Three Vanderbilt University scientists on the forefront of research in cellular dynamics and cancer treatment will discuss their cutting-edge investigations during the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Their discussion, entitled “Cutting-Edge Molecular Tools Drive Basic Science Discovery and Patient Care,” will begin at 4 p.m. in room 208 Light Hall. It is sponsored by the Office of the President and CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The speakers are:
• Marija Zanic, Ph.D., assistant professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering;
• Christine Lovly, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology; and
• Lauren Parker Jackson, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biological Sciences and Biochemistry.
Zanic, a 2016 Searle Scholar, combines the tools of biology and physics to study the dynamic architecture of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Microtubules are a common target for chemotherapeutic agents and microtubule-regulating proteins are implicated in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Lovly, an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, is seeking to understand and develop improved therapeutic strategies for genetically defined molecular subsets of cancer. She is co-editor-in-chief for My Cancer Genome, a free Vanderbilt-developed website that aims to provide health care practitioners and patients with up-to-date information about genetically informed cancer medicine.
Jackson, a 2016 Pew Scholar, focuses on cellular trafficking pathways that move molecular “cargoes” to specific locations in the cell. Disruptions in trafficking pathways cause human diseases including neurological disorders and cancer.
For a complete schedule of the Flexner Discovery Lecture series and archived video of previous lectures, go to www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/discoveryseries.
