IMPACTS OF THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT WILL BE THE FOCUS ON NOVEMBER 7 OF BARD-ROCKEFELLER INAUGURAL LECTURE Arnold J. Levine, a Pioneer in the Fight Against Cancer, will discuss "Cracking the Code of Life: Impacts of the Human Genome Project"
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—A new lecture series that is part of an innovative collaboration between Bard College and The Rockefeller University will get under way on Tuesday, November 7, with a presentation by Arnold J. Levine, a renowned biochemist and president of The Rockefeller University. Dr. Levine’s lecture, \"Cracking the Code of Life: Impacts of the Human Genome Project,\" will be given from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the Bertelsmann Campus Center Multipurpose Room on the Bard College Campus. The lecture, which will inaugurate the Bard-Rockefeller Conversations on Contemporary Scientific Issues series, is free and open to the public.
Last summer scientists announced that after a decade of intensive study and billions of dollars in research, they had cracked the code of human life by successfully mapping the human genome. With continued research, this discovery is expected to revolutionize the practice of medicine through the development of specialized treatments and, perhaps, cures for many of today’s most destructive and vexing diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. In his lecture, Dr. Levine will address the science behind the headlines and discuss how genetic information will change the way diseases are diagnosed, treated, and prevented.
Dr. Levine is one of the nation’s leading authorities on the molecular basis of cancer. In 1979, he discovered the p53 tumor suppressor gene, a molecule that inhibits tumor development. When the p53 gene does not function properly, it fails to control cell division and acquires dangerous traits that add to the malignancy of a tumor. Disruption of the gene’s normal function is associated with an estimated 60 percent of human cancers. Now studied in laboratories around the world, p53 is playing a significant role in the development of a new generation of cancer therapies.
The Conversations series is part of the new Bard-Rockefeller Program, an ongoing collaborative venture in science education established by Bard College and The Rockefeller University in March 2000. The program creates unique opportunities for Bard undergraduates to study with distinguished scientists at one of the world’s premiere research universities, while retaining the benefits of attending one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges. Rockefeller, in turn, is enriched by interaction with Bard faculty members who bring different perspectives to learning, teaching, and research. The Bard-Rockefeller Program is a component of the Bard College Science Initiative, which aims to strengthen the College’s science curriculum through innovative programs, faculty hiring, and new facilities.
For more information on the Bard-Rockefeller Conversations on Contemporary Scientific Issues or the Bard-Rockefeller program, contact Felicia Keesing at (845) 758-7837 or [email protected].
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(10.17.00)