Annual Florey Lecture: what's more important than footy?

Wednesday, 29 October 2003

What's more important than football and rugby?

Cancer, according to a visiting US medical scientist who will give the Annual Memorial Florey Lecture at the University of Adelaide tonight.

This free public lecture, named in honour of Nobel Prize- winning Lord Howard Florey from Adelaide, will be delivered by eminent US researcher Professor Ron Ross.

Professor Ross is Professor of Preventive Medicine and Urology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC). He is also Deputy Director of the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Professor Ross is the top-funded faculty member at USC's School of Medicine, bringing in some $8 million in research grants this year alone. With more than 300 publications, he is recognised as a world expert in hormone replacement therapy and the causes and prevention of hormone-related cancer, as well as in genetic markers of risk to bladder cancer, prostate cancer and liver cancer.

The title for his lecture is: "The top ten reasons epidemiology is more important than football and rugby." (Epidemiology is the use of large observational-based studies to identify real risks and causes of disease.)

In his lecture, Professor Ross will make reference to the controversial Women's Health Initiative study and its findings on the risk of breast cancer from hormone replacement therapy.

He will also discuss breast and prostate cancer prevention strategies, and the latest trends in lung cancer.

WHAT: 2003 Florey Memorial Lecture
WHERE: Florey Lecture Theatre, Medical School North, University of Adelaide
WHEN: 5.30pm TONIGHT - Wednesday, October 29
COST: Free

The lecture sponsored by the Florey Medical Research Fund and hosted by the University of Adelaide's Medical School.

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