The Winter 2009 Lectures - Toronto  Wi Sunday, January 18 *Personalized Medicine: Hype or Hope, Canadian Perspectives Michael Hayden, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.(C), F.R.S.C., Canada Research Chair in Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University Killam Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia; Director and Senior Scientist, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics The impact of the revolutionary advances in genetics and genomics is being felt in all aspects of our society. For each of us, the prospects of knowing our own DNA sequence has been proposed to influence our lives in every way from choice of partner to response to medications. Is this hype or hope? How do our Canadian roots and culture influence our own experience and relationship to genetic revolution? *This lecture is co-sponsored by the Gairdner Foundation. Sunday, January 25 Murder and Maggots   Gail Anderson, M.P.M., Ph.D., Associate Director, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University; Co-Director, Centre for Forensic Research; Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Entomology   Forensic entomology is the study of the insects associated with a dead body in order to determine many aspects about the death pf a person, in particular, the time since death. The talk will explain how insects can be used to estimate time of death, in both the short and long term, as well as other factors about a crime scene such as position and presence of wounds etc., and whether the body has been moved or disturbed. True case histories will be used to illustrate the science. Some of the images will be disturbing and are not suitable for children under the age of 16 unless accompanied by an adult. Sunday, February 1 *Echoes of Historical Supernovae Doug Welch, Ph.D., Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University   The last supernova visible to the unaided eye in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, appeared in 1604. Supernovae inform our understanding of the heavy element enrichment of stars and galaxies and provide evidence for the "dark energy" which pervades the universe. Lurking beneath the apparently static veneer of the night sky lies an accessible memory of supernovae events which has rich astrophysical implications. In this talk, I will describe the work leading to the discovery of groups of light echoes from historical galactic supernovae and centuries-old supernovae in a companion galaxy to the Milky Way. Our observations on light echoes provide the first opportunity to view these cataclysmic outbursts from more than one direction. *This lecture is co-sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Toronto Centre. Sunday, February 8 Protein Biomarkers: Their Use in Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis   K. W. Michael Siu, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, Director, Centre for Research in Mass Spectrometry, York University http://www.chem.yorku.ca/profs/siu/ Disease biomarkers are molecules that can be used to signify a disease state. Recent advances in proteomics, the science that typically examines large ensembles of proteins, have stimulated attempts to use panels of proteins that over- or under express in patients versus health individuals to diagnose diseases and prognosticate patient outcomes. The speaker will discuss his experiences in discovering, identifying, and verifying potential cancer biomarkers. Tuesday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Koffler Institute, Room 108, 569 Spadina Avenue NOTE DATE, TIME AND PLACE! 160 Years of Science: the RCI and the History of Science in Canada   Michael Egan, Ph.D., Department of History, McMaster University, Lauren Goldstein, M.A., Geoff Bil, M.A., Taryn McMillan, M.A., Clare Whittingham, M.A., Caleb Wellum, M.A.   Science, scientific thought, and scientific innovation have never enjoyed as much cultural capital as they do today. Indeed, the history of Canadian science has been instrumental in the formation and growth of the dominion. On the occasion of the RCI’s 160th anniversary, this symposium presents voices from the past, by bringing to light people, institutions, and events that have influenced the history of Canadian science and society. Sunday, February 15 The Benefits of a Noisy Brain   A. Randal McIntosh, Ph.D., Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre   You only have to walk through the downtown core during rush hour to realize how hard it is to parse signal and noise in the environment. One would think that a noisy brain would make signal detection more difficult. However, the brain seems to work best with a bit of internal noise. Brain noise increases with maturation, and as we age, changes in brain noise may compromise sensory and cognitive function. Finally, in clinical conditions, the re-establishment of optimal brain noise tracks with recovery. It could be said that a noisy brain is a healthy brain. Sunday, February 22 Why are Songbirds Disappearing?   Bridget Stutchbury, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair in Ecology and Conservation Biology, York University Songbirds have one of the most spectacular migration movements in the world, traveling thousands of kilometers between the temperate zone and tropics each spring and fall. Tragically, North American songbirds have crashed in numbers over the past decades and the victims include such favourites as the Bobolink, Wood Thrush, Barn Swallow and Eastern Kingbird. Dr. Stutchbury follows songbirds on their journey to discover the threats posed by habitat fragmentation, tropical deforestation, migration hazards, and pesticide poisoning. All consumers, including bird watchers, can help birds and our ecosystem by buying shade-grown coffee, locally-grown organic foods, and recycled paper products.   Sunday, March 1 *Before Tragedy Strikes: The Quest to Predict Megadisasters   Florin Diacu, Ph.D., Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Victoria Can we predict tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, sudden climate changes, cosmic impacts, deadly pandemics, and stock market crashes? This talk, based on a popular science book entitled Megadisaters, which will be published in the fall of 2009 by Princeton University Press in North America and Oxford University Press in the rest of the English speaking world, deals with the problems researchers face when trying to forecast extreme events. *This lecture is co-sponsored by the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. Sunday, March 8, at 2:30 p.m. NOTE THE TIME!   A fun-filled hour for kids ages 6 - 12 Explore science through fun hands-on activities. Take home more than your experiment--take home the experience. Followed by complimentary refreshments. Open to the public. FREE -- no tickets or reservations. Doors open at 2 p.m.--event starts at 2:30 p.m. All Toronto lectures, except that on Tuesday, February 10, will be held in the MacLeod Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building, U of T,   1 Kings College Circle We thank the University of Toronto for its support http://www.chem.yorku.ca/profs/siu/http://msl.stream.yorku.ca/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=23007b1c48b74575b097157c7237a39bshapeimage_5_link_0
FREE public one-hour lectures followed by a question period
 
WITH ONE EXCEPTION, (the February 10 lecture) they will all, as usual,
take place on Sundays at 3 pm (doors open at 2:15), in the
Macleod Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto
1 King’s College Circle (Nearest Subway is Queen’s Park Station)
Parking on campus, pay/display; limited disabled parking available