Event Summary
Join us for a fascinating presentation on the cutting-edge advancements in gene editing, featuring Dr. Ilya Finkelstein and Dr. Stephen C. Ekker from the University of Texas at Austin. Six years ago, Dr. Finkelstein delivered an inspiring talk on the emerging potential of gene editing technologies. He returns, accompanied by Dr. Ekker, to the Austin Forum on Technology & Society to provide an updated view of how the field has evolved since 2018.
In this session, Dr. Finkelstein and Dr. Ekker will explore the incredible progress made in gene editing, highlighting recent breakthroughs, promising results, and the transformative implications for the future of health and medicine. From CRISPR advancements to novel therapeutic applications, this presentation will offer attendees an in-depth understanding of where the field stands today and what exciting developments lie ahead.
Whether you're a healthcare professional, technology enthusiast, or simply curious about the future of medicine, this event is a must-attend for anyone interested in the science that is reshaping our understanding of life itself.
Speakers
Stephen C. Ekker, Ph.D.
Stephen C Ekker PhD is a genome engineer and entrepreneur. His academic lab uses zebrafish in vivo and human cells in vitro to develop new molecular DNA editing tools to understand our genome and for new therapeutics with a focus on rare disease. As Associate Dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Dell Medical School and Associate Vice President of Research Translation, Ekker is leading the development of key innovation and entrepreneurship education and applications within Dell Medical School and the University of Texas Austin campus. Dr Ekker is a Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Molecular Biosciences, and he is the inaugural Director of the Center for Rare Disease. Ekker has been gene editing for three decades at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Johns Hopkins University, University of Minnesota, and Mayo Clinic. He was until recently the Dean of the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Ekker is an active inventor, has been continuously funded by the NIH for over two decades, has co-authored over 170 scientific publications, and was the founding President of the Genome Writers Guild non-profit international genome engineering society and President of the Zebrafish Disease Models Society. Ekker was founder and inaugural Director of the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship and is a strong advocate of the bench-to-business-to-bedside model of translation. As an entrepreneur, Ekker has co-founded a series of companies to address major challenges including gene therapy, accelerating research using accessible lab automation, and for new solutions for the circular economy to address climate change.
Dr. Ilya Finkelstein
Dr. Ilya Finkelstein is an Associate Professor of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to his position at UT-Austin, Dr. Finkelstein received a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley, a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University, and completed postdoctoral training at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Finkelstein’s lab is investigating the molecular mechanisms of genome maintenance, CRISPR biology, and epigenetic inheritance. Since 2019, the Finkelstein lab is also working on pandemic countermeasures with the goal of understanding viral variants and designing better vaccines.
Attendance Instructions
In-person
Join us at the ACC Rio Grande: Center for Government & Civic Service where you will be checked in at the front. Parking map here!
In-person attendees, please join us from 5:15 to 6:15 for networking and food. We look forward to chatting with you face-to-face!
Virtual
Once you register via Ticketbud, you will receive the virtual link in your confirmation email. You will also receive the link in a reminder email one day before the event.