February 21, 2008
Topics at a glance...UCSC Classified Scholarships...Environmental Health Data Workshop...Microbes in Space...Preventive Medicine 2008...Gene Mapping...Doctors for Change...Whole-genome Association Studies...Followership as Part of Leadership...Postive Deviance Workshop...Evidence-Based Public Health Practice...Making the Connection Between Housing and Health...Translating Basic Research Results...TPHA Annual Conference...When Public Health Issues Escape Prison...Dioxins and Agent Orange...Healthy Homes Course...Radiation Protection for Lunar Operations...SPH Events Calendar
Are you a classified employee with a son or a daughter who is a senior in high school, entering college in the coming year? Have we got news for you! Applications are now being accepted for scholarships, sponsored by the University Classified Staff Council, awarded exclusively to children of classified employees. Completed applications must be received by the close of business, Friday, March 14.
Throughout the year, the UCSC Scholarship Committee coordinates fundraising events such as the Silent Auction at the Fun Fest and the sale of Boo Bags to fund these scholarship awards. Last year, due to the wonderful support of the UT Health Science Center at Houston community and gifts in-kind from warm-hearted friends, the UCSC awarded nine scholarships to very deserving high school seniors at the annual UCSC Classified Staff Workshop. For more information about applying and to see last year’s recipients, visit the UCSC Scholarship Committee website at: www.uth.tmc.edu/ucsc/scholarship.htm to see last year’s recipients. Contact: Cecilia.Lim@uth.tmc.edu, Scholarship Committee chair, 713-500-4959.
Workshop on Access to Environmental & Occupational Health Data
Friday, February 22, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, RAS E-15
Helena VonVille, Library Director, UT School of Public Health will present this hands-on workshop on Access to Environmental & Occupational Health.
Environmental and occupational health data sources are readily available, if you know where to find them. This free 2-hour hands-on workshop will guide you through online resources covering publicly-accessible data sites. During this session, you will learn:
1. What the sources of reliable, publicly-accessible environmental and occupational data are;
2. How to create tables and maps from the data sources;
3. How to locate research-oriented and consumer-oriented guides to the health effects of toxics.
EOHS Research Seminar Series
Friday, February 22, 2008, 12-1:00 pm, SPH W-102B (Via ITV from El Paso)
Kristina D. Mena, MSPH, PhD, will present “Microbes in Space: An Astronaut Health Hazard?” The space shuttle environment - a semi-closed system with individuals occupying a small space - presents a scenario that has often resulted in microbial disease outbreaks in other settings. Although flight crews must have exceptional health prior to entering such an environment and the water/food on the shuttle must be of high quality, studies have shown that spaceflight alters the immune system of crew members as well as the virulence of microorganisms that may be present. Dr. Mena is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Texas School of Public Health. For additional information please contact Maria Arias at (713) 500-9266 maria.arias@uth.tmc.edu or visit the EOHS Seminar Series Calendar. Free Lunch for first 50 attendees!
Preventive Medicine 2008
February 20-23, 2008, Austin, TX
Preventive Medicine 2008, the annual meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine, is the premier event for professionals in disease prevention and health promotion. The meeting advances the science of preventive medicine through high caliber educational programming and abundant networking opportunities. For details and registration go to http://www.preventivemedicine2008.org/.
Human Genetics Center Seminar
Monday, February 25, 2008, 3:30 pm, RAS E-505
Suzanne M. Leal, PhD, Professor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics,
Baylor College of Medicine, will present,“The Baylor Nonsyndromic Hearing Impairment Study: Results, Methods and Pitfalls of Gene Mapping using Consanguineous Pedigrees.” For more information contact Sara Barton at 713-500-9812, Sara.A.Barton@uth.tmc.edu.
Doctors for Change Presentation
Monday, February 25, 2008, 7:00 - 8:00 pm, Catholic Charities
Doctors For Change presents: “The Baylor Hospital, Personalized Medicine and its Implications for the Health of our Community” by Dr. Jay Stein, Executive Vice-President and Executive Dean at the Baylor College of Medicine. Monday, February 25 2008. 7 – 8 PM. Catholic Charities. 2900 Louisiana street. http://www.doctorsforchange.org/Speakers.html.
Human Genetics Center Seminar
Monday, March 3, 2008, 3:30 pm, RAS E-505
Paul de Bakker, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School-Partners Healthcare
Center for Genetics and Genomics and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School,
Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital will present,“Whole-genome association studies of human diseases.” For more information contact Sara Barton at 713-500-9812, Sara.A.Barton@uth.tmc.edu.
MPACH Seminar Series
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008, 12-1:00 pm, RAS E-527
Dr. Kim Kehoe will present “Attention to Followership as Part of Leadership”. Dr. Kehoe is faculty at Rice University School of Business. For additional information please contact Maria Saenz at (713) 500-9485 maria.e.saenz@uth.tmc.edu .
Positive Deviance Workshop
Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, RAS Auditorium
“From the Inside Out: Uncovering Solutions to Intractable Problems Through Positive Deviance.” Sponsored by The University of Texas Prevention Research Center, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities, Memorial Hermann Clinical Innovation and Research Institute, The John P. McGovern Lecture Series. With Jerry Sternin (Director, Positive Deviance Initiative) and Curt Lindberg (President, Plexus Institute). Lunch provided for the first 50 attendees.
TPHA Pre-Conference Workshop
Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 8:30 - 11:30 am, Northwest Vista College, San Antonio, TX
Helena VonVille, UT School of Public Health, will present, "Evidence-Based Public Health Practice: Using Research and Data to Improve Your Programs." Sponsored by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine South Central Region and the Texas Public Health Training Center. Participation at this session is free, however, pre-registration is required. Register at www.charityadvantage.com/texaspha/2008AnnualConference.asp. For more information contact Helena.M.VonVille@uth.tmc.edu.
TPHA Pre-Conference Workshop
Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 9:30 - 11:30 am, Radisson Hill Country Resort, San Antonio, TX
Nancy Crider, NS, RN, UT School of Public Health and Brenda Reyes, MD, MPH, City of Houston Health and Human Services will present, "Making the Connection Between Housing and Health." Sponsored by the Texas Public Health Training Center. Seating is limited therefore pre-registration is requested at www.txphtrainingcenter.org. Participation in this session is free.
EOHS Research Seminar Series
Friday, March 7th, 2008, 12-1:00 pm, SPH 102B
Robin Fuchs-Young, PhD, will present, “Community Outreach and Education: Translating basic research results to the public” Dr. Fuchs-Young’s presentation will focus on the experiences and impacts of her work with the COEP, particularly the translation of environmental health information and research results to the public. She will describe the impacts and results of the MIDAS Project, the progress of the SURP and other activities to inform policy makers about the impact of environmental exposures on human health. Robin Fuchs-Young, is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park Research Division (SPRD) of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. In addition to her laboratory-based research program that investigates basic mechanisms of mammary carcinogenesis, Dr. Fuchs-Young also is the director of the Community Outreach and Education Program (COEP) of the Center for Research on Environmental Disease (CRED) and the Science Park Research Division. For additional information please contact Maria Arias at (713) 500-9266 maria.arias@uth.tmc.edu or visit the EOHS Seminar Series Calendar. Free lunch for first 50 attendees.
Texas Public Health Association 83rd Annual Education Conference
March 5-7, 2008, San Antonio Texas
TPHA's 83rd Annual Education Conference, Pathways to Health: Policy, Practices & Partners will be held at the Radisson Hill Country Resort & Spa. TPHA's 2008 Public Health Presentations Committee Competition will be held in conjunction with the Annual Education Conference. For more information go to http://www.charityadvantage.com/texaspha/TPHAConferences.asp.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 12:00 - 1:30 pm, RAS Auditorium
First Annual John P. McGovern Award Lecture Series for Community Contributions and Activism in Health Promotion, sponsored by the Center Health Promotion and Prevention Research. The 2008 award recipient, Mr. Ray Hill, will present “When Public Health Issues Escape Prison.” Mr. Hill is the Creator/Host/Producer of the Ray Hill’s The Prison Show which is broadcast weekly on Houston Pacifica Radio station KPFT, 90.1. He is co-founder, former board member and former general manager of Pacifica Radio and founder and original producer and host of Wilde N. Stein, one of the first regularly scheduled gay/lesbian radio shows. He is also a member of the Houston AIDS Prevention Community Planning Group representing incarcerated populations. Parking is available in TMC Garage 2. Lunch will be provided for the first 100 attendees. For additional information, please contact Peggy Tate at (713) 500-9609.
Dioxins and Agent Orange: Past, Present, and Future
Wednesday, March 12, 2008, 4:00-5:00 pm, ITV RAS 102A from Dallas Regional Campus V8.110
David Butler, PhD, will present, “Health Research on Dioxins and Agent Orange: Past, Present, and Future” Dioxin contamination and its health effects have been studied for over 20 years in a cohort of veterans who sprayed Agent Orange. The findings of this longitudinal study lead to evidence suggesting dioxins have a causal link to cancer, diabetes mellitus, thyroid status alterations, and other disorders. The opportunity exists, once anticipated funding is obtained, for the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to fund university researchers through a variety of mechanisms. This will be discussed by Dr. Butler as well as other IOM Agent Orange and dioxin activities. For additional information please contact Maria Arias at (713) 500-9266 or maria.arias@uth.tmc.edu.
Healthy Homes Course
March 11-12, 2008, UT School of Public Health
The Texas Public Health Training Center and the Houston Department of Health and Human Services are offering the Texas Center for Health Homes and Communities Essentials for Healthy Home Practitioners course. If you visit homes to provide health or inspection services of any type, you will benefit from the Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners course. To register go to: www.healthyhomestraining.org/upcoming.htm or www.txphtrainingcenter.org. For more information contact Nancy Crider at 713-500-9399 or Nancy.M.Crider@uth.tmc.edu.
EOHS Research Seminar Series
Friday, April 4th, 2008, 12-1:00 pm, SPH 102B
Mary Van Baalen, BS, MS, will present “Radiation Protection for Lunar Operations”. Since radiation exposures in space differ from terrestrial exposure, radiation dose limits have been developed for spaceflight. NASA currently has a well developed and documented radiation protection program for its astronauts. This presentation will outline the current radiation protection program and describe some of the forward work necessary to safely conduct missions outside Low Earth Orbit. Mary Van Baalen, is the Radiation Health Officer at NASA/Johnson Space Center. For additional information please contact Maria Arias at (713) 500-9266 maria.arias@uth.tmc.edu or visit the EOHS Seminar Series Calendar. Free Lunch for first 50 attendees!
SPH Events Calendar
Check out lectures, seminars and other events happening at the School of Public Health
at the online Calendar of Events.
