Dalen Lecture Series
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Help raise awareness of public health issues
Launched in 2008, the James E. Dalen, MD, MPH Distinguished Lecture for Health Policy was established to honor Dr. Dalen’s countless lifelong contributions to the advancement of The University of Arizona and his key role in establishing the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. The annual lecture in his name is designed to raise awareness of public health issues and introduce our audience to emerging ideas from leading experts. These distinguished scholars offer lectures and discussions to our campus community and to the public on local, state, national and international healthy policy issues, and connect the academic world with the “real world” of public health.
Upcoming Dalen Lecture
Stay tuned for announcements about the next Dalen Lecture, where we continue the tradition of insightful discussions on pressing public health topics.
Past Lectures
2022: The Microbiome in Health and Disease
The Microbiome in Health and Disease
Dr. Ghishan will be discussing the role of gut microbiota in the health and disease state. The concept of eubiosis and dysbiosis will be discussed. Our gastrointestinal tract is home for tens of trillions of microorganisms encompassing more than 500 different species of bacteria, resulting in more than 3.3 million bacterial genes compared to the 23,000 genes in our human body. His lab in the Steele Children’s Research Center at the University of Arizona has been pioneering the role of transport proteins of electrolytes and nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract and determining the changes in our gut microbiome that result from knocking out these proteins. This lecture will introduce the audience to the bacterial diversity present in humans. Greater bacterial diversity is associated with the microbiota’s ability to deal with stressors such as opportunistic pathogens or dietary perturbations. The role of diet and lifestyle in shaping our gut microbiota into a eubiotic state will be discussed. Suggestions will be given as to dietary changes that allow us to live in harmony with our bacterial flora. The role of pre- and probiotics will also be addressed. Our understanding of the gut microbiota truly can influence our path to personalized good health.
Presented by Fayez K. Ghishan, MD
Dr. Ghishan is a board-certified pediatric gastroenterologist and an internationally recognized expert in gastroenterology and related basic and clinical research. His laboratory has been in the forefront of the characterization of the microbiome in relation to nutrient gene expression and autoimmune disorder such as inflammatory bowel diseases. He has authored more than 250 original publications and is an associate editor for the major textbook, Physiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Volumes 1 and 2, currently in its 6th edition, 2018, and winner of a 2013 Highly Commended BMA Medical Book Award for Internal Medicine.
His research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health throughout his more than 40-year career. He has received two prestigious MERIT Awards from the NIH – one in 1996 and a second in 2008. Among the many honors and awards he has received over the years, Dr. Ghishan was the first pediatric gastroenterologist to be awarded the “Horace W. Davenport Distinguished Lectureship” in 2014. This is the most prestigious recognition by the Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology Section of the American Physiological Society.
Dr. Ghishan was recruited to the University of Arizona as Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatrics and Director of the Steele Children’s Research Center in 1995. He was previously Director of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Vice-Chair for Research at Vanderbilt University. He is a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Iowa and Pennsylvania State University and has been an invited lecturer at numerous Universities both nationally and internationally.
View a recording of this year's lecture here: https://youtu.be/X96NsXNEoXI
2021: MALARIA ELIMINATION IN AFRICA: It could be done, but will it?
MALARIA ELIMINATION IN AFRICA: It could be done, but will it?
Carlos C. (Kent) Campbell, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.S.T.M.H.
To view a recording of this lecture, click here.
2020: *POSTPONED*
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the 2020 Dalen Lecture was postponed until 2021.
2019: Health Diplomacy 2019 - From Theory to Practice
Health Diplomacy 2019 - From Theory to Practice
Dr. John P. Howe, III, Former President and CEO, Project HOPE, President Emeritus and Former President and Distinguished Chair in Health Policy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
To view a recording of this lecture, click here.
2018: Data Sharing in Clinical Trials
Data Sharing in Clinical Trials
Dr. Jeffrey Drazen, Editor-in-Chief, New England Journal of Medicine
2017: The Health of Americans in a New Political Order
The Health of Americans in a New Political Order
Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, President and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
To view a recording of this lecture, click here.
2016: Wellness in Action: Integrative Medicine meets Public Health
Wellness in Action: Integrative Medicine meets Public Health
Dr. Victoria Maizes, Executive Director, University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Professor of Clinical Medicine, Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Arizona.
To view a recording of this lecture, click here.
2015: Diet and Health: A Progress Report
Diet and Health: A Progress Report
Dr. Walter Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
To view a recording of this lecture, click here.
2014: Participatory Medicine: Mindfulness Based Interventions through the lens of Public Health - Moving the Bell Curve
Participatory Medicine: Mindfulness Based Interventions through the lens of Public Health - Moving the Bell Curve
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Founder of Mindfulness Meditation at University Massachusetts.
To view a recording of this lecture, click here.
2013: The Transformative Power of Integrative Medicine
The Transformative Power of Integrative Medicine
Dr. Dean Ornish, Founder and President of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Clinical Professor of Medicine at UC, San Francisco.
To view a recording of this lecture, click here.
2012: What Were We Thinking? Medical Debacles of the Recent Past
What Were We Thinking? Medical Debacles of the Recent Past
Dr. Andrew Weil, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine and founder and Director of the Program in Integrative Medicine (PIM) at the University of Arizona.
To view a recording of this lecture, click here.
2011: Trends Shaping the Healthcare Delivery System
Trends Shaping the Healthcare Delivery System
Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2010: National Health Reform
National Health Reform
Dr. David Himmelstein, Professor of Public Health at the City University of New York and a Visiting Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
2009: Public Health Policies Confronting our Nation and Global Society
Public Health Policies Confronting our Nation and Global Society
Dr. William H. Foege, Senior Fellow and Member of the Scientific Board for the Global Health Program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, former head of the U. S. Centers for Disease Control.
2008: Globalization and Health: Risk and Opportunities on Our Common Borders
Globalization and Health: Risk and Opportunities on Our Common Borders
Dr. Julio Frenk, President of the University of Miami, former Dean of Faculty at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, former Secretary of Health of Mexico.
Dr. James E. Dalen, MD, MPH
Dr. James E. Dalen, MD, MPH
Dr. James E. Dalen, MD, MPH, ScD (hon), Master FCCP, was a renowned cardiologist, visionary leader, and dedicated advocate for public health. He passed away on January 16, 2024, at the age of 91.
Dr. Dalen retired from the University of Arizona in 2001 after serving as Dean of the College of Medicine for thirteen years and as Vice President for Health Sciences for seven years. During his tenure, he was instrumental in establishing the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, and the Arizona Telemedicine Program. Under his leadership, successful fundraising efforts led to the development of key research facilities, including the Steele Children’s Research Center, the Sarver Heart Center, the Arizona Arthritis Center, and the expansion of the Arizona Cancer Center.
A transformative leader in health sciences, Dr. Dalen was a passionate advocate for health promotion and disease prevention. His contributions extended beyond administration; he was an influential researcher, educator, and author of more than 350 medical publications and 11 books. He also served as editor of prestigious medical journals, including the Archives of Internal Medicine, and held leadership roles in organizations such as the American College of Chest Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, and the American College of Physicians.
His dedication to advancing public health and medical education earned him numerous awards, including the Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Award of Merit, the American College of Chest Physicians’ College Medal, and the Bravewell Distinguished Service Award.
In 2008, Dr. Dalen and his wife, Priscilla, established the James E. Dalen, MD, MPH Distinguished Lecture for Health Policy to raise awareness of critical public health issues. His legacy continues through the College of Public Health, the College of Medicine, and the many lives he touched throughout his remarkable career.
Dr. Dalen is survived by his wife, Priscilla, his son, James Jr., his daughter, Angela, and a vast community of colleagues, students, and friends who will forever be inspired by his vision and commitment to public health.