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Wednesday, May 30, 8:30 am – 10:00 am, Regency A

GENES, ENVIRONMENT, AND METABOLIC PROGRAMMING: OPPORTUNITIES FOR PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION.

David Barker, University of Southampton, UK, Michael Rutter, King's College London, David Reiss, George Washington University Medical Center

Three of the world's pioneers in understanding early experience and its biological substrates will discuss their most recent research on this fundamental topic for prevention science. Dr. David Barker, author of the "Barker Hypothesis," will discuss the most recent evidence on fetal metabolic programming and its role in accounting for adult chronic illness. Sir Michael Rutter, one of the world's most influential figures in child psychiatry, will discuss research on the interplay of genes and environment and how experience gets "under the skin" to shape mental health and behavioral adaptation. And Dr. David Reiss, a pioneer in bridging genetic and family systems levels of analysis, will discuss his most recent research on gene x environment interactions and their implications for preventive intervention.

Researchers often complain about the lack of attention to research findings to guide policy and decision making. Policymakers often complain that researchers address topics that are not policy-relevant, produce ambiguous or conflicting findings or report findings in ways that are inaccessible to policymakers. Both groups suggest that high-quality research could and should be used to inform and shape policies and practices. This will only happen, however, as researchers better understand the questions and problems that concern policymakers and when policymakers and practitioners better understand what constitutes high-quality research and demand it. This plenary focuses on the research/policy divide, with concrete suggestions and examples to move the field forward to better inform and influence policy and practice by leading experts in this area.

TOBACCO CONTROL: ITS STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS FOR TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE.

Gary Giovino, University of Buffalo, Cathy Backinger, National Cancer Institute, Luanne Rohrbach, University of Southern California.

Tobacco control efforts in the United States provide one of the best examples of the success of prevention. Since the release of the 1964 Surgeon General’s report, “Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking,” the prevalence of smoking in the U.S. has decreased from approximately 42% in 1965 to 21% in 2005 for adults and from approximately 37% in 1975 to 23% in 2005 for youth. An understanding of how these gains were made could inform how prevention scientists translate science into practice in other areas.