The 2018 Wayne State University Presidential Sesquicentennial Symposium: "Genes, Urban Environments and Health," scheduled for Sept. 14, will revolve around genomics and the impact of urban environments on human health. The program will include two plenary speakers, a panel discussion with experts and a student/trainee poster session.
The keynote speakers are Cynthia Beall, Ph.D., the Sarah Idell Pyle Professor of Anthropology and co-director of the Center for Research on Tibet at Case Western Reserve University, and Tracy Bale, Ph.D., professor and director of the Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, Department of Pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Beall, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, will present "Tibetans' unique adaptations to high altitude." Dr. Bale will present "Parental stress and epigenetic programming of offspring neurodevelopment."
The panel discussion will cover the following topics:
Effects of toxicants, social stress, health disparities and other urban environments on the genome, the epigenome and life course.
How can Wayne State University play a role in improving the health of Detroit?
Should we sequence our personal genome for better health care?
Urban microbiomes and health.
Models to study environmental effects on healthy development and technologies to study gene by environment interactions.
Panel members include:
Terrance Albrecht, Ph.D, professor and associate center director for Population Sciences, Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University
Catheryn Bock, Ph.D, associate professor for Population Sciences, Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University
Douglas Ruden, Ph.D, professor and director of Epigenomics, Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, Wayne State University
Michael Simon, M.D., M.P.H., professor of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University
Joanne Sobeck, Ph.D, associate dean for Research, director of the Center for Social Work Research, Wayne State University
Keoki Williams, M.D., M.P.H., professor of Internal Medicine, Wayne
State University, senior scientist, Henry Ford Health System
Submission of abstracts for poster presentations in any topic related to this symposium are welcome. A number of abstracts will be selected for a Poster Walk and for the best poster competition. The deadline for abstract submission has been extended to Aug. 31. Visit https://www.eventleaf.com/gw2018 for abstract submissions.
The symposium, which will take place at the Wayne State University Student Center from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., is free, but registration is required at https://www.eventleaf.com/gw2018. A reception with music accompaniment will conclude the event.
The event is co-organized by Genomics@Wayne, RoBUST, the School of Social Work and CURES.
For more information, email genomics@wayne.edu.