Senator Leticia Van de Putte, RPh, will be featured as keynote speaker in the second Distinguished Speaker presentation at the UNT Health Science Center June 21 in Luibel Hall on the Health Science Center campus.

Senator Van de Putte will present “Genes, Culture and Medicines: Bridging the Gaps in Treatment for Hispanic Americans.” She has been a pharmacist for more than 26 years and has served in the Texas Legislature since 1990.

She was a Kellogg Fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1993, and she earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy.

Senator Van de Putte will discuss the complex relationships among culture, environment, population genetics, drug metabolism and drug response; identify ethnic differences in clinical response to drugs, drug metabolism and response; and define strategies to increase greater diversity in health professions and improve cross-culture communication.

This presentation will educate primary care physicians about the various health disparities facing the Hispanic American population in the 21st century. This presentation targets community-based physicians and healthcare providers in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

Faculty, residents and students are also encouraged to attend.

Registration for the event will begin at 4:45 p.m., with welcome and introductions at 5:15 p.m. However, seating is limited, and pre-registration is encouraged.

Senator Van de Putte’s presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m., with a panel discussion to follow. A reception will immediately follow in the Atrium of the Education and Administration building.

The Distinguished Speaker Series is an ongoing series of presentations at UNT Health Science Center by internationally renowned scientists for intellectual and educational exchange with UNTHSC faculty and the North Texas community.

Each invited scholar will deliver a keynote lecture that will be followed by a question-and-answer session with a panel that will include the keynote speaker and local experts, including UNTHSC faculty and relevant community members.

Upcoming Distinguished Speakers will focus on aging and Alzheimer’s disease; women’s health issues; physical and osteopathic manipulative medicine; and health equities.

Attendees of this program will receive 1.5 hours in Category 2A CME credit hours from AOA; 1.5 credit hours in Category 1 from PRA/AMA; or 1.5 Type 1 contact hours for nursing accreditation. Those wishing credit for attendance must complete the attendance record/credit request form and the evaluation form at the end of the program.

To register, call Carol Scott at 817-735-2539. Fax and e-mail registrations are also accepted, and may be sent to 817-735-2598 or register@hsc.unt.edu. Be sure to include name, degree, address, phone number, fax number and e-mail address, along with the name of the presentation: “Genes, Culture and Medicines: Bridging Gaps in Treatment for Hispanic Americans.”

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