Grant W. Somes, PhD Memorial Lecture July 24, 2025

Register now! The Grant W. Somes, PhD Memorial Lecture will be held on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at noon in the Freeman Auditorium, 930 Madison, Third Floor on the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center (UTHSC) Campus, Memphis, TN. Lunch will be served for persons who have registered starting at 11:30 AM.

We are asking you to join us in honoring the memory of Dr. Grant Somes, former chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, who tragically died in March 2010. We are reaching out to former and current faculty and staff members, graduate students, colleagues, and friends who knew Grant or have benefitted from his legacy.

Dr. Somes completed his degree in statistics in 1975 at the University of Kentucky. He joined UTHSC in 1984 as associate professor and chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, later a division of the Department of Preventive Medicine. He received tenure as a full professor in 1987 and was appointed chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine in 2000. He participated in multiple research activities across campus and in the community, applying his statistical expertise to research in the areas of smoking cessation, cardiovascular reactivity, hypertension, weight loss, physical activity, and violence. He was a strong supporter of the mission of the Urban Child Institute; he secured funding for and served as Principal Investigator of the CANDLE (Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood) Study, which continues now as a nationally recognized project investigating factors affecting cognitive development. Dr. Somes taught and mentored numerous grateful students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty members during his time at UTHSC. 

We are excited that Dr. Gaur agreed to return to UTHSC for this memorial. Aditya H. Gaur, MD is the Director of the Division of HIV and Translational Medicine in the Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (SJCRH). As a pediatrician from India, Dr. Gaur came to the United States in 1996, trained in pediatric infectious diseases (SJCRH) and epidemiology (Univ. of TN Department of Preventive Medicine) and has been conducting clinical research and providing patient care for children and youth at SJCRH for the past 25 years. His ongoing contributions to clinical research include drug/vaccine development and towards the goal of ending the HIV Epidemic, improving options for HIV prevention and treatment in children and youth.

The generosity of those who loved, knew, and collaborated with Grant has allowed us to host this event honoring and remembering our dear colleague, his collaborative spirit, and his legacy in the Department of Preventive Medicine. We look forward to seeing you and sharing this occasion with you.

To register, please copy and paste this link into your browser:

https://uthsc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3add709sdHrDWu2

Registrations are required for each person who will be attending for a more accurate headcount.

If you cannot attend but wish to make contribution to the Grant Somes Memorial Lectureship Endowment, please copy and paste this link into your browser: giving.uthsc.edu/somes.

This fund will annually support a Master of Epidemiology student to be used for scholarships, conference registrations, travel stipends, etc.

We are looking forward to seeing you in July.