News Release
Archive - New Contact Information
Wednesday, April 18, 2001, 12:00 p.m. EDT
(919) 541-1993
To many African Americans, "Tuskegee" is synonymous with a study (http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/library/historical/medical_history/bad_blood/) begun in 1932 of 400 African American men with syphilis in Macon County, Alabama - a study that failed to provide treatment to the men as new therapies began to be developed. Some say blacks remain reluctant to enroll in medical research because of this notorious study.
But Tuskegee can also mean medical ethics. Marian G. Secundy, Ph.D., is director of the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care (http://www.tuskegee.edu/bioethics/) at Tuskegee University (http://www.tuskegee.edu/) , the first African American bioethics center.
Dr. Secundy will talk at 10:45 AM on May 4th in the NC Biotechnology Center, to area medical and dental students. She is part of a medical symposium that runs from 8:30 AM until lunch, co-sponsored by the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) (http://www.snma.org/) , the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (http://www.niehs.nih.gov), and the National Institutes of Health (http://www.nih.gov) . The Medical Symposium is part of three days of activities highlighting Health Disparities and promoting healthy lifestyles.
IN ADDITION, ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE FOR INTERESTED REPORTERS TO INTERVIEW DR. SECUNDY. CALL 919-605-6783.
The activities begin with a Thursday evening private reception at the John Hope Franklin Research Center (http://www.jhfc.duke.edu/) , Duke University (http://www.duke.edu) . A broad discussion of minority health disparities begins Friday, May 4th at 8:00 a.m. and continues through lunch at the NC Biotechnology Center (http://www.ncbiotech.org/) , 15 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC. Students will tour NIEHS laboratories later that afternoon. On Saturday, May 5th, HEALTH Day - a health and career awareness fair for high school students and their families - takes place at NIEHS from 8 AM 'til 3 PM. The activities represent the first local outreach event that is part of NIEHS's and NIH's new effort to eliminate racial and ethnic health gaps.
NIH's program of action on health disparities will focus on African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics and Latinos, Native Americans and Native Alaskans initially.
About the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS): NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of the National Institutes of Health. For more information on NIEHS or environmental health topics, visit www.niehs.nih.gov or subscribe to a news list.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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