The mission of the Heredity Project is “Health Promotion through Genetic Literacy.” The project works directly with community groups to develop materials and programs that will enable the public to use genetics in making healthcare decisions. The Heredity Project is one part of a larger project, Building Bridges to Health Science Literacy, based at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (http://www.utmem.edu). The project reaches out to the Memphis community to bring science learning and knowledge to people of all ages and backgrounds. Primary funding comes from a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Institutes of Health (R25RR022732 from the National Center for Research Resources).

Vicki Park, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN. Vicki has experience in the practice of laboratory genetics and a strong commitment to medical genetics education. She received her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and her Ph.D. from Yale University. She completed postdoctoral training at Case Western Reserve University prior to joining the faculty at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Joanne Sutton is the Manager of Curves-Midtown Memphis. She has experience in education, business, and the legal field. Joanne is an advocate for healthy lifestyles at the individual and community levels. At Curves, Joanne and her staff promote an environment that encourages diverse approaches to the betterment of individual and community health.