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.
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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.
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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.
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For a complete schedule of the Flexner Discovery Lecture series and archived video of previous lectures, go to www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/discoveryseries.