[BIC-announce] Killam Lecture - Tuesday, February 20th, 2007 @ 4:00 pm - Speaker: Dr. David Chan

[Jennifer Chew, Ms.]

PLEASE DISCARD IF THIS IS A DUPLICATE.  THANK YOU.  JENNIFER 
 
KILLAM LECTURE

  

Speaker:    David Chan, MD, Ph.D.

                 Division of Biology

                 California Institute of Technology

 Title:         Mitochondrial Dynamics and Neurodegeneration

Place:        de Grandpre Communications Centre

Date:         Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Time:        4:00 pm

 ________________________________

The Killam speaker this week is David Chan (MD PhD) from Caltech.
David's lab focuses on the molecular analysis of mitochondrial dynamics
and membrane fusion. Mitochondrial dynamics has emerged as a hot topic
in cell biology in recent years. It turns out that mitochondrial fusion
and fission are absolutely essential for normal mitochondrial biology,
but exactly why this is so it not entirely obvious. Mitochondrial
remodeling also appears to be essential for apoptotic signaling.
Mutations in two of the molecules involved in mitochondrial fusion, Mfn2
and OPA1 underlie two neurological diseases (CMT2A and dominant optic
atrophy). David's work runs from x-ray crystallographic analysis of the
molecules involved in mitochondrial fusion, to detailed cell biology and
animal models of neurological disease. Come and hear this engaging
speaker; I guarantee you will learn something interesting.