James Spudich, Ph.D., renowned for his studies of proteins that function as molecular motors, will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, April 6.
His lecture, “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: from Fundamental Research to New Therapeutic Approaches,” will begin at 3 p.m. (an hour earlier than usual) in 208 Light Hall. It is sponsored by the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology.
Spudich is the Douglass M. and Nola Leishman Professor of Cardiovascular Disease in the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University.
Spudich and his team have focused on the structure and function of the myosin family of molecular motors, which drive muscular contraction in skeletal muscle and in the heart. The group is known for its technological innovations, including laser-based tools to measure the movement of myosin at the single molecule level — tools that the team is now using to study normal and diseased human cardiac function.
Spudich is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the Ahmed H. Zewail Award and the Massry Prize.
For a complete schedule of the Flexner Discovery Lecture series and archived video of previous lectures, go to www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/discoveryseries.
