Healthy People in Healthy Communities Conference To be Held in March

LOMA LINDA>> Loma Linda University School of Public Health is hosting the Healthy People in Healthy Communities Conference, an annual event now in its 44th year. The conference will be held on Thursday, March 2 and and Friday March 3 at the Drayson Center, and will present its First Annual Symposium on Blue Zone Science and Health. The concept of blue zone areas is used to identify a demographic and/or geographic area of the world where people live measurably longer lives. Dan Buettner, founder of the Blue Zones Project and National Geographic Fellow, will be on hand to offer the keynote address on day one and participate in several informative sessions. Also, for the first time, research teams from the five demographically and epidemiologically confirmed blue zone regions, including the Italian island of Sardinia; Okinawa, Japan; Costa Rica's isolated Nicoya Peninsula; Ikaria, an isolated Greek island; and Loma Linda, California, will congregate under the same roof, to share their research findings and draw present day application for modern communities. Michel Poulan, PhD, Sardinia blue zone area, AKEA study; Christodoublous Stafanidis, MD, Ikaria blue zone area; IKARIA study, Makoto Suzuki MD, PhD Okinawa blue zone area, Okinawa Centenarion Study; Luis Rosero-Bixby, Nicoya blue zone area; Estudio de Longevidad y Envejecimiento Saludable, and Gary Fraser, Loma Linda, California blue zone area, Adventist Health Study, will each present research findings from their respective areas. The Symposium on Blue Zone Science and Health underscores Loma Linda University Health’s legacy of promoting health, longevity and wholeness, while creating a platform for exploring the role of blue zone areas as a paradigm for public health practice. The event takes place when alumni from Loma Linda University’s eight professional schools, LLU-La Sierra graduates, and all current and former Medical Center and University staff members, come together for a weekend of celebration, fellowship and continuing education opportunities March 2 – 6 on the Loma Linda University Health campus during its ‘One Homecoming’ event. The ‘One Homecoming’ weekend will include many activities which will bring the groups together for joint activities and receptions.