Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will be the featured speaker at the University of Connecticut's eighth annual Women's Health Update, "Woman - The Well Being," from noon to 5 p.m. May 6 at the Sheraton Hartford Hotel.

Carter, who has dedicated 25 years to improving the quality of life in the United States, will provide the keynote address for the conference.

During the Carter Administration, Rosalynn Carter worked with the President's Commission on Mental Health and was influential in passing the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980.

Through her work in Atlanta, Ga., she established The Carter Center's mental health program for public policy issues. In 1991 she created and now chairs the center's mental health task force, an advisory group promoting positive change in mental health.

She also hosts the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy, giving leaders of mental health organizations an opportunity to examine key issues.

Carter has recently written a book, Helping Someone with Mental Illness: A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends and Caregivers.

The conference also will include four speakers. At 2 p.m., Sandra Silberman, M.D., associate director of the Experimental Medical Department of Clinical Research at Pfizer Inc., will give an overview of current research in women's health, focusing on oncology..

At 2:40 p.m., Deborah Metzger, M.D., director of the Reproductive Medicine Institute of Connecticut at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the UConn Health Center, will address the effects of hormone replacement on mental and physical health.

Jasminka Ilich-Ernst, associate professor in the School of Allied Health, will discuss osteoporosis. Her presentation will begin at 3:35 p.m.

At 4:15 p.m., professor of English Regina Barreca, known for her comic perspective on women's issues in books and public appearances, will take a humorous look at complaints most frequently voiced by women about their health.

The fee for the conference is $75 per person, including program, luncheon and an autographed copy of Carter's book, Helping Someone with Mental Illness. A $55 fee per person includes program and luncheon only. To register, call (800) 622-9905 or (860) 486-4905 by April 24.

For information about the program, call Cynthia Adams, associate dean of allied health, Emcee and founder of the program, at (860) 486-0007.

Sherry Fisher