• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Lecture

    One of our main events every year is the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Lecture. The day features a lunch with and a lecture by a distinguished biologist. We thank our 2012 distinguished speaker Dr. Brian Druker, Director of the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, Associate Dean for Oncology, JELD-WEN Chair of Leukemia Research, and HHMI Investigator, who delivered his talk entitled "Targeting Molecular Pathogenic Events in Cancer". Dr. Druker's laboratory was instrumental in the development of Gleevec (imatinib), a drug that targets the molecular defect in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

    We look forward to hosting Dr. Carol Greider, Daniel Nathans Professor and Director of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, next year on Friday, March 15, 2013 at 4pm in the Koch Institute Auditorium. Dr. Greider discovered telomerase as a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, and pioneered research on telomeres. She was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, along with Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Jack Szostak (an HHMI Investigator), for her work. Her talk is titled "Telomeres and Telomerase: Past, Present, Future". Email bexec@mit.edu to RSVP, and we'll save you a seat!

  • Charles "Ned" E. Holt Memorial Lecture

    Every year, a distinguished scientist and teacher "interested both in the biological sciences and undergraduate education" is invited to speak before the MIT undergraduate community and the public at the Charles Edward Holt Memorial Lecture as part of the Biology Colloquium Series. We thank Dr. Mark Krasnow, who delivered the 2012 lecture on the topic of "Genetic dissection of lung stem cells and cancer at single cell resolution." Dr. Krasnow is Chair of the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University School of Medicine, Executive Director of the Wall Center for Pulmonary Vascular Disease, and an HHMI Investigator. His research is centered around the biochemical mechanisms of cell migration, cytoplasmic extension, and cell adhesion during development of the Drosophila tracheal (respiratory) system. The tracheal system is a network of epithelial tubes that transports oxygen to the tissues, like the lungs and vascular system in mammals. His teaching activities focus on the molecular basis of medicine, biochemistry education, as well as research by undergraduate, graduate, and medical students alike.

    On Tuesday, April 2nd, in 32-123 at 4pm Dr. Thomas Cech will be delivering the annual lecture. Dr. Cech is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder and an HHMI Investigator who has earned a long list of high honors, including the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Undergrads, RSVP here!