SOURCE ALERT: USC experts available to comment on autism and childhood obesity
November 26, 2012
Autism
Heather Volk, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She can discuss autism research focusing on the environment that offers increasing evidence of the effect of air quality on the developing brain. "Research into environmental risk factors for autism, like our recent study on air pollution, may help identify new factors that contribute to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders," said Volk. Contact her at (323) 442-5101 orhvolk@usc.edu.
Childhood Obesity
Michael I. Goran, Ph.D., is a professor of preventive medicine, director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center and co-director of the Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. He can comment on causes of childhood obesity, especially in the Hispanic population. "Hispanics are disproportionally affected by obesity and type 2 diabetes," said Goran. "Evidence now suggests that the higher obesity in Hispanics begins very early in life, suggesting the involvement of maternal and perinatal factors." Contact him at (323)-442-3027 (office); (323) 217-5116 (cell); or goran@usc.edu.
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Keck Medicine of USC encompasses the University of Southern California's medical school and clinical enterprise. It consists of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Keck Medical Center of USC.
Contacts: Leslie Ridgeway at (323) 442-2823 or lridgewa@usc.edu; Alison Trinidad at (323) 442-3941 or alison.trinidad@usc.edu
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