Margaret Pittman Lecture

Part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series, the lecture is given by a researcher dedicated to advancing and improving the careers of women scientists. Since 1994 when this annual lecture began, every speaker has exemplified the intelligence, scientific excellence and drive that made Margaret Pittman a leader as the first female laboratory chief at NIH.

Function of Junk: Satellite DNA in Cell Biology and Evolution

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Margaret Pittman Lecture
Yukiko Yamashita, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Research Summary

Two remarkable feats of multicellular organisms are generation of many distinct cell types via asymmetric cell division and transmission of the germline genome to the next generation, essentially in eternity. Studying these processes using the Drosophila male germline as a model system has led us to venture into new areas of study, such as functions of satellite DNA, a 'genomic junk,' and how they might be involved in speciation.

Mutant p53 Activities in Mouse Tumor Models

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Margaret Pittman Lecture
Gigi Lozano, Ph.D., University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

MOVED FROM OCTOBER 12. — Mutation of the p53 gene is a critical event in the elaboration of many tumors of diverse origin. The p53 protein is activated in response to DNA damage, serving as a checkpoint in the elimination or repair of cells with damaged DNA. Alterations in components of the p53 pathway, such as amplification of the Mdm2 gene, which encodes a p53 inhibitor, also contribute to tumorigenesis. The overall goal of my laboratory is to understand the signals that regulate the p53 pathway and the consequences of expressing wild-type or mutant p53.

Creating Healthy Longevity: A Basis for a Third Demographic Dividend for Society

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Margaret Pittman Lecture
Linda Fried, M.D., Columbia University Medical Center

This lecture addresses the opportunities of our extended life span for individuals and society if health span is extended to approximate life span. It considers the range of health outcomes that would need to be prevented or delayed, and considers the possibilities to accomplish this. Dr. Fried will offer a perspective that increased health span combined with enabling the potential social capital of older adults could set the stage for a previously unimagined “Third Demographic Dividend” for societies.

Peering Beyond the Blindspot Seeking Authentic Risk Factors: A Case Study

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Margaret Pittman Lecture
Eve Higginbotham, S.M., M.D., M.L., University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Higginbotham will discuss the arguments against “race,” why this topic is important, and its impact on science and healthcare. In her case study, she will highlight the outcomes of a 20-year clinical trial that uncovered a new biologically measurable risk factor. This is intended to be a lecture that will inspire additional thinking around the use of race in science and medicine.

A community approach to breast cancer prevention: addressing health disparities

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Margaret Pittman Lecture
Lucile Adams-Campbell, Ph.D., Georgetown University

Dr. Adams-Campbell’s areas of research focus on addressing health disparities with particular emphasis on cancers that disproportionately impact African-Americans. Dr. Adams-Campbell’s research focuses on lifestyle interventions including physical activity, energy balance, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and oral health among minority and underserved populations.

Unraveling Smell

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Margaret Pittman Lecture
Linda B. Buck, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Dr. Linda Buck is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, a Full Member of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and an Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington. She received a B.S. from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She was previously Full Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. Dr.

Tailored drug release surfaces for regenerative medicine and targeted nanotherapies

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Margaret Pittman Lecture
Paula T. Hammond, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Alternating electrostatic assembly is a tool that makes it possible to create ultrathin film coatings that contain highly controlled quantities of one or more therapeutic molecules within a singular construct. These release systems greatly exceed the usual ranges of traditional degradable polymers. The nature of the layering process enables the incorporation of different drugs within different regions of the thin-film architecture; the result is an ability to uniquely tailor both the independent-release profiles and order-of-release of each therapeutic to the targeted region of the body.

CRISPR-Cas Genome Surveillance: From Basic Biology to Transformative Technology

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Margaret Pittman Lecture
Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., UC Berkeley

The advent of facile genome engineering using the bacterial RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas9 system in animals and plants is transforming biology. Dr. Doudna will present a brief history of CRISPR biology from its initial discovery through the elucidation of the CRISPR-Cas9 enzyme mechanism, providing the foundation for remarkable developments using this technology to modify, regulate or mark genomic loci in a wide variety of cells and organisms.

This page was last updated on Tuesday, August 10, 2021