NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Jefferson Lab's 2011 Fall Science Series kicks off on Tuesday, Oct. 25. The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute's Scientific and Technical Director, Cynthia Keppel, will present "Accelerating Protons to Save Lives."
Keppel, who is also a joint HU faculty member and Jefferson Lab staff scientist, will give an overview of the HU Proton Therapy Institute, which opened in 2010.
"Proton therapy has been hailed as a revolutionary cancer treatment," Keppel said, "with higher cure rates and fewer side effects than traditional X-ray photon radiation therapy. Proton therapy is the modality of choice for treating tumors of the eye, head, neck, prostate and other sites.
"Because it exposes less of the tissue surrounding a tumor to the dosage, proton therapy lowers the risk of secondary cancers later in life, which is especially important for young children," she added.
To date, more than 80,000 patients worldwide have been treated with protons. Including HUPTI, there are currently nine proton radiation therapy facilities operating in the United States.
Keppel's talk will include an overview of the scientific research and advancements that led to developing proton therapy for treating certain types of cancer and delve into the treatment technology.
The lecture is free and open to students and adults with an interest in science. It will begin at 7 p.m., in the CEBAF Center auditorium located at 12000 Jefferson Ave, Newport News, and last about an hour. Enter via Jefferson Lab's main entrance (Onnes Drive).
Seating in the auditorium and overflow area is available on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to about 300 people. People arriving once capacity has been reached will be turned away.
All those under age 16 must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Everyone over 16 is asked to carry a valid photo ID. Security guards may perform ID, parcel and vehicle checks.
For directions and additional information about Jefferson Lab public lectures, visit its Science Series webpage at: http://education.jlab.org/scienceseries/index.php , or contact Christine Wheeler, wheelerc@jlab.org or call 757-269-7560.
Upon approval by the presenters, videos of past lectures are posted to Jefferson Lab's Science Series video archive and may be viewed at any time. The video archive is online at: http://education.jlab.org/scienceseries/archive.html.
Media Contact: Deb Magaldi, Public Affairs, (757) 269-5102 or magaldi@jlab.org