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| Thursday, June 2, 2011
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4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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Paleoecology of a Late Oligocene Mammalian Fauna from Kenya
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| Description: |
Tufts University Program in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology Seminar Series
Guest Speaker: Mercedes Gutierrez, PhD, Department of Anthropology, Washington University
Location: Tufts Medical Center, Stearns Auditorium, Farnsworth Building, 1st Floor, 800 Washington Street, Boston, MA
There will a wine and cheese reception immediately following the seminar at 136 Harrison Avenue in the 5th floor library.
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| Contact: |
Sharon Titus
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| Wednesday, June 8, 2011
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2:00 PM - 3:20 PM
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PI 3-Kinase Signaling: Transcriptional Regulation and Cell Survival
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| Description: |
Geoffrey Cooper, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Associate Dean of the Faculty, Natural Sciences, Boston University.
Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, L-112, Boston, MA.
Part of the Current Topics in Pharmacological Sciences Seminar Series sponsored by the Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics.
Free and open to the public. Refreshments served at 1:45 pm, R-Building 6th Floor.
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| Contact: |
Kristina Bigdeli
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6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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2011 WEST Leadership Awards Event
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| Description: |
2011 WEST LEADERSHIP AWARDS EVENT
Microsoft New England Research and Development (NERD) Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02142
Twitter: #WESTawards
Description:
It is our pleasure to invite you to WEST's fourth-annual Leadership Awards Event, our most exciting and engaging event of the year. This is our opportunity to acknowledge women who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in science and technology. Join us in honoring these talented women, who have achieved success either within larger organizations, or in starting their own companies.
Be moved and inspired by the stories these exceptional women share, network with the movers and shakers in the Science and Technology community.
You will not want to miss this remarkable event.
Food will be provided - All are welcome to join us.
2010 WEST Leadership Awardees:
•Jennifer Tour Chayes - Distinguished Scientist and Managing Director of the Microsoft New England Research and Development (NERD) Center
•Laura Fitton - CEO/Founder of www.oneforty.com
•Joanna Horobin - CEO Syndax
•Lydia Villa-Komaroff - Chief Science Officer Cytonome
Registration Information:
Preregistration: (by 9pm Monday June 6)
$75 for Members, $100 for non-members; Registration at the door: $100 members, $125 non-members
For more information visit http://www.westorg.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=19:default&id=162:event-2011-06-08-leadership-awards
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| Contact: |
Donna Falcetti
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| Thursday, June 9, 2011
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Noon - 1:00 PM
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Bioinformatics-based predictions of peptide binding to disease-associated HLA
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| Description: |
Speaker: Masha Fridkis-Hareli, Taligen Therapeutics (Alexion)
Location: The Forsyth Insititute, Seminar Room A, 245 First St., 17th Floor, Cambridge
Abstract: Autoimmune diseases may coexist in the same patient, either sequentially or concurrently, sustained by the presence of autoantibodies directed against the corresponding autoantigens. Due to the association of certain HLA class II alleles with autoimmune diseases, it has been intriguing to examine the immunogenetic basis for autoantigen presentation leading to the production of two or more autoantibodies, each distinctive of a specific disease. Several hypothetical mechanisms implicating HLA determinants, autoantigenic peptides, T cells, and B cells have recently been proposed to reveal the process by which two autoimmune diseases are induced in the same individual. These hypotheses have been tested here using a bioinformatics approach based on peptide binding predictions to disease-associated HLA determinants. Based on the published observations of shared autoimmunity and on theoretical predictions exploring the probability of its occurrence, 11 disease associations between autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering disorders and systemic conditions have been tested. Various HLAs associated with antigens within a given “disease model” (set of HLA class II and protein sequences known to be associated with a specific autoimmune disease) are tested and ranked against the antigenic proteins, first with proteins they are known to associate with and then with proteins known to be implicated in the second model. In every case binding predictions are compared for different proteins binding to the same HLA. Subsequently, disease-related autoantigens have been tested for their binding affinity against each disease-specific HLA class II protein. Generally, for a single HLA haplotype, several binders have been generated from a related autoantigen with the variable binding score. In most cases, the binding score corresponding to the interactions between the autoantigen-derived epitope and the HLA associated with one disease was similar or lower than the interactions between the epitope from proteins associated with the second disease and the same HLA. Notably, there was no compelling promiscuity in peptide binding to each of the HLA molecules, in spite of the promiscuous nature of HLA class II binding. The data support the proposed hypothesis and suggest that in susceptible individuals shared autoimmunity might be initiated by two types of HLA/peptide interaction; first between an autoantigen-derived epitope and its disease-associated HLA molecules, and second, between a different peptide of the same autoantigen and HLA proteins specific for the second disease. These T cell epitopes interacting with two different disease-associated HLA molecules might lead to the induction of processes resulting in the generation of autoantibodies containing specificities for both conditions
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Pam Quattrocchi
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4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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The Primary Cilium Signaling: Regulation of Developmental Patterning and Polycistic Kidney Disease
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| Description: |
Tufts University Program in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology Seminar Series.
Guest Speaker: Jagesh V. Shah, PhD, Associate Professor of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
Location: Tufts University Jaharis Behrakis Auditorium, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston
There will be a wine and cheese reception immediately following the seminar in the 5th floor library at 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston
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| Contact: |
Sharon Titus
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| Tuesday, June 14, 2011
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4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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Coupling sarcomere quality control with cardiac function
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| Description: |
Cardiovascular Seminar Series
Department of Cardiology | Children’s Hospital Boston
Cam Patterson, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Folkman Auditorium, John F. Enders Research Bldg., Children's Hospital Boston
This conference is supported by the
Faye and Karen Sinclair Research Fund for Congenital Heart Disease
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| Contact: |
Michelle Merry
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| Thursday, June 23, 2011
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11:00 AM - Noon
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The Power of Microfluidics: Enabling Genetics and Genomics Research
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| Description: |
Jason T. McKinney, Application Scientist, Fluidigm
LOCATION: SMITH BUILDING ROOM 308/309, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Hosted by Thomas Westerling/Myles Brown Lab
Through the use of what is now the well-established field of Microfluidics (the handling and manipulation of nano- and picoliter fluid volumes), research in genetics and genomics is being revolutionized. The Fluidigm technology enables experimental design and execution previously considered impractical, if not impossible. Following a brief introduction to the core Fluidigm technology, we will introduce some of the more exciting work being done: SNP Genotyping with emphasis on economy-of-scale cost benefits (reagents and labor); traditional gene expression with a focus on Single-Cell studies; Digital PCR (limiting dilution quantitative mutant allele determination); and an exciting workflow for Next Generation Sequencing complete sample library preparation.
Please RSVP: chris.simollardes@fluidigm.com To let us know if you might attend.
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| Contact: |
Amy DiGangi
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| Wednesday, June 29, 2011
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6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
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Attention and autism
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| Description: |
Yuhong V. Jiang, University of Minnesota
Location: MIT Building 46-3002 (auditorium), followed by a reception
Building Address:43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
A flurry of research on attention in autism occurred in the late 1990's, with finding ranging from enhanced visual search abilities, to a lack of any differences, to delays in attentional disengagement. The work has since become stagnant, even though atypical attention remains a viable account for a range of behaviors in individuals with autism. Here I review previous work on attention and autism, present a theory of how attention is impacted by autism, and provide empirical data that shed light on this theory. I argue that future research on attention should focus on unsupervised, rather than supervised (top-down) attention, and on how attention is shaped by learning.
Supported by the Simons Initiative on Autism and the Brain at MIT (web.mit.edu/autism)
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| Contact: |
Lee Mavros Rushton
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Month of June 2011
