Alton C. Melton, M.D. – Section Head Pediatric Allergy & Immunology at the Cleveland Clinic
Friday October 19, 2007
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Crawford Hall – Room 9
Inamori Center
Case Western Reserve University
Peanut Allergies are reported to affect approximately 1.5 million people in the United States, and account for 80 percent of fatal or near-fatal allergic reactions each year. Schools and day-care centers are expected to have procedures to protect children who are vulnerable. Food product labels warn us if the food is processed on equipment that is also used for peanuts or tree nuts.
Yet, twenty years ago, few people had heard of this allergy. The prevalence of peanut allergy has doubled in young American children in the last five years.
What is going on, and what should be done about it?
Dr. Melton will help us understand the science and lead discussion about what can be done at our weekly gathering. The Friday Lunch is a brown-bag event open to all. Cookies and some beverages are provided.
The remainder of this e-mail reports what we know about the schedule for the rest of the semester. We will be sending out announcements each week. If you would prefer not to receive the announcements, please inform Dr. Andrew Lucker, Associate Director of the Center for Policy Studies, by e-mail (andrew.lucker@case.edu).
About Our Guests
Alton C. Melton earned his B.A. and M.D. degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also had a fellowship at Duke University Medical Center and did his Residency at Shands Hospital of the University of Florida. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Melton has published a series of articles on both asthma care and latex allergies – the latter being another condition that seems to have appeared suddenly around 1980.
Friday Lunch and Other Public Affairs Upcoming Topics and Speakers:
Oct 19: The Peanut Allergy Puzzle. Dr. Alton Melton, Section Head, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital.
October 26: Kathryn C. Lavelle, Ph.D., Ellen and Dixon Long Associate Professor of World Affairs at Case Western Reserve University, on the Domestic Politics of Darfur
November 2: European Terrorism Past and Present. Kenneth Ledford, Ph.D., J.D., Associate Professor of History and Law, Case Western Reserve University
November 9: Jane Platten, Director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, on Can the machines work, securely? Will the poll-workers know how to operate them? Will new rules about identification deprive people of their right to vote?: A Post Election Report.
November 16: Journalistic Ethics. Ted Gup, Shirley Wormser Professor of Journalism at Case Western Reserve University and Chris Sherridan, former associate editor and award-winning editorial writer and columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and special assistant to CWRU President Barbara Snyder
November 23: Thanksgiving Break
November 30: Nico Lacetara, Assistant Professor of Economics, will talk about, “What Motivates Blood Donors?”
December 7: TBA
The Friday Lunch will resume for the Spring semester on January 18, with Robert Strassfeld, Professor of Law, leading a discussion on ‘How to End a War.
The Friday Lunch discussions are held on the lower (ground) level of
Crawford Hall. Visitors with mobility issues may find it easiest to take advantage of special arrangements we have made. On most Fridays, a few parking spaces in the V.I.P. lot in between Crawford Hall and Amasa Stone Chapel are held for participants in the lunch discussion.
Visitors then can avoid walking up the hill to the first floor of Crawford by entering the building on the ground level, through the garage area under the building. The further door on the left in that garage will be left unlocked during the period before the Friday lunch. On occasion, parking will be unavailable because of other university events.
For more information about these and other Center for Policy Studies programs, please see http://policy.case.edu.