February 18, 2009

• Flu lecture free to public

• First in a planned series

• March 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Got questions about the flu?  UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and Southern Research Institute have answers.  The two will join forces for "Everything You Wanted to Know About the Flu, but Were Afraid to Ask!", a free public lecture on all things concerning influenza.  The lecture, with a question and answer session, will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, at the Levite Jewish Community Center, 3960 Montclair Rd.

Lead speakers for the event are Diana Noah, Ph.D., and James Noah, Ph.D., flu researchers at Southern Research. The Noahs, with James Johnson, M.D., interim director and professor of the UAB Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, will conduct the question and answer period.  Sadis Matalon, Ph.D., professor of anesthesiology and director of the UAB Pulmonary Injury and Repair Center, will moderate.

"Diana and James Noah will discuss flu from a historical and socioeconomic prospective and emphasize the importance of research in drug discovery prior to the question and answer period," said Matalon. "As part of the mission of the Pulmonary Injury and Repair Center at UAB, we feel it is very important to have this sort of forum to inform the public of recent advances in fighting common diseases."

The center plans additional lectures using the same format on tuberculosis and respiratory syncytial virus, the disease responsible for most of the hospitalizations of children world wide, said Matalon.