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Wed. October 14, 2009
Bad Blood: Interrogating Signaling Networks in Blood Disease
with Michelle Hermiston, M.D. Ph.D.

Dr. Hermiston will talk about her training and experience as a physician and research speacialist in the field of pediatric hematology and oncology. 
 

“Smashing Protons!: Exploring Nature’s Fundamental Particles and Forces with the Large Hadron Collider” with Beate Heinemann, Assistant Professor of Physics, UC-Berkeley

(September 30, 2009)

Dr. Heinemann’s experiment recently became famous when it was featured in the blockbuster movie “Angels & Demons” with Tom Hanks. She will discuss particle physics and her work with the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

“The field of “particle physics” tries to understand the physics of the most fundamental building blocks of matter. How many such building blocks are there? How do they relate to each other? Why are they there? Currently we do not have a good theory why we have any mass at all, even though of course we know that all matter has a mass. There are, however, many theories about why this might be and the goal of my experiment is to prove or disprove them, or to maybe find completely unexpected phenomena that will then need to be explained. One exciting possibility is that we find extra dimensions of space that could even result in the production of mini-blackholes. My experiment is called ATLAS and is situated at the “Large Hadron Collider” (abbreviated as LHC) that is located in Switzerland. There are more than 2000 physicists on my experiment, and many engineers and technicians: all of them collaborate with each other to answer some of the most basic and fundamental questions of Science today. In my talk I will describe how this experiment works and what we hope to discover there.”

The Fall 2009 Marin Science Seminar schedule is now online at http://www.marinscienceseminar.com/calendar.html

Lots of fascinating talks! Join us!

with Diana Laird, Ph.D.

Although we do not need our gametes for 20 or 30 years, they are established during early development in the womb by stem cell precursors. Professor Laird’s research in mouse embryos asks how these cells acquire and maintain their identity, migrate to the forming ovaries or testes, and avoid becoming cancerous on their way to differentiating as egg or sperm.

You may have noticed the NanoHigh flyer in the science classroom we have our seminars in. Nanohigh is a series of lectures given by UC Berkeley professors about nanotechnology. The last one, which I attended, discussed the use of carbon. I learned about why there are 2 forms of carbon, the use of nanotubes, the world’s smallest motor, and graphene, the revolutionary material formed when you write with a pencil.

The next talk is about getting things from the lab to the market, and is on April 25, Stanley Hall, 10 AM. Registration is requested, click on the above link for the site

Marin Science Seminar Presentation: “How we Know What we Know about the Brain” (formerly “The Case of the Knocked-Out Neuron: Why brain neurons die and how we can save them”) Dr. Swanson will talk about how we have learned what we know about the brain and about his work’s impact on Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. He will also talk about how scientists work to figure out why neurons die and what can be done to keep them alive.

with Rod Bogart of Pixar Studios

Pixar films are known for their characters and stories, but how is the film actually made? This talk will describe the various applications of math and science behind the art, from animation and
simulation, through shading and lighting, to mastering for the audience.

Dr. Bernstein is Professor of Pediatrics and a Senior Investigator of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at UCSF. He will talk about the field of stem cell therapy, specifically relating it to his work using stem cells to treat heart disease. Dr. Bernstein also practices Pediatric Cardiology at UCSF Childrens Hospital. He attended public school in New York, received his undergraduate degree from Harvard, his doctoral and medical training at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and his postgraduate training in pediatrics and cardiology at UCSF. Dr. Bernstein’s research focuses on stem cell biology, muscle development, and heart regeneration. He has been recognized as an Established Investigator by the American Heart Association, and currently is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (Proposition 71).

with Asma Asyyed, M.D.

Dr. Asyyed’s research interest is in the neurological processes of alcohol addiction. While at UCSF she was involved in two research projects. The first project was to study the effects of ethanol on CRE-mediated gene transcription in mice, using biochemical, behavioral and neuroanatomical techniques (Asyyed et., 2006). The second research project was to study candidate genes that may have a link with alcoholism (ADORA1, MOR and PKIB genes), using molecular biology and biochemical techniques.