UC Irvine School of Medicine—LECTURE: Lessons Learned By An African American Kidney Transplant Surgeon

All are invited to hear Dr. Charles Modlin, Jr. speak on “The Making Of & Lessons Learned By An African American Kidney Transplant Surgeon & Urologist Dedicated to Substantively Innovating Ways to Improve Health Outcomes in Minority Populations.”

Refreshments will be served.

Charles Modlin, MD, FACS, is a Kidney Transplant Surgeon, Urologist and Founder and Director of the Minority Men’s Health Center of Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological Institute and is Executive Director of Minority Health for Cleveland Clinic.

In 1983, Dr. Modlin graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., with a degree in chemistry. He received his medical school education at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, graduating in 1987. He the moved to New York City, where he completed a six-year residency in urological surgery at New York University in 1993. He came to Cleveland in 1993, where he completed a three-year fellowship in basic science transplant immunology and clinical renovascular and renal transplantation surgery. In 1996, he joined the Staff of Cleveland Clinic’s Urological Institute with a joint staff appointment within the Transplant Center. He has authored scientific publications and presented scientific research at national meetings.

Dr. Modlin is not only the sole African American transplant surgeon in Northeastern Ohio, but he represents one of only 17 African American transplant surgeons in the entire United States.

According to Faith Njoku, BRI-UC Irvine School of Medicine chapter founder and president, and even organizer:

African-Americans comprise 13% of the US population; yet compose 34% of the kidney transplant waiting list and only 14% of cadaveric donors and 11% of living donors. There are many barriers to organ donation among minorities. This study investigates the societal misconceptions and demographic health factors that correlate with minority participation in organ and tissue donation.

The Minority Men’s Health Center of Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, one of the first in the country, addresses the challenges of healthcare disparities among minorities. Through a multidisciplinary approach of culturally sensitive clinical care, community outreach and education, mentorship for future health care providers and health disparities research, the Minority Men’s Health Center takes on some of the nation’s current greatest challenges. In cooperation with Cleveland Clinic’s Medicine Institute and other clinicians and researchers at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, the Center pursues a wide variety of studies such as immunology, molecular genetics, behavioral research and clinical trials of new therapies and diagnostics all designed to address the elimination of health disparities.

Click to read the entire Dr. Charles Modlin abstract for this event.