[bioundgrd] HHMI Lecture and Luncheon (RSVP for Luncheon Requested)

[MacKenzie Outlund]

Dear Biology Undergraduates,

Each spring the Biology Undergraduate Student Association (BUSA)  
hosts the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Lecture as its flagship event  
of the
year.  A prominent researcher joins us to share his work and interact  
with the
MIT community, especially YOU!, MIT undergraduates.  We are excited  
to announce that
Dr. David Anderson of the California Institute of Technology is our
distinguished speaker for 2007.

We, the BUSA Executive Board, would like to extend this invitation  
for you
to join us on Thursday, March 22 at 4:00 p.m. in the Whitehead  
Auditorium
(WI-110) for the 2007 HHMI Lecture.  A small reception with Dr.  
Anderson will
follow the lecture.

As a part of the lecture, Dr. Anderson will have lunch specifically with
undergraduates (from 12-1:30 on March 22, the day of the lecture).   
This is a
great opportunity to have a much more personal interaction with our  
speaker.
**If you would like to attend this lunch, please RSVP to  
bexec at mit.edu.**

An introduction to Dr. Anderson's talk and brief biographical  
information are
included below.


"Using Genes to Map Neural Circuits for Innate Behaviors"
      All animals exhibit innate defensive behaviors, which are  
essential for the
survival of the species.  The strong selection pressures operating on  
such
behaviors suggest they are likely to be under genetic control.  In  
order to
understand how genes control such innate behaviors, it is first  
necessary to
map the neural circuits that mediate them.


Dr. Anderson is the Roger W. Sperry Professor of Biology at the   
California
Institute of Technology and an Investigator of the Howard  Hughes  
Medical
Institute.  Dr. Anderson received an A.B. degree at  Harvard and a  
Ph.D. degree
at Rockefeller University, where he trained with Nobelist Günter  
Blobel.  Dr.
Anderson performed post-doctoral studies at Columbia University with  
Nobelist
Richard Axel.


We hope to see you March 22!


Sincerely,

BUSA Executive Board


Jennifer Woo and André Green II
Co-Presidents

Andrew Glazer
Vice President

Kristina Holton
Secretary

HyeMee Shin
Treasurer

Paul Montgomery
Officer-at-Large