Briefs

Minority Health Conference to be held at
UCLA

The 2003 Minority Health Conference will be held at Bradley
International Hall on Jan. 25, 2003.

This event is jointly organized by the Asian American, Latino
and African American medical student organizations at UCLA and
USC.

The conference features two keynote speakers, a panel on health
care and several workshops addressing minority health issues in
Southern California.

Registration deadline is Jan. 22 and requires a $10 refundable
deposit to reserve a seat and lunch. A non-refundable $5 fee will
apply to late registration.

Registration forms and more information can be found at
http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/MHC.

UC Davis competes for biosafety lab

UC Davis will enter a national competition against four other
institutions for a grant from the National Institute of Health to
build a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory capable of handling dangerous
germs and potential bioterrorism agents.

Of the five operational BSL 4 labs, none are west of Texas. In
order to receive the grant, UC Davis-lab advocates are hoping to
convince the NIH of California’s vulnerability to a
bioterrorist attack due to its long coastline and cargo-ship
traffic.

The lab envisioned by UC Davis would cost $190 million and be
called the Western National Center for Biodefense and Emerging
Diseases. Lab researchers would wear space suit-like protective
gear to avoid infection by pathogens such as the Ebola and West
Nile viruses.

McCabe named chair of national committee

Physician-in-Chief of UCLA’s Mattel Children’s
Hospital, Edward McCabe, was named chairman of the National
Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society by the United
States Health and Human Services.

The purpose of the committee is to to more broadly consider the
impact of technologies on society.

McCabe, professor and executive chair of UCLA’s pediatrics
department, was among 13 experts named to the national
committee.