23rd Annual HeLa Women's Health Symposium

"Birthing Babies – A Solution Symposium Around the Crisis of African-American Maternal and Infant Mortality"

Hosted by Morehouse School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

September 28, 2018
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Louis W. Sullivan National Center for Primary Care
720 Westview Drive SW
Atlanta, GA 30310

This annual symposium honors Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman with cervical cancer, who in 1951 unknowingly donated her cancer cells when a young resident saved some cells before treatment. She died a few months later, but the first immortal human cell line was developed from her saved cells. Named HeLa, the line has been used extensively in cancer research studies and in the development of vaccines; the polio virus was grown in her cells soon after her death and eventually led to a cure. Use of HeLa has lead to important advances such as invitro fertilization, cloning, gene and stem cell research.

In partnership with the March of Dimes, the 23rd Annual HeLa Women's Health Symposium will address research, clinical and health advocacy through our general session presentations and will take into account the importance of achieving health equity through the advancements made by these innovative approaches in cancer and beyond.

This year’s topic will focus on:

  • Crisis of maternal and infant mortality
  • Morbidity in the African American community
  • Importance of achieving health equity
  • Address research, clinical and health advocacy through our general session presentations

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Target Audience

Practitioners, researchers, public policy and health advocates whose work and interest include disease prevention and treatment approaches where individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle are taken in account to achieve health equity, especially in women's health.

Educational Objectives  

At the conclusion of the conference, participants should be able to:

  • Define the current diagnosis and treatments in maternal health.
  • Outline the newest obstetric and pediatric mechanisms not previously employed.
  • Describe the role of breast feeding in healthy babies.
  • Define what solutions are needed to save more African American mothers and child.
  • Identify the role of race, environment and socio-economic status in maternal and fetal health.

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Accreditation

The Morehouse School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The Morehouse School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of up to 7.0 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™.  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent to their participation in the activity. 

Contact Information

Morehouse School of Medicine
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
720 Westview Drive SW
Atlanta, GA 30310-1495
Tel: (404) 616-9292
Email: chajones@msm.edu