The public is invited to hear a discussion about HPV (Human Papillomavirus), a sexually transmitted virus and the cancers it can cause, Tuesday, January 31, at Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield. The title of the discussion is “HPV…Don’t Pass It Along.”

Patients of Memorial Physician Services now have easy, free and secure access to their personal health information online, allowing them to schedule appointments, refill prescriptions and receive updates to changes to their health record. Launched Nov. 28, the password-protected patient portal, MyHealth@MemorialMD, “provides a secure way for our patients to manage their health and gives them the opportunity to communicate directly with their physicians’ offices,” said Travis Dowell, vice president of Memorial Physician Services.

Individuals who are diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease are needed to participate in a national multi-site study of the drug bapineuzumab at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. The drug is being evaluated for its effectiveness in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease by SIU’s Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders.

Individuals who are diagnosed with early stage Parkinson’s disease are being recruited by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine as part of a national study of the drug pioglitazone (Actos®). “This is an important study looking for a drug to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Rodger J. Elble, Ph.D., professor and chair of the neurology department at SIU and principal investigator of the local Phase II clinical trial.