UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, and Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, two international experts on biomedical research and drug development, will discuss Dr. Blackburn's groundbreaking work on aging and how it applies to the future of medicine.
Dr. Blackburn, a UCSF professor and molecular biologist, was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her research into telomeres (pronounced TEEL-oh-meres) – the protective tips on the ends of our chromosomes that prevent them from damage each time our cells divide – and their role in protecting our genes as we age. Now, the health of those telomeres is being linked to a number of aging-associated diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, inflammation and poor immune function.
Together, Drs. Blackburn and Desmond-Hellmann will explore how physical exercise and stress affect telomere length and health, and how university research into fundamental biology such as Blackburn’s can be harnessed to create better products and therapies for patients worldwide.
Shaw Prize-winning geneticist Yuet W. Kan, MB.BS, DSc. will moderate, with an opportunity for the audience to pose questions to the three acclaimed scientists. |
