Lecture honors longtime leader in battle to improve
the health of South Carolinians

A respected leader in the battle against cancer among minorities and the medically underserved will deliver the first James A. Clyburn Lecture at the University of South Carolina on April 25.

Dr. Lovell A. Jones, director of the Center for Research on Minority Health at the University of Texas, will speak at 9 a.m. in the auditorium of the Arnold School’s Public Health Research Center, 921 Assembly Street. The lecture is open to USC students, faculty, staff and the public.

The lecture series honors U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who has served South Carolina's Sixth Congressional District since 1993. The Sumter native was an active member of the 1960s civil rights movement and was S.C. Human Affairs Commissioner from 1974-1992. He currently is House Majority Whip for the 110th Congress.

Dr. Saunda Glover, Arnold School associate dean for health disparities and social justice, said the lecture series is a "joint initiative between Claflin University and the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities at the University of South Carolina. It will bring together researchers and public health professionals in an interactive forum to discuss ways and means to eliminate the public health disparities that continue to plague South Carolina and the rest of the nation."

Glover, who also is director of the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, said the continuing series will, in turn, touch on disparities facing South Carolina's minority residents including cancer, stroke, obesity, HIV/AIDS and high blood pressure.

Clyburn, along with Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C., helped secure funding to establish the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities in 2003.

"His commitment to the elimination of health disparities is long-standing. Hence, the naming of the lecture series in honor of his service to the health needs of the people of South Carolina, the Southeast and the nation," said Glover.

Jones' efforts in combating cancer in minorities complements "an area of research strength of the health sciences at USC and an area where we have made significant efforts to join with community stakeholders to begin to focus on solutions," Glover said.

Jones, whose research center is part of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, is the founding co-chair of the Intercultural Cancer Council, the nation's largest multicultural health policy group focused on minorities, the medically underserved and cancer.

He has edited "Minorities & Cancer," one of the few comprehensive textbooks on this subject. He is the founding chair of "Minorities, the Medically Underserved and Cancer," the nation's largest multicultural conference which provides a forum for exchanging the latest scientific and treatment information.

This biennial conference brings together people from all ethnic communities and social strata to share strategies for reducing the incidence of cancer among these populations. Jones also has spearheaded regional hearings on cancer and the poor for the American Cancer Society.

In 2002, Jones, along with Dr. Armin Weinberg, the other cofounder of the Intercultural Cancer Council, received the Humanitarian Award from the American Cancer Society.

Between 1980 and 2007, Jones received more than $20 million in research funding for studies in which he was the principal investigator.

A question and answer period and a reception in the lobby of the PHRC will follow Jones' address at USC.

Abstracts describing disparities research due by April 16

Researchers studying South Carolina’s wide array of health disparities are invited to submit examples of their work for a poster session following the inaugural James A. Clyburn Lecture on April 25, 2008.

Site of the session will be the first floor of the Arnold School's Public Health Research Center on Assembly St. The area is outside the auditorium where Dr. Lovell A. Jones will lecture beginning at 9 a.m.

"At the University of South Carolina, there are hundreds of researchers across campus studying health disparities and delivering effective programs to improve the health status of South Carolinians and end health disparities," said Dr. Heather Brandt, an organizer of the poster project.

"In addition to well documented disparities among African Americans, we are facing new challenges, including renewed attention to the rural residents of our state as well as the growing Hispanic population."

"There are many common, underlying associations when examining health disparities across groups; however, for each group, there remains unique challenges," said Brandt.

USC faculty members, research staff, and students are eligible to participate in the poster presentations. Posters submitted by community partners describing community-based research and practice conducted in partnership with the University of South Carolina also are welcomed.

Abstracts describing health disparities research and/or practice are limited to 300 words or less. Contact information (name, affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and email address) for the corresponding author should be provided.

Abstracts that describe efforts to address health disparities previously presented at conferences and/or published in peer-reviewed journals are allowed (provided there are no restrictions by the conference and/or journal).

All abstracts submitted will be accepted for the poster session on the basis of receipt date and time as long as space allows. Abstracts received after reaching the maximum will be included in the booklet. There will be no formal review of abstracts. Submission of an abstract implies that at least one of the authors will put up the poster by 8:30 a.m. and be present for the poster session during the reception from 11:00 am to noon on April 25.

The maximum poster size is four feet (height) by eight feet (width) in landscape orientation. Additional information will be released as part of the confirmation process.

Please complete the abstract submission form and return by noon on April 16 to Jessica Bellinger (bellingj@mailbox.sc.edu) or Shalanda Bynum (sabynum01@aol.com). Emailed submissions are preferred; however, submissions may be faxed to (803) 777-6290.

Contact the poster session organizers for more information: Heather Brandt, 777-456 or 1hbrandt@sc.edu; Shalanda Bynum, 777-3439 or sabynum01@aol.com; Jessica Bellinger, 777-0716 or bellingj@mailbox.sc.edu.

Forging Solutions through Research and Practice
As part of the James E. Clyburn Health Disparities Lecture Series at the University of South
Carolina on Friday, April 25, 2008, the following call for abstracts describing research and
practice to address health disparities is issued.

A poster session at the James E. Clyburn Health Disparities Lecture Series on Friday, April 25,
2008 will be held on the first floor of the Public Health Research Center at the University of
South Carolina. The poster session will showcase health disparities research and practice being
conducted by University of South Carolina faculty members, research staff, and students.
Posters submitted by community partners describing community-based research and practice
conducted in partnership with the University of South Carolina are also welcomed. This poster
session is an opportunity to share health disparities research and practice with others who are
interested in efforts to address and eliminate health disparities.

Abstracts describing health disparities research and/or practice are limited to 300 words or less.
Contact information (name, affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and email address)
for the corresponding author should be provided. Abstracts that describe efforts to address
health disparities previously presented at conferences and/or published in peer-reviewed journals
are allowed (provided there are no restrictions by the conference and/or journal).

All abstracts submitted will be accepted for the poster session on the basis of receipt date and
time as long as space allows. Abstracts received after reaching the maximum will be included in
the booklet. There will be no formal review of abstracts. Submission of an abstract implies that
at least one of the authors will put up the poster by 8:30 am and be present for the poster session
during the reception from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm on Friday, April 25, 2008. The maximum
poster size is four feet (height) by eight feet (width) in landscape orientation. Additional
information will be sent out as part of the confirmation process.

Please complete the abstract submission form and return by 12 pm on April 16, 2008 to Jessica
Bellinger (bellingj@mailbox.sc.edu) or Shalanda Bynum (sabynum01@aol.com). Emailed
submissions are preferred; however, submissions may be faxed to (803) 777-6290.

Click here to download the form

Contact the poster session organizers for more information:
Heather Brandt, PhD (803) 777-4561 hbrandt@sc.edu
Shalanda Bynum, MS, MPH, PhD(c) (803) 777-3439 sabynum01@aol.com
Jessica Bellinger, MPH, PhD(c) (803) 777-0716 bellingj@mailbox.sc.edu