Marquette's College of Health Sciences will host panel discussion on opioid epidemic

November 21, 2017

MILWAUKEE — America is in the grip of an opioid epidemic that is increasing in both death toll and severity of threat to the public health. In 2015, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, 12.5 million people misused prescription opioids and nearly another million used heroin, leading to 46,000 overdose deaths and $78.5 billion in economic costs.

The College of Health Science's upcoming Marquette Presents series will address this epidemic head-on, with perspective from speakers including Alderman Michael Murphy, researchers and clinicians from Marquette University, Aurora and The Bridge Health Clinics, and a mother and daughter who have first-hand experience with the effects of opioid addiction.

The free, public event is Thursday, Nov. 30, at 7:15 a.m. in the Monaghan Ballroom on the third-floor of the Alumni Memorial Union, 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee.

"This is an epidemic that touches nearly everyone, whether it be their own struggles with addiction, or that of a friend or family member," said Dr. William Cullinan, dean of the College of Health Sciences and director of the Integrative Neuroscience Research Center at Marquette. "It's important that we educate our community on what is being done to address this problem and how we can work together from policy, clinical and research standpoints to overcome it."

Cullinan will moderate the panel discussion. Presenters include:

  • Michael Murphy, 10th District, Milwaukee.
  • Michael Bohn, MD., Medical Director, Intensive Treatment Unit, Aurora Psychiatric Hospital.
  • Todd Campbell, Ph.D., psychologist, President/CEO, The Bridge Health Clinics & Research Centers, Inc.
  • Matt Hearing, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Health Sciences, Marquette University.
  • John Mantsch, Ph.D., professor and chair of biomedical sciences in the College of Health Sciences, Marquette University.
  • A mother and daughter will also share their story of addiction.

The event includes a complimentary continental breakfast. Free parking is also available in the 16th Street parking structure, located between Wisconsin Ave. and Wells Street. Registration is required and available online at https://muconnect.marquette.edu/2017-mu-presents-opioids-113017.

Marquette Presents is a forum series developed by the College of Health Sciences at Marquette University to focus on issues of community health. Previous forums in the series focused on depression, sports-related concussion, obesity, ebola and spinal cord injury.