[bioundgrd] TODAY: Douglas Melton HHMI lecture for undergraduates!

[MacKenzie Outlund]

It's here, and you don't want to miss it!  Come hear about the exciting work
Dr. Douglas Melton of Harvard University is doing with stem cells to advance
the study & treatment of diabetes.  This lecture is *for* *undergrads*, so
come and take advantage!  4-5pm, Whitehead Auditorium.  Today!


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: MacKenzie Outlund <moutlund at mit.edu>
Date: Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Subject: Annual HHMI Lecture & Luncheon 3/18
To: bioundgrd at mit.edu


Dear Biology Majors,

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/her work and interact
with the MIT community, especially *you*, MIT undergraduates.  We are
excited to announce that Dr. Douglas Melton of Harvard University is the
distinguished speaker for 2010.

The BUSA Executive Board would like to extend this invitation for you to
join us on *Thursday, March 18th at 4:00pm* in the Whitehead Auditorium
(WI-110) for the 2010 HHMI Lecture.  A small reception with Dr. Melton will
follow the lecture.


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

Stem cells to create a pancreas and recreate diabetes.
Developmental biologists seek an understanding of how specialized cells and
organs are made during normal development.  This understanding forms the
basis for regenerative medicine: the science of repairing and replacing
tissues that have been damaged by injury or disease.  Recent advances in
human stem cell biology have made it possible to pursue this goal and
studies on the pancreas and its insulin-producing beta cell represent a
clear test case.

   Dr. Douglas Melton is a developmental biologist.  His laboratory studies
how cell differentiation is directed during development and the role of stem
cells in tissue maintenance.  A particular focus is the study of genes and
cells that make pancreatic tissue with the goal of the work being to make
pancreatic cells for transplantation into people with diabetes.  This
challenging project involves understanding how cells, including embryonic
stem cells, can be directed to make pancreatic beta cells, the cells that
make insulin.
   Dr. Melton is the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences
at Harvard University and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.
 He is also Co-Chair of the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
and Co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.
   Born in Chicago, Dr. Melton earned a bachelor's degree in biology from
the University of Illinois then went to Cambridge University in England as
the recipient of a Marshall Scholarship.  He earned a B.A. in history and
philosophy of science at Cambridge, and then remained there to earn a Ph.D.
in molecular biology at Trinity College and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular
Biology.  He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute
of Medicine and the author of over 150 publications.


We hope to see you March 18th!

Sincerely,

BUSA Executive Board
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