Tuskegee University News Bioethics Center to commemorate U.S. presidential apology for syphilis study TUSKEGEE, Ala. (April 12, 2011) - The Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care will observe the Commemoration of the Presidential Apology for the United States Public Health Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male in Macon County, Alabama on April 14 - 15 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center on campus. The theme for this year's celebration is "U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee: A Metaphor for Bioethics Abuse." This year, the commemoration will include two bioethics panel discussions on Thursday, April 14 beginning at 9 a.m. The opening session, which will address health care reform, will feature Dr. Bailus Walker of Howard University, Dr. Jay Chun from Morgan State University and Dr. Charaye Farmer-Dixon from the Meharry School of Dentistry. Dr. Darryl Scriven, associate director for education for the Bioethics Center, will serve as moderator and provide response to the comments in ethical terms. The Friday program topic is "Ethical Problematic: Benevolence, Beneficence and Malevolence." Presentations will be made by Fred D. Gray, Esq., the attorney for the participants and families of the U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study; Dr. John Douglas, chief medical officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on the Guatemalan Syphilis Research Study; and Carletta Tilousi, Havasupai Tribal Council member and the lead plaintiff in the suit against Arizona State University's Havasupai Research Study. Other topics to be covered over the two-day period include human subject research, health equity, trust between minorities and researchers, clinical trials and training in bioethics for researchers. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Bioethics Center at 334-725-2319. For a schedule of events, click here. About the Apology The commemoration marks the 1997 apology from U.S. President Bill Clinton to the victims of the infamously known "Tuskegee Experiment." The U.S. Public Health Service program, "Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male," wreaked havoc on hundreds of black men and their families in Macon County, Ala., from 1932 to 1972. Some of their relatives attend the commemoration at Tuskegee annually. About the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care The Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care was officially established on May 16, 1999. It officially opened in 2006. The Center continues to build upon the rich history and commitment of Tuskegee University to seek improvements in the health and health care of people living in underrepresented areas. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org www.hbculibraries.org 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org Honor the ancestors, honor the children.