User:Joevysum/Mary Styles Harris

Mary Styles Harris, Ph.D. (born June 26, 1949) is an American geneticist, producer, and founder of a genetics consulting firm and communications company. Harris earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1971 and a Ph.D. in genetics from Cornell University in 1975. Harris then worked her way up from a postdoctoral position to being the founder and CEO of BioTechnical Communications, Inc. (BTC) which specializes in the production, broadcast, and dissemination of health care information targeted to African-Americans She has received numerous awards including the 1980 Glamour Magazine's Outstanding Working Woman Award and National Science Foundation Science Residency Award

Early life
Harris was born in Nashville, Tennessee on June 26, 1949 to George and Margaret Styles. Her mother, Margaret, completed a degree in business administration at Tennessee State University while her father was a physician. Harris was encouraged to enter the medical field by her father. When Harris entered Miami Jackson High School she was one of the first Black Americans to enroll. In 1967, she graduated twelfth in her class of 350.

Education
At Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Harris was one of the first women to enroll. Men in her advanced algebra and organic chemistry classes were surprised to see Harris there. She spent most of her time with pre-med students, with the goal of attending medical school. Her father's colleagues reserved Harris a place at the University of Miami Medical School, but she did not accept it. She did not want to treat people, she wanted to do research.

Harris graduated from Lincoln University in 1971, and then enrolled at Cornell University where she studied molecular genetics and was supported by a Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellowship. Harris graduated with her doctorate in 1975 and was continued her postdoctoral training in molecular virology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University from 1975-1977.

Career
After graduating from Rutgers University, Harris became executive director of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia in 1977. In this role she was responsible for raising money for sickle cell research and educating the public on the disease. Harris later became the Director of Genetic Services for the Georgia Department of Human Services. During this time Harris also served as an instructor on genetics at Morehouse College (1978) and Atlanta University (1980-1981).

Harris has dedicated her professional life to research and healthcare literacy in minorities. In 1987 Harris founded BioTechnical Communications (BTC). Here, her work focused on producing health education digital materials primarily for women and minority communities which were in part funded by grants from the National Institute of Health. Harris has produced television and radio shows, such as the award-winning television special documentary, To My Sisters... A Gift For Life , focusing on breast cancer in African American Women and was viewed by an estimated 3.5 million minority women. Through BTC she hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, Journey To Wellness: African American Health Radio - a call-in talk show and a 60-second weekly health feature for CNN Radio. Other topics covered by BTC include preventive health care and health disparities that have a high incidence of morbidity and mortality among African-Americans including; cancer, obesity, diabetes, asthma, HIV/AIDS and hypertension.

Harris has experience as a graduate and medical school teacher and she has had articles published in scientific and medical journals. Harris has directed a statewide screening program, been on grant review committees, and has provided private consulting for private laboratories and health organizations. Her interest in preventive healthcare also led her to get involved in newborn screening of Sickle-cell disease and sitting on the Atlanta board of the March of Dimes.

Dr. Harris has served on several boards of health-related non-profit organizations, received numerous awards and honors for her work, and collaborated with many prestigious organizations such as:


 * National Medical Association
 * National Rural Health Association
 * American Cancer Society
 * American Diabetes Association
 * American Heart Association
 * Arthritis Foundation
 * National Cancer Institute
 * Grady Hospital Sickle Cell Anemia Program
 * National Caucus and Center on Black Aged

Awards

 * 1980 Glamour Magazine's Outstanding Working Woman Award
 * 1979 National Science Foundation Science Residency Award
 * 1971 Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellowship