Research Ethics in Studying Genes and Environment in Diabetes Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities

We will explore three themes related to the role of race/ethnicity and ethics in the study of disease in racial and ethnic minority populations. 

• Evolutionary biology and race/ethnicity – Methodology and Theory. New Insights on the role of race/ethnicity and disease.  

• Revisiting ethics in conducting research in racial and ethnic minority populations:  New perspectives and  lessons

• Diabetes in racial and ethnic minority populations

Alternative Lodging:

Embassy Suites Paloma Village - 6350 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85718 (2 miles – about 5 minutes)

Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort  - www.haciendadelsol.com - 5601 North Hacienda del Sol Road, Tucson, AZ 85718 (520) 299-1501 (0.7 miles – about 2 minutes)

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort  - www.loewshotels.com - 7000 North Resort Drive, Tucson, AZ 85750 (520) 299-2020 (5.9 miles – about 10 minutes)

Canyon Ranch - 8600 East Rockcliff Road, Tucson, AZ 85750 (7.8 miles – about 14 minutes)

Lodge at Ventana Canyon - 6200 North Club House, Tucson, AZ 85750 Phone: 520-577-1400; (5.3 miles – about 9 minutes)

Windmill Suites at St Philips Plaza - 4250 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85718 (3.6 miles – about 9 minutes)

Westward Look Resort - 245 East Ina Road, Tucson, AZ 85704 (4.3 miles – about 7 minutes)

La Posada Lodge & Casitas - 5900 North Oracle Road, Tucson, AZ 85704 (6.7 miles – about 12 minutes)

Hampton Inn & Suites - 5950 North Oracle Road, Tucson, AZ 85704 (6.8 miles – about 12 minutes)

The mission of the Minority Affairs Committee of the American College of Epidemiology (ACE-MAC) is to increase minority representation in the profession, and to recommend actions to increase epidemiologic research on health concerns of racial and ethnic minority populations.

The Ethics Committee is charged with addressing ethical, legal and social issues, developing educational resources, working with other committees and advising the College and others, as appropriate. The committee consists of five or more Fellows or Members, appointed by the President, for three-year terms.

Program

SPEAKERS:

Paul Ewald, PhD, is an evolutionary biologist, specializing in the evolution of infectious diseases. He is currently director of the program in Evolutionary Medicine at the Biology Department of the University of Louisville. He is the author of Plague Time: The New Germ Theory of Disease.

Carlos Castillo Chavez, PhD, is theUniversity Regents Professor and Joaquin Bustoz Jr. Professor of Mathematical Biology at The Arizona State University. His research is driven by the role of social landscapes on pathogens’ disease evolution. His current research focuses on the role of epidemiological modeling approaches and methods in the study of the deliberate release of biological agents (smallpox) as well as on the dynamics of social organizations.

Charles Rotimi, PhD, a genetic epidemiologist and a biochemist, is a senior investigator in the Inherited Disease Branch of the NHGRI intramural program. He is also the Director of the Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health (CRGGH). The mission of this new trans-NIH center is to advance research into the role of culture, lifestyle, genetics and genomics in disease etiology and health disparities. Dr. Rotimi develops genetic epidemiology models and conducts population genetics research that explores the patterns and determinants of common complex diseases in the human populations with particular emphasis on populations of the African Diaspora. As a senior investigator and director of the CRGGH, Dr. Rotimi will lead a team of researchers across multiple disciplines (Medicine, genetics/genomics, epidemiology, statistics and informatics) to understand the complex interactions between inherited characteristics and environmental factors in disease susceptibility, variable drug response and health disparities. For example, his team is engaged in the first genome-wide scan of an African American cohort, with the goal of identifying genes associated with obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Dr. Rotimi’s lab will continue to contribute to the global understanding of human genetic variation and its implication for differential diseases distribution, variable drug response and human migration history. 

Thomas M. Weiser, MD, MPH: is the Medical Epidemiologist for the Portland Area Indian Health Service and is based at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB). Since July, 2007, he has assisted with Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) training activities, emergency preparedness planning, infectious disease surveillance and maternal and child health concerns. Dr. Weiser is the medical consultant for the Portland Area immunization program and also serves as Co-chair of the Portland Area IHS Institutional Review Board.

Yvette Roubideaux, MD, MPH , Assistant Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona.  Her work involves teaching, research and program development in the areas of diabetes in American Indians, as well as Indian health policy.

MODERATORS:

Jorge Ibarra, MD, MPH – Chair, ACE-MAC, Workshop Planning Committee
Ken Goodman, PhD – Chair, Ethics Committee, Workshop Planning Committee
Olivia Carter-Pokras, PhD – Vice-Chair ACE-MAC, Workshop Planning Committee
Rhonda BeLue PhD - ACE-MAC Workshop Planning Committee
Jonathan Tobin, PhD - ACE-MAC Workshop Planning Committee
Charles Oke, PhD - ACE-MAC Workshop Planning Committee
Judith Samkoff, MD, ScM - ACE-MAC Workshop Planning Committee, Logistics

AGENDA