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Medicine for the Public: 2002 Lecture Series
      . . .topics of current relevance presented by NIH researchers




About the Lectures

About the Speakers

NIH Videocasts

NIH Radio Network Interviews

Research Channel Broadcasts/Webcasts   – Instructions
  – Broadcast Dates

Back to most current lectures

Past lectures:

2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

The 26th annual Medicine for the Public Lectures took place Sept. – Oct. 2002, at the NIH Clinical Center's Masur Auditorium. NIH Videocasts are available for each lecture, as well as NIH Radio Network Interviews with the speakers. In addition, Research Channel Broadcasts and Webcasts are scheduled for late 2002 and early 2003.
"Bioterrorism"
Speaker: Pierre Noel, M.D.
About the Lecture | About the Speaker | NIH Videocast | NIH Radio Network Interview |
Research Channel (see webcast instructions)
"Nutritional Therapies for Age-Related Eye Diseases"
Speaker: Emily Chew, M.D.
About the Lecture | About the Speaker | Videocast | NIH Radio Network Interview | Research Channel (see webcast instructions)
"The Genetics of Speech and Communication Disorders"
Speaker: Dennis Drayna, Ph.D.
About the lecture | About the speaker | NIH Videocast | NIH Radio Network Interview |
Research Channel
(see webcast instructions)
"The Teen Brain"
Speaker: Jay Giedd, M.D.
About the Lecture | About the Speaker | NIH Videocast | NIH Radio Network Interview |
"Coping with Anxiety and Depression in Uncertain Times"
Speaker: Dennis Charney, M.D.
About the Lecture | About the Speaker | NIH Videocast | NIH Radio Network Interview | Research Channel (see webcast instructions)
"Endometriosis: Scrambled Eggs and Killer Cramps"
Speaker: Pamela Stratton, M.D.
About the Lecture | About the Speaker | NIH Videocast | NIH Radio Network Interview | Research Channel (see webcast instructions)

About the Lectures

The 2002 Medicine for the Public lecture series, now in its 26th year, features physician-researchers working in the frontiers of medical discovery at the National Institutes of Health. The series helps people understand the latest developments in medicine with an emphasis on topics of current relevance presented by speakers who can relate stories of science to the lay public.

The lectures, which are free and open to the public, are typically held at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Clinical Center's Masur Auditorium, National Institutes of Health.


"Bioterrorism"(lecture presented 9/17/02)
Every American citizen became sensitized to bioterrorism after the anthrax letter events of October 2001. In a world where politics and economic trends are dictated by the United States, biological weapons offer an asymmetric advantage to political or religious groups waging war with the United States and the American way of life. Dr. Noel presented the recent history of biological warfare programs, which offer a good perspective of what the future may hold. He also discussed the biologic and physical characteristics that may render a biological agent a potential weapon. Anthrax, plague and smallpox are three of the most likely organisms to be used as biological weapons. Understanding the biology, mechanisms of toxicity, modes of spread and current preventive and therapeutic measures, lays the groundwork for future research in biodefense.

"The Genetics of Speech and Communication Disorders" (lecture presented 9/24/02)
Communication is a crucial part of everyone's life. But when someone has problems speaking or understanding, their very existence is affected. Millions of Americans suffer from communication disorders. In fact, stuttering affects about 1 percent of the U. S. population. Dr. Drayna explained how genes affect the ability to communicate. Specifically, he discussed his work with stuttering and disorders of pitch recognition—also known as "tone deafness."

"Coping with Anxiety and Depression in Uncertain Times" (lecture presented 10/01/02)
The experience of psychological trauma is not an uncommon occurrence in today's society. Recent research indicates that severe psychological trauma can cause symptoms persistent of anxiety and depression. Dr. Charney discussed these symptoms and how they affect brain function and alter body systems, and explored current treatments available.

"Nutritional Therapies for Age-Related Eye Diseases" (lecture presented 10/8/02)
Between 2000 and 2020, the number of people 65 years or older in the United States will increase from 35 million to 53 million, a 53 percent increase. This is the fastest growing segment of the United States. The public health significance of age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts will increase. Dr. Chew explained age-related eye diseases, their incidence and the results of recent studies regarding nutritional supplements for these conditions. The public health impact of such treatment was also assessed.

"The Teen Brain" (lecture presented 10/15/02)
Any parent of a teenager can attest to the fact that the brain of a 13-year-old is different than the brain of a 9-year-old. Yet to actually pin down those differences in a scientific way has been elusive. Magnetic resonance imaging has changed that. It safely provides exquisitely accurate pictures of the living, growing brain and has launched a new era of adolescent neuroscience. Dr. Giedd explored recent findings from brain imaging and the implications these findings have for parents, teachers, society, and the teens themselves.

"Endometriosis: Scrambled Eggs and Killer Cramps" (lecture presented 10/29/02)
Endometriosis is a commong gynecologic disease. Tissues resembling the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, usually on the pelvic organs. Some women find out they have endometriosis when they have trouble becoming pregnant. Others with endometriosis have pelvic pain with their menstrual periods or with sex. The pain may be so severe that it impacts on their quality of life, affecting their intimate relationships and day-to-day activities. Some women don't have any symptoms from endometriosis. The treatments for endometriosis are tailored to the woman's symptoms. Women with infertility may benefit from surgery or other assisted reproductive techniques. Those with pain may benefit from surgery or hormonal treatments, in addition to taking medications for pain relief. Medical research on endometriosis continues to look into improving drug therapies and surgical treatments, but because of the complexity of the disease, there may be a long way to go before finding a cure. Dr. Stratton explained a study investigating whether raloxifene will prevent the return of pain after surgical treatment of endometriosis. What sets this research apart is the study of a designer estrogen, which blocks the body’s estrogen in the uterus and therefore may prevent the regrowth of endometriosis. The researchers are also investigating other aspects of the disease such as quality of life.

NIH Videocasts

"Bioterrorism"
"The Genetics of Speech and Communication Disorders"
"Coping with Anxiety and Depression in Uncertain Times"
"Nutritional Therapies for Age-related Eye Diseases"
"The Teen Brain"
"Endometriosis: Scrambled Eggs and Killer Cramps"


About the Speakers

Pierre Noel, M.D.("Bioterrorism")
Dennis Drayna, M.D. ("The Genetics of Speech and Communication Disorders")
Dennis Charney, M.D. ("Nutritional Therapies for Age-related Eye Diseases")
Jay Giedd, M.D. ("The Teen Brain")
Emily Chew, M.D. ("Coping with Anxiety and Depression in Uncertain Times")
Pamela Stratton, M.D. ("Endometriosis: Scrambled Eggs and Killer Cramps")


NIH Radio Network Interviews

Pierre Noel, M.D.("Bioterrorism")
Dennis Drayna, M.D. ("The Genetics of Speech and Communication Disorders")
Dennis Charney, M.D.("Coping with Anxiety and Depression in Uncertain Times")
Emily Chew, M.D. ("Nutritional Therapies for Age-related Eye Diseases")
Jay Giedd, M.D. ("The Teen Brain")
Pamela Stratton, M.D. ("Endometriosis: Scrambled Eggs and Killer Cramps")

Research Channel Broadcasts/Webcasts

To see the Medicine for the Public lectures on TV, tune in to the Research Channel each week on Tuesdays at (Eastern Standard Time) 6 a.m., 11 a.m., 4 p.m., 9 p.m.; and Wednesdays at 1 a.m.

Webcast Instructions

Once a lecture has premiered, you can view the broadcast on your computer. Note that THIS WILL TAKE YOU OFF THE NIH CLINICAL CENTER WEBSITE.

To do so:

  1. http://www.researchchannel.org/program/displayseries.asp?collid=31 and select the (already premiered) lecture webcast you want to watch (or you can go directly to a webcast using the links from this website).
  2. Scroll down to the "Select Speed" box (next to "Windows Media Player").
  3. Select the proper connection speed for your computer (if you are viewing the webcast from within the NIH network, you should select "Cable" for your speed).
  4. Wait for the webcast to come up on your screen.
Note: You will need to download Windows Media Player if it is not already installed on your computer.

Broadcast Dates
"Bioterrorism" premier: November 19, 2002
"The Genetics of Speech and Communication Disorders" premier: November 26, 2002
" Nutritional Therapies for Age-related Eye Diseases" premier: December 3, 2002
"Coping with Anxiety and Depression in Uncertain Times" premier: December 10, 2002
"The Teen Brain" premier: January 7, 2003
"Endometriosis: Scrambled Eggs and Killer Cramps" premier: January 14, 2003

To access the ResearchChannel programming visit their website at: http://www.researchchannel.org/

 

This page last reviewed January 9, 2003

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