The Transformation from Reactive to Proactive Medicine: Biotech Pioneer to Give Upcoming Perimeter Institute Public Lecture
Newswise — WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA, APRIL 13, 2011 – Imagine medicine that is predictive, personalized, preventive and participatory – it could revolutionize healthcare and healthcare costs.
One powerful way to think of biology is to view it as an informational science requiring systems approaches that include two fundamental types of biological information – the digital genome and environmental signal. Applying this lens to medicine could transform the field over the next 5-20 years from its currently reactive state to a mode that is proactive.
On Wednesday, May 4, as part of Perimeter Institute’s Public Lecture Series presented by Sun Life Financial, Dr. Leroy Hood, a pioneer in systems approaches to biology and medicine, will discuss emerging technologies that may transform medical research over the next decade. Dr. Hood will also share insights on the computational hurdles the field faces with explosions of complex data, analyzing millions of complete genome sequences and other challenges arising from the human proteome project.
Leroy Hood, MD, PhD, is President and co-founder of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. Dr. Hood's research has focused on the study of molecular immunology, biotechnology and genomics. His professional career began at Caltech, where he and his colleagues developed the DNA sequencer and synthesizer and the protein synthesizer and sequencer – four instruments that paved the way for the successful mapping of the human genome and lead to his receiving this year's prestigious Russ Prize. A pillar in the biotechnology field, Dr. Hood has played a role in founding more than fourteen biotechnology companies. In addition to having published more than 700 peer reviewed articles, he has coauthored textbooks in biochemistry, immunology, molecular biology and genetics, as well as a popular book on the human genome project, The Code of Codes. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Lasker Award, the Kyoto Prize and the Heinz Award in Technology. Dr. Leroy Hood’s lecture, entitled “Systems Biology, Emerging Technologies and The Transformation from Reactive to Proactive (P4) Medicine” will be held Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 7:00 pm in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Tickets will be available starting Monday, April 18th, 2011.
Further details and past PI Public Lectures can be found at www.perimeterinstitute.ca.
About Perimeter InstitutePerimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) is an independent, non-profit, scientific research organization working to advance our understanding of physical laws and develop new ideas about the very essence of space, time, matter and information. Located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, PI also provides a wide array of research training and educational outreach activities to nurture scientific talent and share the importance of discovery and innovation among students, teachers and the general public. In partnership with the Governments of Ontario and Canada, PI is a successful example of public-private collaboration in scientific research, training and outreach.
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