On May 19th and 20th, the University of Chicago's Gleacher Center was host for the 2nd Annual Grantees Meeting.  The meeting was co-sponsored by the Behavioral Research Program of the National Cancer Institute, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Chicago.

The meeting provided an opportunity for new relationships to form.	As well as old ones to reconnect in this most important work.	Dr. Sarah Gehlert, Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Health Disparities Research (CIHDR) at the University of Chicago welcomes the 100 plus attendees.

Dr. Robert Croyle of the National Cancer Institute addressed the attendees.	Dr. Richard Warnecke of the University of Illinois at Chicago provided the meeting overview.  The proposed agenda for the two-day meeting can be found HERE.  Some minor variations may have occured between the agenda and the actual sequence of events.	Dr. John Flack of Wayne State University and Dr. Tim Rebbeck from the University of Pennsylvania acted as co-leaders for the first panel, entitled RACE

Dr. Flack started the morning off by raising the question of appropriateness of race-related data.	Dr. Rick Kittles of Ohio State University Medical Center was the first speaker of the meeting.	Dr. Kittles presented "Race-Genetic Ancestry, and the Health Disparities:  Real or Imagined Differences"

Dr. Kittles proposed how both Race and Genetics can affect Disease.	Dr. Richard Cooper of Loyola University, Chicago was the next speaker.	Dr. Cooper spoke on "Health Disparities in the Molecular Age-Race, Genetics and Hypertension"

Dr.  Cooper presented the concept of Cluster Analysis for re-inventing the concept of Race.	During the mid-morning break, Drs. Thomas Krausz, Maria Tretiakova and Sarah Gehlert of UC discuss the ideas brought forth.	Marilyn Willis of UIC and Dr. Chanita Hughes Halbert of the University of Pennsylvania confer.

Maria Ferrera and Pafilvie Amisial of UC consider new concepts.	Drs. Phillip Bowman and Javette Orgain of UIC examine what has been presented thus far.	After the break, questions are brought up.

The panel (Drs. Warnecke, Rebbeck, Flack, Kittles and Cooper) consider the questions.	Dr. Olufunmilayo Olopade of the University of Chicago expresses an opinion that more positive news about blacks and health should be presented by the media.	Dr. Flack responds to a question from the floor.

While Dr. Cooper answers a question, Dr. Kittles prepares his own response.

Following the question period, a working lunch was held.	Dr. Susan Scrimshaw of UIC addressed the luncheon crowd.	Dr. Scrimshaw spoke about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundations' Health & Society Scholars program.

To see the May 19th afternoon sessions, click HERE.
To see the May 20th sessions, click HERE.
To see the attendee and poster map, click HERE.

For a text-based map of the CIHDR site, click HERE.