Final Agenda ( PDF, 94KB)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) Region VIII is hosting a two-day conference entitled, "Research for Native Health: Strengthening Partnerships, Promoting Trust, and Increasing Communication," in collaboration with Regions VI and IX, the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), Indian Health Service, the Office of Minority Health, and other partners.

The two-day conference will be held at the Adams Mark Hotel in Denver, Colorado on August 22-23, 2007.

Presenters will include:

• Phillip S. (Sam) Deloria, JD, Director, American Indian Graduate Center
• Doris Cook, MPH, Aboriginal Ethics Policy Development
• John Blackhawk, Chairman, Winnebago Nation (Invited)
• Beverly Becenti-Pigman, IRB Chair, Navajo Nation
• Bernard A. Schwetz, DVM, PhD, Director, Office for Human Research Protections
• Phillip L. Smith, MD, MPH, Director, Division of Planning Evaluation & Research, Indian Health Service

The conference will provide opportunities to improve the dialogue between Tribal Nations, academic scientists, government researchers, American Indian community representatives, policymakers, and funders regarding key issues involving human research, ethics, tribal sovereignty, and the role of Institutional Review Boards in tribal decision making.

The conference will provide opportunities to:

• Discuss issues related to ethics, informed consent, and research participation
• Discuss issues related to American Indian community research protections as well as community and Tribal sovereignty rights
• Provide technical assistance to Tribal Institutional Review Boards and
• Generate recommendations, resources and tools for dealing with the unique challenges for conducting research in American Indian communities.

Topics during the conference will include:

• Tribal sovereignty and its unique contribution to human research
• Value and benefit of research and collaboration
• Human research protection regulations
• Institutional Review Boards and their role in protecting Tribal sovereignty in human research studies
• Case studies and experiences
• Emerging issues
  • Genetics, serum banking
  • Data ownership and dissemination
  • Tribal community and individual consent
  • Urban based research
  • Enhancement of research skills and tools
• Recommendations and development of additional resources

Registration will open on June 4, 2007! To register beginning June 4 go to http://www.peopleware.net/2104c

For more information, contact Jodie Bohl, JSI Research & Training Institute at jbohl@jsi.com or 303-262-4301.