Visiting Professor Home Page

1) Is Cancer Preventable?
Cancer is a genetic and environmental disease. Many of the factors that impact cancer risk can be controlled by individuals. The talk will cover those risk factors that are modifiable, the type of data that suggest that people can control their cancer risk, current controversies and practical guidelines. Dr. Birt has done research on diet and cancer prevention for 30 years and she will discuss how recommendations are evolving.

2) Putting Science Behind Botanical Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplements are used by half of American adults and botanical dietary supplements are the fastest growing segment of the supplement industry. Botanical supplements emerged as traditional medicines and there is limited contemporary science behind these supplements. This talk will cover strategies that scientists at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa are using to improve our understanding of the value of selected botanical dietary supplements using integrated, chemical, biomedical, toxicology, and genetic studies.