Uranium Production and Related Worker Exposure in New Mexico, by Denece Kesler

When: Mon, Sep 21 2015 6:00pm

Where: UNM SUB

The 21 Club wishes to thank our speaker, Dr. Denece Kesler, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

New Mexico was the United States leader in uranium production between 1953 and 1993 with the result that uranium mining and processing impacted many New Mexicans, especially the Native American and Hispanic populations. The University of New Mexico Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (UNM RESEP) screens patients for radiogenic cancers and diseases and helps eligible patients to apply for federal compensation and medical treatment based upon identified medical conditions that arise from exposures. This presentation will briefly review the history of the uranium production industry in New Mexico, identify the diseases associated with exposures within the industry, and describe the RESEP program.

Bio:

Dr. Kesler is board certified in Preventive Medicine (Occupational Medicine) and is a Professor in the Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Preventive Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. She directs the University preventive medicine programs to include the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health Promotion and the Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Residency Program, as well as several funded research projects related to preventive medicine. Dr. Kesler also has national positions to include currently serving as the Chair of the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) and as a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Board of Directors. She previously was a member of the DHHS/CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Board of Scientific Counselors.