eurolife Distinguished Faculty Lecture
Father of Molecular Biology delivers Eurolife Distinguished Faculty Lecture at 7th International Cancer Conference in TCD
The father of modern molecular biology, Pierre Chambon, Emeritus Professor at the Faculté de Médecine of the Strasbourg University, delivered the prestigious EuroLife Distinguished Faculty Lecture at Cancer 2009, the 7th International Cancer Conference (www.cancerconference.ie). Eurolife is a network of 7 Leading European Medical Schools, currently chaired by Trinity College Dublin, which aims to perform joint research of the highest academic calibre while promoting joint postgraduate training at the European level. The Eurolife Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series (EDFLS) is a TCD driven initiative, where an eminent scientist from one of the Eurolife Institutions delivers a state of the art lecture at one of the partner Institutions and engages both with faculty staff and Principal Investigators, while also meeting postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows. "The EDFLS represents a unique opportunity to listen to and engage with an international leader in science and medicine," said Prof Dermot Kelleher, Head of the School of Medicine and current Chairperson of Eurolife.
Prof Mark Lawler, Chairperson CANCER 2009; Prof Dermot Kelleher, Head of School of Medicine, TCD and Chairperson Eurolife Steering Committee, Prof Pierre Chambon, Eurolife Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Prof Frank Gannon, Director General Science Foundation Ireland; Dr Ross McManus, Eurolife Steering Committee
"This event represented a unique opportunity to hear one of the foremost scientists of his generation, reflecting on a career of unsurpassed excellence, in which he contributed significantly to some of the main discoveries in gene expression and transcriptional control, which inform our understanding of the molecular biology of the cell and the development of human disease, added
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| Prof Frank Gannon introduces the Eurolife Distinguished Lecturer, reflecting on his unique talents, to the obvious amusement of Prof Chambon | |
Prof Frank Gannon human disease, added Prof Frank Gannon, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). Prof Gannon worked in the laboratory of Prof Chambon during the 1970's and has a unique insight on this extraordinary scientist. "This was a "once in a lifetime" opportunity, a significant occasion to mark the important contribution of Pierre Chambon to modern science and medicine", added Prof Mark Lawler, Chairperson of CANCER 2009.
Prof Chambon has made seminal discoveries in our understanding of how genes work, painstakingly identifying the key events that control how and when genes are switched on/turned off. His were the key discoveries in relation to nuclear receptors, molecules which are one of the key perpetrators of cancer when they are damaged.
Prof Chambon delivers the Eurolife Distinguished Faculty Lecture “How I moved nuclear receptors in the malignant field”.
In his lecture, Professor Chambon outlined powerful new model systems that he has developed, which have helped us to gain new insights into the biology of a number of malignancies including prostate and skin cancer. In addition, in an informal session with postgrads from PhD programmes in Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork, he enthralled the students with a history of how molecular biology developed, outlining the significant role he played in linking science and biology to medicine. ‘Pierre outlined the history of the last 50 years of molecular biology and the momentous discoveries that he has made. The enthusiasm that he generated in the listening students was a magic moment,’ said Professor Mark Lawler, Chairperson of Cancer 2009.
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