This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org
with Laura Pole, RN, MSN (Smith Center for Healing and the Arts) and Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD (University of Alabama, Birmingham)
Did You Know?
Smith Center is pleased to announce the launch of a special series of talks designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the center. Each of the talks will highlight one of eight healing practices that research and practice tell us is important to the health and well-being of cancer patients/survivors, and their loved ones.
The topics include: Eating Well, Moving More, Managing Stress, Sleeping Well, Creating a Healing Environment, Sharing Love and Support, Exploring What Matters Now, and Expressing Oneself.
For each topic, we will have two expert speakers. One will provide a clear and concise review of the science behind the given topic: what we do and do not know about the topic, the impact of this practice on cancer-related quality of life and mortality specifically, and national recommendations for action. The second speaker will “translate” this information into an action plan (e.g., provide user-friendly tips about how to integrate this aspect of healing into your daily life). At the end, there will be time for a question and answer period.
Did You Know? will be hosted Monthly on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30pm.
Upcoming Dates:
- January 27 – Eating Well
- with Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts and Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD, University of Alabama, Birmingham
- Febraury 17 – Moving More
- with Bernardine Pinto, PhD, University of South Carolina and Melinda Irwin, PhD, Yale University
- March 17 – Managing Stress
- with Candida DeLuise, PhD and Paul Jacobsen, PhD, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
In honor of our 25th Anniversary in 2021, we are suggesting donations for this series in fractions or multiples of the number “25.” E.G. $2.50, $12.50, $25, etc.
About Laura Pole, RN, MSN
Laura, Director of Smith Center’s Nourishment Education Programs, has served as the head retreat chef and nurse consultant since 1997. She is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Integrative Oncology Navigator with over 40 years experience in caring for people with serious illness. She is also a Certified Health Supportive Chef, professional musician and Nia body-mind fitness instructor. Her popular cooking classes are centered on culinary translation: that is, helping participants translate a diet prescription to a plate of nourishing delicious food. Laura is the founder of “Eating for a Lifetime,” a consulting business dedicated to teaching individuals and professionals about health supportive eating and food preparation. In addition to Laura’s work with nourishment, she is the co-coordinator of Smith Center’s Patient Navigation Training in Integrative Cancer Care. Laura also serves as coordinator of the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv.
About Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD
Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD is Professor and Webb Endowed Chair of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and also is the Associate Director of Cancer Prevention and Control at UAB. Her research ranges from determining mechanisms of action of nutrition-based therapies that are implemented presurgery to developing and testing interventions that are scalable and which improve diet, physical activity and functional status among cancer survivors in broad geographic regions. To date, this research has been supported by 15 NIH grants (including a recent program project) and has resulted in over 300 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Demark-Wahnefried has been recognized as a Komen Professor of Survivorship and an American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor. She has served on several committees, including the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academy of Sciences and the guidelines panels of the American Cancer Society, the World Cancer Research Fund, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
