Media Advisory: Gun violence is topic of UB’s annual Perry Lecture

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Gun violence will be the topic of this year’s J. Warren Perry Distinguished Lecture sponsored by the University at Buffalo’s School of Public Health and Health Professions (SPHHP).

The keynote speaker is Sandro Galea, Robert A. Knox Professor and dean of the Boston University School of Public Health. Galea will discuss the public health issues related to gun violence in a talk Friday titled “Can We Mitigate the Gun Violence Epidemic?”

“In the U.S., gun violence is a major public health concern,” said R. Lorraine Collins, associate dean for research for SPHHP and professor in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior. “We are pleased that Dr. Galea will share his expertise and insights on the topic with UB and the broader community.”

Who: Sandro Galea, Robert A. Knox Professor and dean of the Boston University School of Public Health

What: 28th annual J. Warren Perry Distinguished Lecture

Where: Butler Auditorium, 150 Farber Hall, UB South Campus; map: http://www.buffalo.edu/home/visiting-ub/CampusMaps/maps.html#FARBER

When: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4. Galea will be available for media interviews from 10:45-11 a.m., also in the Butler Auditorium.

On-site contact: David Hill in the UB Office of University Communications, 716-238-1001.

Galea is a physician and epidemiologist interested in the social production of health in urban populations. His work focuses on the causes of brain disorders, particularly common mood-anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

He also has a longstanding interest in the consequences of mass trauma and conflict worldwide, including those resulting from Hurricane Katrina, conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa and the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Galea has been quoted and published widely in national media outlets — including the Boston Globe, CNN, New York Times and Quartz — about issues related to gun violence and other public health matters.

A member of the National Institutes of Health’s Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Galea also frequently serves on advisory groups to national and international organizations.

Galea was named dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health in 2014 after serving as Anna Cheskis Gelman and Murray Charles Gelman Professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

The annual Perry Lecture introduces students, faculty and staff to some of the best leaders and scholars in a variety of fields, including public health, health professions and health sciences. It is supported by an endowment established in honor of Perry, a former dean of the school and a nationally renowned figure in allied health.

The event is free and open to the public. For those unable to attend, the lecture will be streamed live. To watch Galea’s presentation remotely, register online at: http://www.ub-connect.com/s/1703/alumni/index.aspx?sid=1703&gid=2&pgid=1243&content_id=1099.