Annual GPILS Lectureship | Previous Speakers
The Graduate Program in Life Science’s Annual Distinguished Lectureship is the premiere lecture event with regards to graduate education on our campus. The goal of this lectureship is to provide an opportunity for our students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty to hear an internationally renown scientist discuss their research and “career story”.
This event would not be possible without the generous support of the Dr. Aaron I. Grollman Visiting Professorship. This endowment was established by Ellis Grollman, School of Pharmacy, Class of 1926, in memory of Aaron I. Grollman, MD, School of Medicine, Class of 1928.
This year's speaker is Bert Vogelstein, MD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Insitute Investigator. Dr. Vogelstein will speak on Monday, May 17, 2010 at 4:30PM in the Lussier Lecture Hall (UMB Dental School, Ground Floor). The
title of his talk is still TBA.
Dr. Vogelstein and his colleagues have demonstrated that human colorectal tumors represent the expansion of a single transformed cell. The initiation of this process is due to mutations in genes controlling the APC/b-catenin pathway. Progress is due to mutations in other genes, such as c-Ki-Ras, p53, and those controlling the responses to TGF-b and related ligands. These mutations occur in a preferred order as the tumor progresses from benign to malignant stages and can occur either through inherited or somatic means. Genetic alterations affecting genetic stability, such as those resulting in mismatch repair defects or aberrant chromosome segregation, can lead to an accelerated accumulation of somatic mutations and predisposition to cancer.
Dr. Vogelstein’s current work is devoted to the use of sophisticated molecular genetic methods to probe the function of the genes noted above in colorectal cancer cells. His group has developed powerful methods to disrupt specific genes in colorectal cancer cells for this purpose. Additionally, they have invented new technologies for detecting mutations and used these technologies to improve early cancer detection and diagnosis of hereditary susceptibility. Other research in his laboratory focuses on the design of novel therapeutic agents targeting the epithelial and non-epithelial components of colorectal cancers.
A list of our previous presenters can be viewed HERE.