Health week events, VC's GWIMS lecture highlight week's slate

Several interesting events are scheduled for the upcoming weeks at the Medical Center.

Monday-Friday, April 2-6

Daily UMMC events recognize National Public Health Week

The Department of Preventive Medicine and Everyday Wellness have joined the University of Mississippi and the Mississippi Public Health Association to offer daily events to recognize National Public Health Week at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

"Behavioral Health" is the topic for an event on Monday, April 2: "Pups and Pops" from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in the grassy area between Talent Acquisition and the Guyton Research Center.

"Communicable Diseases" is the topic for events on Tuesday, April 3: a Public Health Fair from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the breezeway next to the Guyton Research Center; a Farmer's Market from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Clinical Sciences Walkway; Communicable Disease Talks from noon-1 p.m. in room 7A (N716) in the Classroom Wing; a Love Pack Booth throughout the day in the old School of Medicine; Yoga with Meredith Oliver from 5:15-6 p.m. on Conference Room C on the second floor of the Norman C. Nelson Student Union, and Zumba with Josie Bidwell from 5:10-6 p.m. in room TRC 324 on the third floor of the Translational Research Center.

"Environmental Health" is the topic for events on Wednesday, April 4: a National Walking Day campus walk from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. starting in front of University Heart, and Environmental Health Talks from noon-1 p.m. in room 7A (N716) in the Classroom Wing.

"Injury and Violence Prevention" is the topic for an event on Thursday, April 5: Violence Prevention Talks from noon-1 p.m. in the Wells Auditorium in the School of Pharmacy.

"Ensuring the Right to Health" is the topic for events on Friday, April 6: a "Wellness Day - Practical Health Made Fun!" event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in front of the Phil Bryant Medical Education Building; Hip Hop Classes by Roger and Tena at 11 a.m. and again at noon; and a panel discussion by UMMC Health and Wellness Pros at 1 p.m.

For more information, email Kaitlyn Jarrell at kjarrell@umc.edu.

Tuesday, April 3

Vice chancellor to discuss gender equity, health care

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs, will present “Bridging the Gap: Gender Equity in Health Care and Administration” at noon on Tuesday, April 3, in classroom SM-122, the M1 lecture hall in the new School of Medicine education building.

The presentation is sponsored by the Associated Student Body and the Group on Women in Medicine and Science. Lunch will be available to the first 75 attendees. For more information, email Edgar Meyer at emeyer@umc.edu.

Palliative care director to give Tatum Lecture on serious conversations

Dr. J. Keith Mansel, professor of medicine and director of palliative and supportive care services, will give the Nancy O'Neal Tatum Ethics Conference presentation, "Serious Illness Conversation Guide," at noon on Tuesday, April 3, in room CW 106 of the Classroom Wing.

The conference is sponsored by the Department of Medicine Chair's Office. Continuing medical education credit is available. Lunch will be available to the first 125 in attendance. For more information, call Pamela Wardlaw at 4-5009 or email her at pwardlaw@umc.edu.

Australian biotechnologist to cover zebrafish, lipid biology

Dr. Yann Gilbert, senior lecturer in medical biotechnology at the Deakin School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia, will give the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology presentation, "Use of the Zebrafish as a Vertebrate Model to Study Lipid Biology, to Model Human Disease and for Pre-clinical Studies," at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3, in classroom 3A.

All Medical Center faculty, staff and students are invited. For more information, call Cherese Kelly at 4-1851.

Wednesday, April 4

Augusta biologist to explore leptin's role in vascular function

Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele, associate professor in the Vascular Biology Center at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, will give the Department of Physiology and Biophysics presentation, "Novel Roles of Leptin in the Control of Vascular Function," from noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4, in room CW308 of the Classroom Wing.

For more information, call Courtney Graham at 4-1820.    

Thursday, April 5

Miami neurosurgeon to offer brain, spinal cord injury strategies

Dr. W. Dalton Dietrich, professor of neurological surgery, neurology, biomedical engineering and cell biology; senior associate dean for discovery science; distinguished chair in neurosurgery; and scientific director of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, will give the Annual Neuroscience Research Day presentation, "Protection and Repair Following Brain and Spinal Cord Injury: Current and Future Strategies," from 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, in the second-floor conference center of the Norman C. Nelson Student Union.

Other research day activities will include faculty and trainee poster sessions from 9-11 a.m.; lunch from 12:15-1 p.m. and a presentation on science advocacy by Dr. James K. Rowlett, UMMC professor of psychiatry, from 1:15-2:15 p.m.

For more information, call Karneilla McGee at 5-3706 or email her at kmcgee@umc.edu.         

March of Dimes president to talk birth equity partnership

Stacey Stewart, March of Dimes president, will give the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Distinguished Lecture Series presentation, “A Partnership for Birth Equity in Mississippi,” from noon-1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, in classroom R-153 (lower amphitheatre).

Lunch will be available on a first-come basis. For more information, call Mandy Scott at 5-7857 or email her at mscott4@umc.edu.

Monday, April 9

Millsaps teaching fellow to discuss Hinduism, Buddhist cures

Dr. Charles S. Preston, postdoctoral teaching fellow in the Department of Religious Studies at Millsaps College, will give a UMMC Faith Forum presentation sponsored by the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, “Buddhist Cures for Suffering” at noon on Monday, April 9, in classroom R354 (upper amphitheatre).

Lunch will be available to the first 50 in attendance. For more information, call Edgar Meyer at (662) 719-0276 or email him at emeyer@umc.edu.

Innovation director to detail intellectual property strategy

Dr. James Petell, director of the Innovation Development and Licensing Office, will give the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology seminar, "Innovation Development-Step 2 Intellectual Property Strategy and Protection," at 3 p.m. on Monday, April 9, in classroom 3A.

All Medical Center faculty, staff and students are invited. Refreshments will be available on a first-come basis. For more information, call Cherese Kelly at 4-1851.

Tuesday, April 10

Medicine chair to speak at annual Research Day event

Dr. Javed Butler, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine, will give the keynote address for the department’s annual Research Day, “The Need for and Importance of Imbedding Clinical Trials in Our Daily Professional Lives,” at noon on Tuesday, April 10, in the second-floor conference center of the Norman C. Nelson Student Union.

Research Day also will include MSRP oral presentations from 8-9:30 a.m. in Conference Room A; a poster session and continental breakfast from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the gymnasium; and an awards presentation from 1-1:15 p.m. in conference rooms B and C.

All Medical Center faculty, staff and students are invited. For more information, call Marsha Manuel at 5-9725 or email her at mmanuel@umc.edu.

Thursday, April 12

Cancer Institute director to host pair of overviews

Dr. John Ruckdeschel, UMMC Cancer Institute director, will host a pair of quarterly Cancer Institute Director’s meetings on Thursday, April 12.

The first meeting will take place from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in room CW106 of the Classroom Wing and the second will take place from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in room MK1109 at the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center.

All Medical Center and University of Mississippi employees who work with cancer patients or who conduct cancer research are invited. The meetings will include an overview of UMMC Cancer Institute objectives, an update on progress toward those objectives and a question-and-answer session.

Refreshments will be available. For more information, call Susan Roberts at 5-6802 or email her at scroberts@umc.edu.

UAB epidemiologist to cover epigenetics emergence

Dr. Ryan Irvin, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will present "The Emerging Role of Epigenetics in Cardiometabolic Disease" at noon on Thursday, April 12, in room CW308 of the Classroom Wing.

The seminar is sponsored by the Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research, the Mississippi Center for Obesity Research, and the Cardiorenal and Metabolic Diseases Research Center. For more information, email Lisa Boney at lboney@umc.edu.

CAY to serve up autism Food for Thought

The Center for Advancement of Youth and the Junior League of Jackson will host a “Food for Thought” presentation, “Autism (ASD): The Who, What, When, Where, How and Whys of Autism Spectrum Disorder,” on Thursday, April 12, in the second-floor conference center of the Norman C. Nelson Student Union.

Child development experts from the CAY will answer questions during the free event. All members of the community are invited. Dinner will be available on a first-come basis. Child care will be available for ages 3-10.

Registration and dinner will begin at 6:15 p.m. with the program to follow at 6:45. For more information, visit umc.edu/answers, call Sara Hart Fellows at (601) 209-5504 or email her at sfellows@umc.edu.

Friday, April 13

Accountable Health founder to connect SpaceX, moon shots, diabetes

Fred Goldstein, founder and president of Accountable Health LLC, will give the Distinguished Population Health Lecture, “SpaceX, Moon Shots and Diabetes in Mississippi,” at noon on Friday, April 13, in room 1B of the School of Health Related Professions.

Lunch will be available to the first 50 in attendance. For more information, call Sondra Redmont at 4-2705 or email her at sredmont@umc.edu.

Monday, April 16/Tuesday, April 24

MEW to host Poor People’s Campaign anniversary events

The Myrlie Evers-Williams Institute for the Elimination of Health Disparities will mark the 50th anniversary of the Poor People’s Campaign with a panel discussion and viewing of the Emmy Award-winning documentary, “’The Line’ Poverty in America: It’s Not What You Think,” from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Monday, April 16, in the second-floor conference center of the Norman C. Nelson Student Union, and a presentation on the economics of poverty from 11 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, April 24, in classroom R354 (upper amphitheatre).

The April 16 panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Louwanda Evans, an assistant professor at Millsaps College, and will include William Bynum, CEO of the Hope Enterprise Corporation, and Dr. Corey Wiggins, executive director of the Mississippi chapter of the NAACP. The April 24 presentation by Dr. Ed Sivak, executive vice president of communications and policy at the Hope Enterprise Corporation, is on “The Economics of Poverty: Where Do We Go From Here?”

For more information about either event, call Robria Horton-Daniels at 5-9016 or email her at rldaniels@umc.edu.

Wednesday, April 18

UT professor to give practical guide to posters

Dr. Karen Szauter, professor of internal medicine and assistant dean of educational affairs at the University of Texas Medical Branch, will present "Preparing Poster Presentations: A Practical Guide" from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18, in classroom 5A (North Wing).

All Medical Center faculty, staff and students are invited. For more information, call Lashanda Phillips at 4-1640.  

Friday, April 20

Blood drive offers opportunity to replenish what UMMC uses

Medical Center faculty, staff and students can help replenish the blood supply that UMMC uses during the Mississippi Blood Services' quarterly blood drive Friday, April 20.

The institution's Standing Committee on Blood Donations is challenging donors to replenish 50 units during each day of the drive. On average, the Medical Center uses 50-150 units of blood each day.

The Mississippi Blood Services mobile unit will be set up from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, April 20, at Grants Ferry. All donors will receive a T-shirt. For more information about the drive, email Tammy Bouchillon at tbouchillon@msblood.com.

Friday, April 27

East Carolina public health chair to give Edelman Lecture

Dr. Ronny A. Bell, professor and chair of public health at East Carolina University, will give the fourth annual Marian Wright Edelman Distinguished Lecture Series presentation, "The Emerging Threat of Type 2 Diabetes in Youth," from 1-2 p.m. on Friday, April 27, in room CW106 of the Classroom Wing.

The presentation is sponsored by the Myrlie Evers-Williams Institute for the Elimination of Health Disparities. For more information, call Robria Horton-Daniels at 5-9016 or email her at rldaniels@umc.edu. 

Friday, May 4

Pair of speakers scheduled for Radiology Grand Rounds

Dr. Thomas E. Merchant, radiation oncologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, will present “Radiation Therapy for Medulloblastoma: 20 Years of Advancement” from 8-9 a.m. and Dr. E. Mark Haacke, director of the MR Core Facility at Wayne State University, will present “Evaluating Neurodegenerative Disease Using SWI, SWIM and STAGE Imaging” from noon-1 p.m. as part of the Department of Radiology Grand Rounds on Friday, May 4, in Lecture Hall 124 of the Phil Bryant Medical Education Building.

For more information, call Cheryl Johnson at 5-3862 or email cajohnson2@umc.edu.