Prominent public health officials, geneticists, social scientists and journalists are meeting in Vancouver on March 4 to discuss new opportunities and risks that genetics presents for Aboriginal health.
The public workshop, hosted by the UBC Graduate School of Journalism, promises to advance Aboriginal health reporting across the country. The event is free but registration is required (please see below).
The statistics are familiar. Aboriginal peoples in Canada are suffering a cardiovascular crisis. First Nations peoples are inflicted by a diabetes epidemic as well as soaring TB and HIV/AIDS infection rates. Infants in Inuit-inhabited areas die at three times the rate of other Canadian babies. Inuit youth suicide rates are amongst the highest in the world.
But the promise of genetics research for addressing these health disparities is under-reported and the challenges of conducting research within Aboriginal communities are little voiced within the media. Canada’s internationally pioneering initiatives in this area, including the concept of “DNA on loan,” are barely discussed.
Prominent invitees include Dr. Marcus Lem, Health Canada’s director of Health Protection, First Nations and Inuit Health for British Columbia, who will introduce new research into the effects of both tuberculosis and vaccinations within Aboriginal populations.
Dr. Nadine Caron, general surgeon at Prince George Regional Hospital, will speak about First Nations’ exclusion from research and treatment programs, and the challenge of translating research into health delivery. Dr. Ruha Benjamin, postdoctoral fellow at the University of California Los Angeles will present ongoing research into the impact of public health genomics for indigenous peoples globally. Duncan McCue, CBC reporter and visiting professor in media and indigenous peoples at UBC will address the issue from a journalist’s perspective.
Respondents include prominent Canadian genetics, epidemiologists and public health officials. Invited Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal journalists from diverse media organisations will participate in a discussion with leading scholars from multiple health disciplines.
Date: Thursday, March 4, 2010
Time: 9:30 am – Noon
Location: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
639 Hornby Street, Vancouver
Map: www.billreidgallery.ca/PlanVisit/Map.php
Panelists:
Dr. Ruha Benjamin
Postdoctoral Fellow
Center for Society and Genetics
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Nadine Caron
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Dr. Donald Rix Northern Health Sciences Centre
University of Northern British Columbia
Dr. Marcus Lem
Director, Health Protection
First Nations & Inuit Health, British Columbia Region, Health Canada
Duncan McCue
Visiting Professor in Media and Indigenous Peoples and Award-winning CBC Television National Reporter
Graduate School of Journalism, University of British Columbia
Respondents:
Dr. Evan Adams
Aboriginal Health Physician Advisor
BC Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport
Dr. Laura Arbour
Associate Professor
UBC Medical Genetics and the Island Medical Program
Dr. Linda Larcombe
Assistant Professor
Department of Internal Medicine
University of Manitoba
The event is sponsored by Genome British Columbia and by the UBC Graduate School of Journalism.
There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. Please email jandciu@interchange.ubc.ca to reserve your spot.
Space is extremely limited so please register early to avoid disappointment.
RSVP:
Eric Jandciu
jandciu@interchange.ubc.ca
