Sickle Cell Disease Symposium Aims to Interest High School Students in Biomedical Research
Posted on: Wednesday, 6 December 2006, 21:00 CST
ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Hematology (ASH(TM)), the world's largest professional society of blood specialists, will host a special symposium for high school students as part of its 48th Annual Meeting to help stimulate an interest in hematology, the biological sciences, and medical research. The symposium will focus on sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder in which blood cells become abnormally shaped, causing severe pain.
"Our goal is to get students interested in hematology and scientific research," said Linda Burns, MD, Chair of ASH's Committee on Training Programs, which helped organize the event. "And we felt that a well known and well studied disorder such as sickle cell disease would be a great starting point."
The half-day event will be held Friday, December 8, in the Orange County Convention Center. Students from four local high schools will be in attendance: Apopka, Colonial, Evans, and Oak Ridge.
After a kick-off breakfast, a lecture focusing on the diagnosis and clinical manifestations of sickle cell disease will be presented by Richard Lottenberg, MD, a renowned expert in the field from the University of Florida. A presentation on treatment options will follow, given by Kenneth Ataga, MD, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A series of brief hands- on activities focusing on other in-depth aspects of the disease, such as risk factors and DNA analysis, will round out the learning experience.
ASH is also sponsoring a poster contest for the symposium participants. Teams of students are invited to conduct background research on sickle cell disease and then showcase their findings with a poster and oral presentation at a luncheon at the end of the symposium. The top three posters will be selected on site, and cash prizes of $1,500, $1,000, and $750 will be awarded to the winning teams' science departments.
The American Society of Hematology (http://www.hematology.org/) is the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders. Its mission is to further the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting blood, bone marrow, and the immunologic, hemostatic, and vascular systems, by promoting research, clinical care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology.
American Society of Hematology
CONTACT: Leslie Humbel of Spectrum Science Communications,+1-202-955-6222, lhumbel@spectrumscience.com, for American Society ofHematology; or Laura Stark of American Society of Hematology, +1-202-776-0544,lstark@hematology.org; On-site (12/8-12/12): +1-407-685-5405
Web site: http://www.hematology.org/
Source: PRNewswire
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