The event, which is free and open to the public, is the third in a series of discussions entitled "Stem Cell Dialogues," which offer opportunities for the public to learn about the stem cell therapies that UC Davis is developing to potentially treat and cure a wide array of diseases and injuries. Those interested in attending this session should reserve seats by contacting Kathleen Lopez at (916) 734-9617. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Free parking is available adjacent to the facility.
The Nov. 4 forum will focus on the use of stem cells to better understand the causes of cancer and how cancers might be treated more successfully or, perhaps, entirely avoided.
"Understanding stem cell biology is giving us better insights into the biology of many different types of cancer," said Jan Nolta, director of the UC Davis Stem Cell Program and the university's new Institute for Regenerative Cures, a facility supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "Having that knowledge can guide us to develop better and more targeted therapies and cures. This community forum gives us an opportunity to share what's being discovered in laboratories and what's being learned in clinics."
Nolta is one of the featured speakers at Stem Cell Dialogues, along with Noriko Satake, an assistant professor of pediatric oncology and hematology and a faculty member of the UC Davis Bone Marrow Transplant Program. Satake has been working on leukemia research and developing targeted leukemia stem cell therapies.
The session also features Alexander Borowsky, an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and a faculty member of the UC Davis Center for Comparative Medicine, who is an expert in breast cancer, molecular oncology and mouse models of cancer; and Fredrik Gorin, professor of neurology and a faculty member of the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience, who has been researching cellular mechanisms that could help yield a safe and effective drug for treating deadly brain tumors known as glioblastomas.
The event will be moderated by Claire Pomeroy, UC Davis vice chancellor for human health sciences, dean of the School of Medicine and a member of the governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
About UC Davis Stem Cell Research
UC Davis is playing a leading role in stem cell research, with more than 140 faculty scientists and physicians working on a variety of stem cell investigations at campus locations in Davis and Sacramento. The university's new Institute for Regenerative Cures, a facility supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, is currently under construction. This 90,000 square-foot research facility is located in Sacramento and will soon provide researchers with state-of-the-art laboratories, cell manufacturing and testing rooms, and enable clinical trials involving stem cell therapies. The project, along with a shared research facility in Davis, complements the university's NIH-supported Clinical and Translational Science Center and is designed to help turn stem cells into cures. For more information, visit www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/stemcellresearch/.