FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 18, 2001
#01-03

NIEHS CONTACT:
Lou Rozier
(919) 541-1993

18 Apr 2001: 'Tuskegee' Revisited: Director of Nation's First African American Bioethics Center to Speak To Medical and Dental Students on Ethical Controversies in Medical Research

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. (http://www.primetimes.com/articles/9906art/bioethics.htm) , 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.