Achieve specific weight-loss goals in an intimate group setting, with co-workers to help motivate and support your efforts.

An open house on September 3 will introduce the Weight Watchers at Work program

When you start losing weight and notice the difference in your health, appearance and energy, you will most likely become a strong supporter of the statement, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

Fees and the length of series are dependent on the number of participants.

Call Nazeen Sayeed at (323) 442-8354 for information about the Health Sciences Campus Weight Watchers at Work program.

Weekly: Thu 09/03/2009 - 01/07/2010; 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

University Park Campus Gould School of Law, Room 2

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A chance for young scientists to network with academic and industry leaders in the pharmaceutical, biomedical and biological sciences.

Moving Targets is held this year in conjunction with the Annual AAPS Meeting and Exposition. This event promotes the interactions of young scientists in the pharmaceutical, biomedical and biological sciences with one another, as well as with academic leaders and members of the pharmaceutical industry.

This year's topic, "Drug Delivery and Therapeutics to the Tumor Microenvironment," will include presenters from industry, academia and medical health care.

The attendees will include academic and industry faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students from various national and international universities and colleges.

Speakers

• Hiroshi Maeda, M.D., Ph.D., Sojo University, Japan
• Neil Gibson, Ph.D., Pfizer, La Jolla
• Dai Fukumura M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard University
• Jindrich Kopecek, Ph.D., D.Sc., University of Utah
• Francis C. Szoka, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco
• Napoleone Ferrara, Ph.D., Genentech, San Francisco
• Walter Wolf, Ph.D., University of Southern California 
  

You must preregister to attend this event. Registration for the event is free and includes parking, a full day's meals and admission to Lucky Strike at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles in the evening. There will also be a poster competition with generous cash prizes.  Space is limited, so please register soon.

To download the Moving Targets 2009 program, click here.

Saturday 11/07/2009: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Midtown at USC 3540 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles CA 90007

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Health economist Ruth Levine talks about designing and assessing social sector programs in Latin America, Eastern Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

Internationally recognized for her expertise on global health and health policy, Dr. Ruth Levine is vice president for Programs and Operations at the Center for Global Development. She leads the center's work on global health policy, and chairs a series of working groups on key policy and finance problems related to the effective use of donor funding for health programs in low-income countries.

Before joining the center, Levine designed, supervised and evaluated loans at the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Between 1997 and 1999, she served as adviser on the social sectors in the office of the executive vice president of the Inter-American Development Bank. Levine is the author of Millions Saved: Proven Successes in Global Health and Performance Incentives for Global Health: Potential and Pitfalls.

November 9
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

November 10
University Park Campus, Town and Gown Ballroom

Hosted in partnership with the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development

Dates: 11/09/2009, 11/10/2009: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Dr. Chen is associate professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacoeconomics Policy a Center for Excellence in Teaching Faculty Fellow.

When we think of a "university lecture," what most often comes to mind is an instructor speaking on a particular topic for several hours, with a short break between each hour. How effective is this traditional method of teaching? Maybe the telling question is: How much of these lectures do we remember today? For most of us, the answer is probably "very little." The key problem is that the traditional method of teaching is not consistent with what is known about adult learning.

The purpose of this seminar is to share proven teaching methods that will assist us in generating active participation, accelerated learning, and champions/leaders.

The session will focus on these questions: What makes the elements of national health care change collaboratives so powerful in accelerating the learning of participants? How can I use these elements to accelerate the actions of participants? What are examples of ways to integrate these elements into classroom lectures or small group discussions?

Dr. Chen will also talk about examples of teaching that incorporate "action learning," and "Ten Great Ways To Conduct Winning Breakouts."

Tuesday 11/10/2009: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

University Park Campus Doheny Memorial Library Room 233

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Hossein Jadvar, associate professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, presents aspects of molecular imaging in research.

We are currently witnessing an evolution from the current nonspecific imaging methods toward patient- and disease-specific imaging evaluation based on morphologic, physiologic, molecular and genetic markers of disease.

This molecular imaging evolution is stimulated through the use of multi-modality imaging systems and "smart" specific imaging agents for achieving the key tasks of accurate diagnosis, treatment planning, treatment response prediction and evaluation, surveillance and prognosis.

In this workshop, we will explore and discuss the expanding role of imaging in translational and clinical research.

Wednesday 11/11/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Health Sciences Campus Norris Medical Library East Conference Room

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Marie S. Torres of AltaMed Health Services Corporation analyzes the reform legislation before Congress and its benefits for underserved populations.

Designed for social workers and marriage and family therapists, this course will describe the principles underlying health care reform, encourage discussion among attendees about its impact to our communities, and derive strategies to communicate with elected officials.

Marie S. Torres, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., is senior vice president of Government Relations at AltaMed Health Services Corporation. With more than 30 years of experience in social work, gerontology, health services administration and legislative advocacy, she is a national speaker on integrated health, managed care, case management and public policy. Dr. Torres directed the expansion of senior services of the first Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly in Southern California, four new adult day health care centers, new case management programs targeting functionally impaired adults, and other home and community-based long-term care services in Latino and other multicultural underserved communities. A graduate of the USC School of Social Work, she is a founding member of the USC Latino Alumni Community Advisory Committee.

Proceeds will benefit the Margarita Mendez/Juan Ramos Endowed Fund in support of Latino research. Please make checks payable to the USC School of Social Work; in the memo portion of the check, please reference the Margarita Mendez/Juan Ramos Endowed Fund. Mail payment and registration form to: Casa Cardenas Senior and Family Counseling Center, P.O. Box 411141, Los Angeles, CA 90041. Payment must be received by November 6. Early registration with payment is strongly encouraged, since space is limited. Space permitting, same-day registration will be allowed beginning at 8:30 a.m. (only cash will be accepted).

Please arrive before the scheduled start time. Registrations are subject to cancellation after the scheduled start time. Registrants canceling up to 48 hours before a seminar will receive a refund, less a $10 administrative fee. A $20 service charge applies to each returned check. Nonpayment of tuition may, at the sponsor's discretion, result in the cancellation of CEU units issued.

Friday 11/13/2009: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Casa Cardenas Senior and Family Counseling Center 4141 Maine Avenue Baldwin Park CA 91706

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The University Park Campus Health Center, Residential Education and Recreational Sports offer presentations on living well.

Beyond Pizza: Eating Well at EVerybody's Kitchen and Parkside Restaurant
Just because it's "all you can eat" doesn't mean you have to!

SCuisine: Eating Well at USC
Making healthy food choices on campus and selecting snacks to energize you throughout your busy day

Energize Your Workout: Food to Fuel Your Inner Athlete
Understanding calories, proteins and carbs so that you can make healthy choices for your workout — all about sports drinks, energy bars and protein supplements

Eating for As: The Best Foods for Exams, Midterms and Finals
Choosing the foods for concentration, creativity and productivity — understanding the impact of coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks

Healthy Holiday Eating
One session about American holiday foods (international students welcome), and another about maintaining a healthy diet during the holidays

Dates: 10/09/2009, 10/12/2009, 11/13/2009, 11/20/2009, 11/23/2009, 11/30/2009, 12/14/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Once again it's time to give up summer fun and hit the books. Learn good study habits and ways to manage stress.

Lifestyle Balance
Wednesday, September 9, 12-1 p.m.
Too much time spent with school activities? Not enough? Redesign your life to achieve a balance between school, social events, physical health, and fun.

Time Management
Wednesday, September 23, 12-1 p.m.
Learn techniques to help you make the most of your time. Get organized.

Procrastination
Wednesday, September 30, 12-1 p.m.
Avoiding schoolwork? Feeling distracted? Learn how to eliminate distractions and improve motivation.

Study Skills
Wednesday, October 7, 12-1 p.m.
Identify study strategies that match your learning style, and learn how to create the most effective study environment.

Stress Management: Part I
Wednesday, November 4, 12-1 p.m.
Identify your stress triggers. Learn how to manage your stress effectively.

Stress Management: Part II
Wednesday, November 18, 12-1 p.m.
Participate in deep breathing, meditation, progressive relaxation, and other powerful relaxation exercises.

To register online, click here.

Dates: 09/09/2009, 09/23/2009, 09/30/2009, 10/07/2009, 11/04/2009, 11/18/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

University Park Campus General William Lyon University Center Conference Room

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In recognition of the National Geographic Society's National Geography Awareness Week, the School of Social Work welcomes Adrienne Perry, geographic information systems (GIS) coordinator for the Health and Human Services Agency in San Diego County, to talk about how GIS can be used in the real world to make map data interactive and more useful in problem-solving.

Since they were first developed in the 1960s, geographic information systems have been used by corporations, urban planners and public health officials to determine new business locations, to make infrastructure decisions, and to track the spread of disease. But the sophisticated mapping software — which organizes and displays geospatial, demographic, socioeconomic and other data — is just beginning to be widely embraced by the social work profession as a powerful tool for research, planning and effective delivery of services to those in need.

For example, GIS software is used extensively throughout the medical community to study epidemiology, to look at health care facilities, and to map any system that is visual or spatial, including the inside of a patient's body. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the world's premier disease-tracking organization, uses GIS to study how toxic substances affect people's health. California's Kaiser Permanente uses GIS to decide how much funding to allocate to certain centers and where to situate new facilities.

This event will take place on the University Park Campus and will be teleconferenced to the Orange County Academic Center, Room A, so that Orange County participants may take part from their location.

Thursday 11/19/2009: 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

University Park Campus Social Work Center 106

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Sandra K. Erickson, Ph.D., is professor, Medicine/Endocrinology and Metabolism, VAMC, University of California, San Francisco.

Her research focuses specifically on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). As with most common diseases, both genetic predisposition and environmental factors play a role in NAFLD. Dr. Erickson's group is studying both aspects by making use of mouse strain differences in susceptibility and identifying genes involved in the development and progression of NAFLD.

Pizza will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Thursday 11/19/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Health Sciences Campus Hoffman Hall, Hastings Auditorium

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A lecture by Rudi G.J. Westendorp, M.D., Ph.D., professor at the Netherlands' Leiden University Medical Center.

Wednesday 12/02/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

University Park Campus Andrus Gerontology Center Room 224

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Dr. Gonghuan Yang presents on China’s new disease burden and the shift from infectious disease to a global chronic disease epidemic.

Dr. Gonghuan Yang, deputy minister of Health at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is a pioneer in China’s work on tobacco control and its chronic disease transition. She earned her medical degree from West-China Medical University in 1982, and studied epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health from 1987 to 1988. Yang has published more than 70 academic papers in international and national journals and has written more than 10 monographs and books.

December 8
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

December 9
University Park Campus, Davidson Conference Center

Dates: 12/08/2009, 12/09/2009: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Dr. Judith Mackay discusses the epidemic's challenges, successes and future direction as they apply to emerging world health threats.

Dr. Judith Mackay, visiting USC as part of the Provost Distinguished Visitors Program, is known for her personal charm and fervor. She was named one of Time’s 100 People Who Shape Our World for her tireless efforts on the global crusade against smoking. Dr. Mackay is senior adviser to the World Lung Foundation/Bloomberg Initiative To Reduce Tobacco Use; director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, and senior policy adviser to the World Health Organization. She earned her degree in medicine from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and has lived in Hong Kong since 1967, initially working as a hospital physician and later concentrating on broader issues of public health, especially tobacco control. Dr. Mackay has authored and published atlases on tobacco, cancer, and human sexual behavior, among other works.

January 19
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

January 20
University Park Campus, Town and Gown

Hosted in partnership with the USC U.S.-China Institute and the School of Social Work 

Dates: 01/19/2010, 01/20/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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A lecture by Dr. Derek Yach, who has spearheaded several major efforts to improve global health.

Throughout his career, Dr. Yach has worked to place tobacco control, nutrition and chronic diseases prominently on the agenda of governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. He currently serves as senior vice president of Global Health Policy at PepsiCo, where he leads the internal Global Human Sustainability Task Force responsible for engagement with major international policy, research and scientific groups. Dr. Yach holds a degree in medicine from the University of Cape Town Medical School and a Master of Public health from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.

During his visit, Dr. Yach will outline his vision of the role of corporations in global health.  Prior to joining PepsiCo, he had headed global health at the Rockefeller Foundation and was an executive director of the World Health Organization (WHO). While at WHO, Dr. Yach led development of WHO's first treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and the development of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity, and Health.

February 9
University Park Campus, Town and Gown, Ballroom

February 10
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

Hosted in partnership with the Marshall School of Business

Dates: 02/09/2010, 02/10/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Family physician Dr. Howard Brody discusses the ethical implications of the widespread implementation of electronic medical records.

Touted as a prime tool to prevent medical error and cut health care costs, the electronic medical record (EMR) has been attacked by some as cumbersome and likely to cause — rather than prevent — errors. Professionalism requires that physicians put the interests of their patients ahead of profit-making. Dr. Brody, a bioethicist, considers how the EMR may enhance or detract from the physician-patient relationship.

Dr. Brody is director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and author of The Future of Bioethics. Previously, he was the University Distinguished Professor of Family Practice, Philosophy, and the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences at Michigan State University, East Lansing. Dr. Brody has written numerous articles on medical ethics, family medicine and the philosophy of medicine. His current research interests include the importance of an interdisciplinary humanities base for bioethics, ethical issues in primary care, community engagement in bioethics, and professional integrity in both medical practice and clinical research.

A reception will follow in the Hoyt Gallery.

Friday 02/12/2010: 3:00 PM

Health Sciences Campus Mayer Auditorium

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Alumnus Joe Cerrell returns to campus to share his experiences and views as a leader in global health policy and advocacy.

Cerrell is the director of Global Health Policy and Advocacy for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's leading funders for global health work in low- and middle-income countries. At the foundation, Cerrell oversees the foundation's work in global health communications, public policy and international finance. In this capacity, he manages a policy and advocacy grant-making portfolio, and oversees relations with governments, NGOs, the private sector, multilateral organizations, and other foundations. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, he served as assistant press secretary to former U.S. Vice President Al Gore; Cerrell was a senior member of a team responsible for advising the vice president on energy and environmental issues, and was a White House liaison to the media, elected officials, and industry, environmental, religious and labor leaders.

March 2
University Park Campus, Town and Gown, Ballroom

March 3
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

Hosted in partnership with Hollywood, Health and Society

Dates: 03/02/2010, 03/03/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Dr. Ira Byock, an expert in hospice and palliative care, discusses the responsibilities and challenges of life’s final stages.

Death is central to the meaning and value of human life as experienced by individuals and by communities. While death does not give meaning to life, it does provide a backdrop against which life is lived. Acting on behalf of society, the clinical professions bear critical responsibilities for caring for those who are dying and bereaved. However, over-reliance on professionals as a means of distancing ourselves from death and grief can diminish the fullness and richness of living. Individuals and communities have the capacity to respond to the ultimate problem of death in a creative manner that can reflect and advance values of human work, dignity and enduring connection. Clinical professionals can lead by setting standards for excellence and providing care that is not only competent but unabashedly loving.

These issues will be explored by Ira Byock, M.D., director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and author of Dying Well and The Four Things That Matter Most.

Dr. Byock has been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978. At that time, he helped found a hospice-home-care program for the indigent population served by the university hospital and county clinics of Fresno, California. He is a past president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. During the 1990s, he was a co-founder and principal investigator for the Missoula Demonstration Project, a community-based organization in Montana dedicated to research about and transformation of the end-of-life experience. Dr. Byock has authored numerous articles, and his first book, Dying Well, has become a standard in the field. His most recent book, The Four Things That Matter Most, is used widely as a counseling tool by palliative care and hospice programs, as well as within pastoral care.

Following the talk, there will be a reception in the Hoyt Gallery.

Organized by Pamela Schaff (Pediatrics and Keck Educational Affairs), Erin Quinn (Family Medicine and Keck Admissions) and Hilary Schor (English and Law). Co-sponsored by the Keck School of Medicine’s Program in Medical Humanities, Arts and Ethics and the USC Pacific Center for Health Policy and Ethics.

Friday 03/12/2010: 3:00 PM

Health Sciences Campus Mayer Auditorium

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Reporter Jon Cohen discusses his work documenting international disease funding and the role of investigative journalism in addressing global epidemics.

Award-winning journalist Jon Cohen has covered infectious diseases for 15 years, traveling extensively through the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa and Mexico. In addition to reporting on a wide range of scientific and medical topics for Science, Cohen has done in-depth, investigative stories about the National Institutes of Health, bio defense, tobacco industry funding of science, the vaccine industry, credit battles, the genomics revolution, and the science press itself. He has also written for The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Talk, Discover, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Smithsonian, Slate, The New Republic, Surfer and other publications.

April 6
University Park Campus, Davidson Conference Center

April 7
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

Hosted in partnership with the Annenberg School for Journalism and the Center for Health and Medical Communication

Dates: 04/06/2010, 04/07/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Acclaimed scholar and lawyer Larry Gostin considers the ethical issues surrounding the health needs of the planet’s poorest citizens.

Professor Gostin teaches Global Health Law at the Georgetown University Law Center and directs the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. He holds multiple faculty appointments, including professor of Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University and director of the Center for Law and the Public’s Health at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities — a collaborating center of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gostin is visiting professor of Public Health (Faculty of Medical Sciences) and research fellow (Centre for Socio-Legal Studies) at Oxford University. Professor Gostin is the Health Law and Ethics editor and contributing writer for the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 2007, the director general of the World Health Organization appointed Gostin to the International Health Regulations Roster of Experts and the Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health. Gostin currently chairs the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Health Informational Privacy, and has chaired committees on genomics and on prisoner research. The IOM awarded Professor Gostin the Adam Yarmolinsky Medal for distinguished service to further its mission of science and health. Gostin’s recent books include Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, 2nd ed., 2008); Biosecurity In The Global Age: Biological Weapons, Public Health, and the Rule of Law (Stanford University Press, 2008); Public Health Ethics: Theory, Policy and Practice (Oxford University Press, 2007); and The AIDS Pandemic: Complacency, Injustice, and Unfulfilled Expectations (University of North Carolina Press, 2004).
 
May 11
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

May 12
University Park Campus, Town and Gown, Ballroom

Hosted in partnership with the Gould School of Law and the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Dates: 05/11/2010, 05/12/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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