2008 Richard A. Scott Lecture – May 13, 2008:

Craig C. Mello, Ph.D.
Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine
University of Massachusetts Medical School

“Return to the RNAi World: Rethinking Gene Expression, Evolution and Medicine”

2006 Nobel Laureate Dr. Craig C. Mello is widely known for his groundbreaking work in the area of RNA interference (RNAi). Together with colleague Andrew Fire, currently at Stanford University School of Medicine, they demonstrated in 1998 that double stranded RNA was capable of silencing gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. The ability of RNA to regulate gene expression has since been shown to be a normal part of the developmental process for a wide array of organisms, including humans. The discovery of RNAi has not only proven to be an extremely powerful research tool for studying gene expression, but also a potential therapeutic avenue for diseases like cancer, heart disease, and viral infections

Tuesday, May 13, 2008
4:00 – 5:00 pm; reception to follow
Hughes Auditorium, Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center
303 E. Superior Street
Chicago Campus

This event is co-sponsored by the Integrated Graduate Program’s “Lectures in the Life Sciences.”

The Richard A. Scott, MD Lecture Series is funded by a bequest from Richard A. Scott, MD, who graduated from Northwestern University Medical School in 1968, and by donations from his wife, Anne Lesak Scott.

Related Links:

• Dr. Mello's faculty webpage
• Dr. Mello Wins 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (HHMI announcement or Nobel Prize website)