This content was published: April 5, 2011. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Cascade film, lecture to address environmental health risks
Photos and story by Abe Proctor
As the Baby Boom generation ages, it’s become a given that we will continue to see higher rates of many of the chronic degenerative diseases of aging – including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Often, the onset of these diseases is attributed primarily to one’s genes and choice of lifestyle.
Dr. Maye Thompson of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility.
However, a growing body of evidence suggests that toxic environmental exposures, in combination with lifestyle choices, are significant contributing to the growing prevalence of these conditions. Dr. Maye Thompson of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility will discuss this evidence – and give suggestions for reducing your exposure and building resilience against environmental threats – when she visits Cascade Campus on Friday, April 29.
Dr. Thompson will speak in the Moriarty Arts & Humanities Auditorium at 12:30 p.m. Her remarks will be preceded by a noon screening of “10 Americans,” a short film about a study of 10 infants born in 2004. The study revealed the presence of 287 industrial chemicals in the infants’ umbilical cord blood samples – nearly half of which were known carcinogens, and some of which had been banned for decades.
“The goal of the Bridges seminars is to expose PCC students to local biomedical and behavioral science professionals,” said Shari Rochelle, director of PCC’s Bridges to Baccalaureate program, which is sponsoring the event. “PCC is very fortunate to be surrounded by such high-caliber bioscience professionals, such as Dr. Thompson, who so generously make themselves available to not only discuss their research with our students, but go one step further in sharing their personal stories and insights about their academic and professional development. This helps provide direction and focus to PCC students.”
Bridges to Baccalaureate is a federally-funded program aimed at increasing diversity in the biomedical and behavioral research fields. To learn more, call Rochelle, (971) 722-5076.