With the heart having limited ability to regenerate following injury, heart disease
is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Research impacting
strategies for heart repair will be addressed during a lecture May 15 at the University
of Houston (UH).
Eric N. Olson, a molecular biologist with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center, will present “Heart Making and Heart Breaking: New Strategies for Heart Repair.”
He will be the second speaker in a new UH lecture series highlighting the impact of
science on health and society.
Olson is known for his work identifying major genetic pathways that control the formation
of the heart and other muscles. A co-founder of multiple biotechnology companies pursuing
new therapeutics for heart disease, he will discuss recent advances in understanding
the mechanisms of cardiac injury and regeneration, as well as strategies for promoting
cardiac repair.
Olson and his colleagues discovered many key genetic factors and mechanisms responsible
for heart development and disease. Most recently, Olson identified a group of tiny
genetic molecules known as microRNAs that regulate heart disease, blood vessel formation
and obesity. His discoveries have influenced the understanding of the development
and dysfunction of the cardiovascular system, providing new concepts in the quest
for cardiovascular therapeutics. His long-term goal is for this research to one day
lead to devising pharmacologic and genetic therapies for inherited and acquired muscle
diseases in humans.
Sponsored by the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM), the Friends of
NSM Distinguished Lecture Series features leading scientists and physicians addressing
breakthroughs in science that will alter the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
diseases, as well as impact the delivery of medical care. The lectures are free and
open to the public.
| WHO: | Molecular Biologist Eric N. Olson University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center |
| WHAT: | Lecture: “Heart Making and Heart Breaking: New Strategies for Heart Repair” Friends of NSM Distinguished Lecture Series: Science Impacting Health and Society |
| WHEN: | 7 – 8 p.m., Tuesday, May 15 |
| WHERE: | University of Houston Rockwell Pavilion, second floor of the UH M.D. Anderson Library Off Calhoun Road, Entrance 1 Map: http://www.friends.nsm.uh.edu/directions |
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