The Jackson Heart Study confronts the Heart of an Epidemic.

Herman A. Taylor, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A., Professor of Medicine Dodgen Lecture February 19, 2004

Dr. Herman A. Taylor, Jr., currently serves as Director and Principal Investigator of the new Jackson Heart Study, a landmark project sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the Office of Research on Minority Health of the National Institutes of Health. In that capacity, he holds appointments at Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (Professor of Medicine). He received his undergraduate training at Princeton University and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Before completing his residency in internal medicine, he served 3 years in the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service in Miami, Florida. His work among the multiethnic population of inner city Miami solidified his career goal of working for improved health of American minority populations. After completing training in Internal Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a cardiology fellowship at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), he was appointed to the UAB faculty. At UAB he served as Attending Cardiologist at the University Hospital, the Birmingham Veterans Medical Center and the Cooper Green Hospital. Prior to his present appointment, he was Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. During his 9 years on faculty at UAB, he established interests in preventive cardiology, acute coronary syndromes, and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular health. He also founded Heart to Heart - a non-profit organization, which provides cardiac surgical services for children from the developing world.

Dr. Taylor has published numerous research articles in renowned journals such as Hypertension, The New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Cardiology, American Journal of Epidemiology, Achieves of Internal Medicine and Circulation to name a few. During his career, Dr. Taylor has received several prominent recognition awards. The most recent awards include the Preventative Cardiology Academic Award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood (NIH, 1995), The American Heart Association Distinguished Service Award (1997-1998), the Best Doctors in America Award (2001-2002) and most recently the prestigious Daniel Savage Award for Excellence in Research (2003).

As leader of the Jackson Heart Study, he envisions helping create a better understanding of CVD among African-Americans as a guide to effective strategies to improve health and eliminate disparities. Furthermore, the Heart Study will improve the research capacity of its partner institutions while helping train future leaders in the sciences of health.

Dr. Taylor resides in the Jackson, MS area with his wife, Jasmine Pugh Taylor, and their 3 children: Mathew, Johnathan and Jaylen.

8:30-9:15 AM--Plenary Session I

Audrey K. Tsao, M.D., Professor Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation The University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, MS

Dr. Tsao received her Bachelor of Engineering Science in Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science for Johns Hopkins University in 1982. She attended Weill Medical College of Cornell University and received her M.D. in 1986. After completing her orthopaedic residency at Northwestern University - McGraw Medical in Chicago, she completed a fellowship in Arthritis and Total Joint Reconstructive Surgery at Johns Hopkins University Good Samaritan Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Tsao has published numerous articles and has lectured extensively on her specialties, as well as being actively involved in biological research. In 1994, she coordinated a total joint workshop and currently has multiple grants on total joints and osteonecrosis related research. Dr. Tsao has held a faculty appointment in orthopaedic surgery at Johns Hopkins University before joining the University of Mississippi Medical Center and presently services on the Senate. A few of her professional memberships include the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, National Osteonecrosis Foundation, the Orthopaedic Research Society, the Society for Arthritic Joint Surgery and the Society for Biomaterials.

Title: ORTHOPAEDICS AND ENGINEERING: THE CHICKEN AND THE EGG

Orthopedic principles of strain and stress and compressive forces for fracture fixation, piezoelectric bone healing and design of custom total joint replacements or rods and screws for fractures are primarily orthopedic science right? Or was that engineering for materials science, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering for that structure known as the human body. What about that monitor in the operating room for measuring oxygen levels or the electrical vectors of the heart. Didn't we just design that mobile device triggered by a puff of air to transport 200 LB mass 10 blocks that just happens to be a human body paralyzed from an auto accident? Engineering and orthopedics intimately related just pick the methods of personal interaction.

12:00-12:40 PM--Plenary Session II

Dr. Richard Alley and Dr. Joan Fitzpatrick

Dr. Richard Alley is a worldwide recognized expert on the history of climate change, especially as seen through the record preserved in the ice sheets and glaciers of the Arctic, Antarctic, and Greenland. Dr. Alley is a professor at Pennsylvania State University in the Department of Geosciences. Besides his many professional papers, he has served on a variety of panels and steering committees for the National Science Foundation. He was called upon to advise V.P. Al Gore on the climate change subject. His book, "The Two Mile Time Machine," a development of the climate history found in continuous ice cores, is in its second edition.

Dr. Joan Fitzpatrick is with the United States Geological Survey and managed the national ice core laboratory. As such, she was intimately involved in the United States effort to unravel the mystery of climates past and their lessons for the future. Among her many publications and professional presentations was a talk she gave to the Mississippi Geological Society several years ago. It was, without a doubt, one of the most informative and thought-provoking addresses the society has heard.

Title: CLIMATE CHANGE: ITS HISTORY AND FUTURE

This world we live in has kept excellent records of its past activities in the rocks, sediments, and continental ice sheets. Through time, some of that excellent record is destroyed, but some, or at least enough, is preserved. This preserved record begs to be read so that its story and lessons may be known. With the present level of political and popular attention focused on climate change, it is important that science be called upon to present the facts as they are known and understood at this time of critical decision making.

Many scientists from all over the world are working on all aspects of climate change, its past and future. The Mississippi Academy of Sciences is very pleased to bring two such distinguished scientists to our Biloxi meeting.

12:00-12:40 PM--Plenary Session III

Dr. Joseph A. Cameron, Professor and Director of Graduate Program Director of Minority Institutional Research Training Program Former Director of Community Mobilization, Jackson Heart Study Director of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program Department of Biology, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS

Dr. Joseph A. Cameron received the Ph.D degree from Michigan State University in 1973. He currently holds the position of Professor of Biology at Jackson State University and has held this position since 1978. During his tenure at Jackson State University, Dr. Cameron has developed many graduate and undergraduate courses and has been appointed as coordinator of the graduate program since 1985. He has also served as Interim Dean, School of Science and Technology. Dr. Cameron's greatest contribution to Jackson State University is his desire to enhance and generate an interest in science throughout the educational pipeline, i.e. high school, junior college, college and doctoral degree levels. NIH has funded Dr. Cameron since 1985 to encourage students at these various levels. From 1986 to 2002, Dr. Cameron served as the Director of the Minority Institutional Research Training Program at Jackson State University. The program was sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and had an annual budget of 193,000 dollars. The program was a cooperative research-training project between Jackson State University and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The primary purpose of the program is to identify, motivate, and train talented minority institutional pre-doctoral students. Dr. Cameron is also the former Director and Chief Administrator for the Community Mobilization component of the Jackson Heart Study. The program is sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute in conjunction with the Office of Research on Minority Health. The program is a cooperative, interinstitutional, epidemiological study of cardiovascular disease between Jackson State University, Tougaloo College and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Cameron also serves as Director of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program at Jackson State University. The program is sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and has an annual budget of 200,000 dollars. The program is a cooperative research-training project between Jackson State University and Hinds Community College involving the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics. The program encourages Community College minority students to seek B. S and higher degrees. Dr. Cameron also serves as Coordinator of collaborative Bridges to the Doctorate Degree Program with Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis and the University of North Texas at Forth Worth. These are just a few of the many federally funded programs for which Dr. Cameron has served as director. Dr. Cameron is well respected at NIH and has served as Chair/Member of many Special Emphasis Panels at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, as well as Member of many Special Emphasis Panels at the National Center for Minority Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Cameron has also found time to publish as well as mentor students. He has published numerous journal articles and has produced over 40 Master level students. Dr. Cameron's goal is to serve his community through education.

Title: BRIDGES TO THE BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAM: A METHOD TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH SCIENTISTS

The goal of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program at Jackson State University and Hinds Community College is to facilitate the transition of underrepresented Community College students into Baccalaureate Degree Programs. The University of Mississippi Medical Center consults and assist program faculty with the provision of programs strategies, including academic enrichment activities, laboratory techniques and research experiences. Modern technological concepts, cognitive skills and diagnostic laboratory procedures in Chemistry, Computer Science and the Biological Sciences are reinforced in academic year activities. The academic year component has been an effective preparatory strategy for summer research activities as indicated by student interest and mastery of biotechnological research techniques and concepts. A Southeastern Regional Bridges Research Conferences is held annually to allow students in participating Bridges Programs the opportunity to present research results before regional interstate peers and program faculty. Faculty, student and interstate peer assessment of student and program activities also reflect the success of academic enrichment and summer research-training activities. Additional program provisions include: curricular enrichment, guest faculty lectureships, mentoring tutoring, counseling, senior college course credits and exposure to biomedical professionals. Activities are conducted on Saturdays during academic year and weekdays for eight weeks in the summer. The goal of the Bridges to the Doctorate Degree Program is to facilitate the transition of underrepresented masters level students to doctorate degree programs in the biomedical sciences at IUPUI and the University of North Texas at Forth Worth. Students are provided research support, mentoring, travel to scientific meetings and exposure to biomedical professionals at the doctorate and masters level institutions.

Herman A. Taylor, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A., Professor of Medicine