The immune system never ceases to change – it must stay one step ahead of the next disease outbreak or else. When a disease evolves even slightly, our immune system needs to adapt to match this change. As such, we have variation in our immune genes that is vastly out of proportion to the variation in our other genes. Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “Genes and Germs: The Battle that Defines Us” with Dr. Sean McConnell”
Brain injuries are in the news a lot these days. The NFL has been involved in a number of lawsuits involving traumatic brain injuries among players. Research suggests that as many as 1 in 3 professional football players could develop symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy as the result of concussions sustained during their careers. These injuries are not limited to football players – hockey, boxing, rugby, and soccer all carry their own risks of permanent brain injury.
Continue reading “When Playing Sports is Bad For Your Brain”
People exist because plants exist. From medicine to shelter to inspiration, plants of all kinds have shaped the human experience. This C2ST Speakeasy will provide examples of herbs, cacti, and trees that are the backbone to our pharmaceuticals, rituals, and world, and why we need to protect them. With species going extinct every day, humans have to get creative about conservation. Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “Plants: how we use ’em, and how we don’t lose ’em” with Jessica B. Turner”
Infectious disease has been a big problem for living things since long before there were humans. Humans have used various medicines for thousands of years to reduce the impact of infectious disease, but the development of antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs over the last 100 years has been one of the greatest advancements in medicine. These drugs have saved countless lives from otherwise fatal infections. Unfortunately, this good news doesn’t last.
“Science on Screen” will explore the ways that filmmakers and scientists can work together to maximize their creative, communicative, and commercial aims. Covering both documentary film and narrative drama, the workshop will examine how filmmakers can be inspired by real scientific research, and in turn, how working scientists can collaborate with artists to ensure their science is represented responsibly on screen.
How far are we technologically from having imaging platforms such as the ones depicted in science fiction TV shows and movies? Will Doctors be able to use advanced imaging to get an immediate snapshot of our body and assess our physical condition and therapeutic requirements in real time? Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “Biomedical Imaging and Personalized Medicine” with Dr. Daniel Procissi”
