Weekly Colloquium on Problems in the Biology of Complex Diseases

Brought to you by the UA’s Arizona Center for the Biology of Complex Diseases (ABCD):

TOPIC: “17q Asthma Locus: History, Bias and the Search for Truth”
SPEAKER: Carole Ober, PhD — the Blum-Riese Professor and Chair of the Department of Human Genetics, Cummings Life Science Center, University of Chicago, and a member of University of Chicago's Microbiome Center
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 | 9-11 a.m.

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. 12-April 27

SPEAKERS SCHEDULE: Click here [PDF] for a printable schedule for the entire series.

About the Speaker
Dr. Carole Ober is the Blum-Riese Professor and Chair of the Department of Human Genetics. The research goals of her laboratory are to identify genetic variants that influence methylation, gene expression, and microbial composition in tissues relevant to complex phenotypes and common diseases, in particular those related to asthma, chronic rhinosinutsitis (CRS), and fertility and parturition. This research is conducted in freshly isolated cells and tissues as well as in cell culture models of gene-environment interactions to dissect the genetic architecture of common diseases, and leverages the advantages of different sampling designs, including population based studies in in founder populations (the Hutterites of South Dakota and the Amish of northern Indiana), U.S. and European birth cohorts, and in patient populations from Chicago.

About the Lecture Series
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 ABCD Director Donata Vercelli, MD, colloquium organizer: donata@email.arizona.edu