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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.

with Professor Wayne Getz of UC-Berkeley
(January 21, 2009) in the TL Performance Theater

Professor Getz discussed the impact of global change on the ecology of wildlife in Africa. He showed a short film on zebra collaring in Africa. Graduate student Andy Lyons spoke about field work in Zambia and the inter-relation between human and animal populations in that African nation.

Professor Getz received his BS in Applied Mathematics and his Ph.D. in Modeling and Control of Birth and Death Processes from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. His specialty is Quantitative Population Biology and his research interests include a broad range of theoretical and applied questions in population and biology with application to epidemiology and conservation biology. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management at UC-Berkeley’s College of Natural Resources. At this time projects in his laboratory include: (i) Ecology of anthrax and parasitic co-infections in the plain’s herbivores of Etosha National Park, Namibia., (ii) Bovine TB in wild animals, livestock, and humans in southern Africa., (iii) Movement Ecology: exploring the causes, patterns, mechanisms and consequences of organism movements with particular application to buffalo and elephants., and (iv) Merging dynamical systems modeling and analysis at different levels of biological organization.