Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Schedules Health 2005 National Conference

September 1, 2005

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health will hold its 2005 National Conference Sept. 8-9 at the Marriott Winston-Salem. Registration is required.

The two-day conference, Cardiovascular Disease Disparities: Translating Research into Practice, will bring together national experts in cardiovascular health, minority health and researchers from the Heart Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to address the meaning and societal impact of disparities in cardiovascular health. Presenters will highlight distinct populations most impacted by cardiovascular disparities defined by race, ethnicity, gender, geography and socioeconomic status.

James Reed, M.D., professor of medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, will deliver a lunch-time presentation on Thursday Sept. 8 titled, “Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Risk.”

On Friday morning, Sept. 9, B. Waine Kong, Ph.D., J.D., the CEO of the Association of Black Cardiologists Inc., will speak on the role of spirituality and cardiovascular health.

John M. Flack, M.D., M.P.H., professor of medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, will deliver the keynote address, “Unraveling the Tangled Web of Race, Genes, Disease and Therapeutics,” at a 6 p.m. dinner.

Craig Marberry, author of “Cuttin’ Up: Wit & Wisdom from Black Barber Shops,” will sign copies of his book at a reception following dinner. Black barbershops have been utilized by public health officials to disseminate health information and provide health screenings to underserved populations. A percentage of the proceeds from the sales of the book will be donated to the Angelou Research Center endowment. Marberry is known for his previous books, “Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats,” and “Spirit of Harlem: A Portrait of America’s Most Exciting Neighborhood.”

For information, contact Terry Gray, tgray@wfubmc.edu, (336) 713-7733.

###

Media Contacts: Jim Steele, jsteele@wfubmc.edu, or Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, at (336) 716-4587.

About Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center: Wake Forest Baptist is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,187 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.

Media Relations