Danforth Center's "Conversations" Series Continues with Let's talk about... The Frontlines of the Battle Against Malnutrition

ST. LOUIS, MO, April 14, 2011 (Press-News.org) The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center will host its quarterly "Conversations" Series, this time focusing on the battle of malnutrition around the world, on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 from 5:15 - 7:00 p.m. at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Road. The event is sponsored by Boeing. The program will feature Dr. Mark Manary, Director, Global Harvest Alliance; Helene B. Roberson Professor of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine and Hannah Hightower, Student, Visitation Academy, Class of 2012 who will discuss their personal experiences on the front lines in sub-Saharan Africa.

Thanks to modern agricultural practices, much of the world no longer has to worry about where they will find their next meal. Basic life necessities - including adequate calories, vitamins and minerals - are readily available to nearly all those fortunate enough to live in developed countries. With grocery store shelves overflowing with affordable food, do most of us know the pangs of true hunger?

Yet even today, approximately one person in six is undernourished around the world. Children in developing countries are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition - and those who manage to survive are often irreversibly physically and mentally stunted.

With nearly one billion people going to bed hungry every night, there is a dramatic disconnect between our society of plenty and the stark reality of life in places like sub-Saharan Africa. What does true malnutrition look like up-close? How does it affect the brain and body? What can be done to not only stop and reverse malnutrition in children, but to prevent it in the first place?

Join us for our next Conversations event, where Moderator James W. Davis, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Washington University, will host a discussion featuring two people who have been on the frontlines of the hunger epidemic.

To join us for an enlightening discussion, reserve your spot today! Reservations are required but complimentary; seating is limited and priority will be given to Center Friends. To attend, please phone: 314-587-1070 or email: conversations@danforthcenter.org or reserve online.


Dr. Mark Manary, Director, Global Harvest Alliance; Helene B. Roberson Professor of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine
Dr. Manary, sometimes referred to as the "Peanut Butter Doctor" is an expert in the field of treating childhood malnutrition. His best-known work is the development of a home-based therapy for severe malnutrition with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). His RUTF is a mixture of peanut butter and other ingredients that provide all of the nutrients necessary for rapid catch-up growth in severely malnourished children. The World Health Organization officially declared it the most effective method by which malnourished children should be restored to health, and it has been met with great success over the past decade.

Dr. Manary dedicates much of his time to overseeing production at Project Peanut Butter's factory in Malawi, as well as traveling within the country to treat thousands of children. He is a Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine and a Senior Lecturer in Pediatrics at the Medical College of Malawi. Dr. Manary is also the Director of the Global Harvest Alliance, a joint venture between St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University and the Danforth Center.

Hannah Hightower, Student, Visitation Academy, Class of 2012
Hannah was first introduced to the Danforth Center community when she became a member of the Danforth Plant Science Center's World Food Day Commemoration Junior Board. Through her experience, she found her passion for issues concerning world hunger and malnutrition. The event touched her so deeply that, working with our partner organization Outreach International, she raised her own funds to travel to Tanga, Tanzania, where the food was shipped.

Hannah is very committed to issues of human rights and social justice. In addition to her volunteer work with the Center, she is the head lifeguard at Rainbow Village, a center for developmentally disabled adults. In college she hopes to major in International Business.

About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research at the Danforth Center will feed the hungry and improve human health, preserve and renew the environment, and enhance the St. Louis region and Missouri as a world center for plant science. The Center's work is funded through competitive grants and contract revenue from many sources, including the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center invites you to visit its new website, http://www.danforthcenter.org; featuring interactive information on the Center's research, scientists, news and public education outreach. RSS feeds and the brand new "Roots & Shoots" blog allow visitors to keep up to date with Center's current operations and areas of research.