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UKAg assistant professor chosen to present at SEC Symposium

UKAg assistant professor chosen to present at SEC Symposium

UKAg assistant professor chosen to present at SEC Symposium

Published on May. 29, 2014

LEXINGTON, Ky.—

University of Kentucky faculty members Lisa Cassis, chair of the Department of Pharmacology and interim UK vice president for research, and Alison Gustafson, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, are among the chosen participants for the the 2014 SEC Symposium in Atlanta, Sept. 21-23.  All 14 member universities of the Southeastern Conference will be represented by faculty and administrators at the symposium entitled Prevention of Obesity: Overcoming a 21st Century Public Health Challenge.

Obesity prevention and treatment are popular topics among media, lawmakers, health care professionals and others. And, while the subjects have gained attention during the past decade, the U.S. has not seen a significant reduction in population-level obesity rates over the same 10-year span. As a result, researchers at the SEC Symposium hope to identify ways to markedly reduce America’s obese and overweight populations, through prevention.

This year’s topics range from genetics, to technology and media, to environmental influences. The symposium is divided into eight sessions of formal presentations and includes informal breakout sessions intended to foster interaction and discussion among participants.

In addition to university presenters, there will also be two keynote speakers. Sunday, Sept. 21, Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, will open the event. A second keynote address by Dr. Michael Lauer, director of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, will be held Monday, Sept. 22.

Established by SEC presidents and chancellors, the annual SEC Symposium is led by an SEC university and focuses on an issue of global interest. It also showcases the academic excellence and underscores the educational and economic contributions of the SEC’s members to the vitality of the Southeast region, nation and world.

The SEC Symposium is an academic conference-type event that also includes the SEC Presidents, Chancellors and Provosts Reception, poster exhibitions, and SEC University Showcase. To learn more about the 2014 SEC Symposium, go to SEC Symposium.


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