Watch symposium presentations
Why is looking ahead in science so difficult? (19:13) (Watch in HD)
Mario Cappechi, Ph.D.
For one thing, the direction of scientific progress is highly dependent on the infusion of new discoveries and new technologies that can’t always be foreseen. Also, scientists usually over-estimate the short-term potential of their research but cannot anticipate its long-range impact.
What is the future of cancer research? (34:18) (Watch in HD)
Janet Rowley, M.D.
Our understanding of how cells become malignant parallels our understanding of the biology of normal cells. Behind every gene lies a dauntingly complex story, so to make advances we need to better understand the basic biology behind the critical genes in growth, differentiation and death.
How do we know what our nose smells? (36:23) (Watch in HD)
Richard Axel, M.D.
What is real to us in the external world is a representation of our five senses constructed by our brains. It would be a spectacular future if people could understand how a group of excitable cells [neurons] in our brains translates the external world into our perceptions of it.
What do we “know” today that we will “unknow” in the future? (36:31) (Watch in HD)
Andrew Feinberg, M.D., M.P.H.
Epigenetics, the study of how non-genetic factors affect how genes function, is a field that may affect what we “know” today, including the concept that the genetic predisposition to diseases such as cancer lies entirely within the DNA sequence. Understanding the role of epigenetic disruption in disease will be vital to future disease research.
What is vital to developing effective stem cell therapies? (33:44) (Watch in HD)
Rudolf Jaenisch, M.D.
The ability to repair and regenerate tissues will become more important as our population ages and age-related diseases become more prevalent. Achieving a reproducible and simple system promises to make human iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells a viable part of personalized medicine.
What are the promises and challenges of individualized medicine? (26:29) (Watch in HD)
David Valle, M.D.
Medicine in the 20th century was geared to population averages instead of individuals, and trial and error rather than precise therapies. Individualized medicine will allow doctors to know their patients based on their unique biology and genomes to provide improved medical care.
How can we improve healthcare value? (29:10) (Watch in HD)
Wylie Burke, M.D., Ph.D.
Developing the research infrastructure is vital to improving the value of healthcare but will require increased stewardship. Developing effective pathways from research to clinical benefit will require independent, trustworthy oversight mechanisms, transparent methods, and clear communication.
How can we effectively address today’s public health challenges? (41:48) (Watch in HD)
Elias Zerhouni, M.D.
Evolving public health challenges—including the shift from acute to chronic disease, and the increasing incidence of conditions such as obesity and more—are driving up the cost of healthcare. To address these challenges we need to move from studying the “hardware” of life, in which we look at components, to the “software” of life to provide a dynamic understanding of complexity.
Darwin's "Rubbish," 150 Years and Counting (text summary)
Kenneth M. Weiss, Ph.D.
How well are Darwin’s ideas on evolution holding up, 150 years after their publication?
Quite well. The prevailing view in science and popular culture is that evolution is a steady march of intensely and relentlessly competitive progress, increasingly viewed with genes at its center. Understanding the complexities of gene interactions is now the Holy Grail and sets the stage for “unlearning” in the next 50 years what we’ve learned to date.Morning panel discussion (37:13) (Watch in HD)
Moderated by Joseph Palca, Ph.D.
Mario Capecchi, Janet Rowley, Richard Axel, Andrew Feinberg and Rudolf Jaenisch join renowned NPR science correspondent Joe Palca for a lively panel discussion to address the issues and questions raised by their talks. The morning presenters focus on the science behind clinical progress.Afternoon panel discussion (23:05) (Watch in HD)
Moderated by Joseph Palca, Ph.D.
Kenneth Weiss, David Valle, Wylie Burke, Elias Zerhouni take their turn with Joe Palca to answer questions from him and the audience about their presentations. They also discuss the societal challenges and changes facing us as we move toward our post-genomic medical future.
Symposium summary (35:41)
Michael Katz, M.D., March of Dimes Foundation (Dr. Katz’s remarks run until 14:48)
The March of Dimes has been an enduring supporter of the Short Course on Medical and Experimental Mammalian Genetics. Dr. Katz provides remarks about the Short Course and the role of Victor McKusick in its success over 50 years.
Eric Lander, Ph.D. (Dr. Lander's remarks start at 17:05)
What are the take-home messages from the symposium?
Looking ahead in medicine, there are areas in which we are making progress now and are likely to continue to do so in the future. We will better define cellular circuits and states, we will be able to more precisely correlate our genetic information (genotype) with our physical state (phenotype), and we will get better at developing therapeutics. And there will still be a Short Course to cover it all.
