The lineup is set for the Weekly Colloquium on Problems in the Biology of Complex Diseases, which once again features several speakers and topics of interest to University of Arizona Department of Medicine physicians and investigators. This includes DOM faculty Drs. Xingnan Li, Deb Meyers, and Gene Bleecker, who will address genetic, genomic and precision medicine issues in their talks.
The spring lecture series, which runs through April 26, is hosted by the UA’s Arizona Center for the Biology of Complex Diseases (ABCD), which explores major biomedical challenges regarding diseases such as asthma, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, neuro-degenerative and neuro-developmental diseases.
From left, Drs. Xingnan Li, Deb Meyers and Gene Bleecker, a faculty member and co-chiefs for the UA Division of Genetics, Genomics and Precision Medicine, are among colloquium speakers. Drs. Meyers and Bleecker also are codirectors of the Division of Pharmacogenomics in the UA Health Sciences Center for Applied Genetic and Genomic Medicine.
The UA College of Medicine – Tucson lectures are held in conjunction with the departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Genetics, Immunobiology, and Pharmacology and Toxicology (in the UA College of Pharmacy).
The ABCD is led by Director Donata Vercelli, MD, who’ll offer an “Introduction and Overview” lecture to launch the series on Friday, Jan. 11, 9-11 a.m., in the UA BIO5 Institute, Thomas W. Keating Bioresearch Building, 1657 E. Helen St., Room 103—except for the March 1 lecture, which will be in BIO5 Room 247. Dr. Vercelli is also a professor of cellular and molecular medicine, associate director of the UA Health Sciences Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center and a BIO5 member. This and other lectures in the series are scheduled as follows:
Weekly Colloquium, Spring 2018 – Problems in the Biology of Complex Diseases
(CMM, MCB, GENE, IMB, PCOL 595H)
Fridays, 9-11 a.m., Keating/BIO5 Room 103, Jan. 11-April 26
SPEAKERS SCHEDULE: 
Click here [PDF] for a printable version. See "Event listing" link below to add to your personal schedule (via iCal, MSOutlook, Google or Yahoo! calendar).
- Jan. 11 | Donata Vercelli, MD (UA) — “Introduction and Overview” | Event listing
- Jan. 18 | Xingnan Li, PhD (UA) — “Introduction to Complex Disease Genetics” | Event listing
- Jan. 25 | Debbie Meyers, PhD (UA Division of Genetics, Genomics & Precision Medicine) — “Life after GWAS” | Event listing
- Feb. 1 | Eugene Bleecker, MD (UA Division of Genetics, Genomics & Precision Medicine) — “Pharmacogenetics” | Event listing
- Feb. 8 | Carole Ober, PhD (University of Chicago) — “Integrating -omics” | Event listing
- Feb. 15 | Jianfeng Xu, MD, DrPH (NorthShore University HealthSystem) — “Cancer Genetics” | Event listing
- Feb. 22 | Linda Restifo, MD, PhD (UA Department of Neurology) — “Spectrum of Neurogenetic Disease” | Event listing
- Mar. 1 | Jared Churko, MD (UA Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine) — “Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Models of Human Complex Diseases” | Event listing
NOTE: The above lecture is in BIO5 Rm. 247; all others are in BIO5 Rm. 103. - Mar. 8 | Spring Break — NO CLASS
- Mar. 15 | Casey Romanoski, PhD (UA) — “The Genetics of Gene Expression” | Event listing
- Mar. 22 | Aldons "Jake" Lusis, PhD (UCLA) — “Network Approaches to Complex Disease Genetics” | Event listing
- Mar. 29 | Darren Cusanovich, MD (UA Division of Genetics, Genomics & Precision Medicine) — “Single Cell Approaches to Gene Regulation Studies” | Event listing
- Apr. 5 | Raina Maier, PhD (UA) — “The Environmental Microbiome” | Event listing
- Apr. 12 | Susan Lynch, PhD (UCSF) — “The Microbiome in Human Disease” | Event listing
- Apr. 19 | Greg Caporaso, PhD (NAU) — “The Dynamic Human Microbiome” | Event listing
- Apr. 26 | Dr. Vercelli (UA) — “Wrap-Up” | Event listing
NOTE: The March 1 lecture will be held in BIO5 Room 247, 9-11 a.m. All others are in BIO5 Room 103.
Human complex diseases such as asthma, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, are major biomedical challenges, because they are common but difficult to decipher. The complexity of these diseases is reflected by their phenotypic heterogeneity and likely results from intricate interactions among genetic, environmental and developmental factors that modify disease susceptibility and severity.
Understanding complex diseases is urgent, because these conditions impose a burden on our society. Yet, this goal cannot be achieved by isolated research disciplines. Rather, it requires a novel paradigm that successfully integrates basic and clinical research across multiple fields and translates mechanisms into phenotypes and phenotypes into treatments. This novel paradigm provides the underpinning for this Colloquium.
This colloquium features speakers who are nationally and internationally renowned for their work on environmental biology, immunological and clinical phenotyping, microbiota, developmental biology, epigenetics, genetic epidemiology, population genetics, functional genomics of human and animal models. The series’ theme and vision are unique in that the discussion focuses particularly on the biological components shared by ostensibly distinct complex diseases (for instance, asthma, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases).
The underlying assumption, supported by much emerging evidence, is that these shared components are features that define the mechanistic architecture of complex diseases as a group. The goal of the Colloquium is to provide a platform that will catalyze broad, expert discussions on these foundational topics, thereby fostering the emergence of a new experimental and conceptual paradigm in complex disease biology.
For further information, contact Donata Vercelli, MD, colloquium organizer: donata@email.arizona.edu
ALSO SEE:
“UA’s Dr. Donata Vercelli Elected First Female Secretary General of International Allergy Collegium” | Posted Nov. 6, 2018
“2018 Complex Diseases Spring Colloquium Zeroes in on Genetics of Maladies” | Posted Jan. 10, 2018
“Two New Divisions at UA Health Sciences Target Precision Medicine Remedies via Advanced Genetic, Genomic Research” | Posted Feb. 6, 2017
“Complex Diseases Spring Colloquium Spotlights Local, National, International Speakers” | Posted Feb. 2, 2016