Dr. Stephen C. Joseph, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs in the U.S. Department of Defense -- DoD-- will return to his alma mater to present a Dean's Special Lecture on Tuesday, May 21, at the School of Medicine.
Dr. Joseph, a 1963 medical school graduate who assumed his current position two years ago, will speak on the topic "DoD Initiatives in Response to Persian Gulf Veterans Health Concerns" at 4 p.m. in Rm. 100 of the Jane Ellen Hope Building, 315 Cedar St., enter through 333 Cedar St. The lecture is free and open to the public.
In his presentation, Dr. Joseph will discuss the DoD's four-part response to Gulf veterans' concerns about service in the Persian Gulf War, with particular emphasis on results of the Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program, a systematic clinical evaluation of more than 18,000 Persian Gulf Veterans and their family members.
As assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, Dr. Joseph is responsible for overall supervision of the health and medical affairs of the U.S. DoD. He serves as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the secretary of defense for all DoD health policies, program and activities.
Before his appointment, Dr. Joseph was dean of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and previously served as the New York City commissioner of health. He also was the special coordinator for child health and survival for the United Nations Children's Fund. His book, "Dragon Within the Gates: The Once and Future AIDS Epidemic," was published in 1992.