Maryland School of Public Health and School of Public Policy

In addition to his work at the University of Maryland, Dr. Meyer is a principal with Health Management Associates (HMA) in the Washington, D.C. office. In this capacity Dr. Meyer is conducting health care research, policy analysis, and strategic planning for grant-making foundations, health industry leaders, and state and federal agencies.

Social Influences in Health Behavior

Presenter: Bruce Simons-Morton MPH, EdD, FAAHB, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Dr. Simons-Morton directs an intramural research group that conducts research on three areas of adolescent health behavior: (1) preventing motor vehicle crashes among young drivers; (2) preventing adolescent problem behavior; and (3) promoting family management of childhood chronic diseases. His research emphasizes peer and parent influences on adolescent health behavior.

Social context, social networks, and proximal social influence are powerful predictors of a range of behaviors, including diet, physical activity, medication taking adherence, and adolescent substance use. This presentation uses the example of adolescent substance use to explain how social influence affects behavior and health.

Husman Lecture: Dr. Wendy Kohrt

This year's Husman Lecturer:

Wendy Kohrt, Ph. D.

Professor of Medicine

University of Colorado Health Science Center

Division of Geriatric Medicine

Associations of the 5_HTTLPR Genotype with Alcohol Consumtion, Intoxication, and Intention to Drive Among Bar Patrons

Dennis L. Thombs PhD, FAAHB, University of Florida

Dr. Thombs is Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health at the University of Florida. The focus of his scholarship is addictive behavior with special interests in (a) the epistemology of addiction, (b) alcohol and drug use during the period of emerging adulthood, and (c) gene-environment interactions involved in the maintenance of alcohol abuse. His research has been supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the U.S. Department of Education. He is currently the President of the American Academy of Health Behavior. The Academy recognized him as a Fellow in 2005.

The serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been linked to a variety of adolescent and young adult risk behaviors, including alcohol misuse. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism may be associated with young adult risk behavior in natural drinking settings. This event will discuss how genotypes may interact with environmental risk factors to produce alcohol-related risk behavior.