Conference Brings Together American Indian Health Researchers

Apr 9, 2008

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The sixth annual American Indian Health Research Conference will take place on Friday, April 18, at the University of North Dakota (UND) Memorial Union.

Organized by Center for Rural Health at UND, this free event will feature nationally known speakers in the area of American Indian health research, oral and poster presentations featuring American Indian populations by students and researchers, and discussions of new ways to develop American Indian research opportunities.

The conference also features:

Keynote speaker Judith Kaur, M.D. – 9:15 a.m., Lecture Bowl
Dr. Kaur, Chocktaw and Cherokee, has devoted her career to the improvement of survival rates for American Indians with cancer. As medical director of the Native American Programs of the Mayo Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Rochester, Minn., Dr. Kaur develops and oversees programs geared towards cancer education and prevention. Dr. Kaur also serves as associate professor of oncology at Mayo Medical School and as medical as medical director of the Mayo Hospice.

A tribute to the late Dr. Alan J. Allery -- 12:30 p.m., Ballroom
A fallen member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Dr. Allery had been an adjunct clinical assistant professor at the Center for Rural Health, the principal investigator and director of the National Resource Center on Native American Aging, and the director of Student Health Services at UND. He worked with American Indian people for 30 years.

“The forum provides a venue to share current research activities concerning health risk and health promotion among Native American communities,” said Dr. Jacque Gray, assistant professor at the Center for Rural Health and chair of the planning committee. “This will also give us an excellent opportunity to develop possible research collaborations for future projects.”

The American Indian Health Research Conference is sponsored by the following UND Programs: Center for Rural Health, IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program, Indian Association, and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Funding for this conference was made possible by the INBRE program of the National Center for Research Resources, located at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Contact: Wendy Opsahl, Communications Coordinator, Center for Rural Health
701-777-0871, wopsahl@medicine.nodak.edu
or
Dr. Jacque Gray, Assistant Professor and Planning Committee Chair, Center for Rural Health, 701-777-0582, jgray@medicine.nodak.edu