October 6, 2009
| WHAT: | Actress Kathleen Turner will visit the research labs of the Rosalind Russell Arthritis Center at UCSF to gain a better understanding of the impact of autoimmune diseases and to learn firsthand about ongoing UCSF research for potential therapies. The Rosalind Russell Arthritis Center was created by the U.S. Congress in 1979 to posthumously honor the stage and screen actress who focused national attention on the need for greater resources for scientific studies of arthritis and related diseases, and to promote better information about the disease, its causes, and its treatments. The UCSF Center is a virtual center that provides funding for the research and training activities of the Division of Rheumatology. This year marks the Center’s 30th anniversary. |
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| WHY: | Autoimmune diseases, including arthritis, are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and affect one in four Americans, or about 49 million people. Two thirds are under the age of 65. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the medical cost of treating arthritis in America totaled $81 billion in 2003. ALL MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND |
| DATE: | Wednesday, Oct. 7, 11:30 a.m. – 1p.m. |
| LOCATION: | UCSF Rosalind Russell Arthritis Center |
Actress Kathleen Turner
Ephraim (Eph) Engleman, MD, clinical professor of medicine and director of the Rosalind Russell Medical Research Center for Arthritis at UCSF
Art Weiss, MD, PhD, division chief, Division of Rheumatology at Parnassus—basic science research on the mechanism of autoimmune diseases http://rheumatology.medicine.ucsf.edu/about/faculty/weiss.htm
John Imboden, MD, division chief, Division of Rheumatology at SFGH—longitudinal cohort study on patients with rheumatoid arthritis http://rheumatology.medicine.ucsf.edu/about/faculty/imboden.htm
Lindsey Criswell, MD, MPH, professor of medicine—overview of the genetics of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus http://rheumatology.medicine.ucsf.edu/about/faculty/criswell.htm
INTERVIEW, PHOTO AND VIDEO OPPORTUNITIES: Actress Kathleen Turner and UCSF experts in research and treatment for arthritis and autoimmune disease.
Media interested in attending or arranging interviews should contact Lauren Hammit at (415) 476-2557 (on Oct. 7, call cell 713-213-0557)
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