Silverstein Lecture Series

The Silverstein Lecture Series was established by the Herman M. and Bea L. Silverstein Medical Research Fund for Genetic Medicine to bring advances in genetics research and medicine to the general public.

Twice a year, the series features a renowned expert who discusses his or her research in a community forum. The events are always free and open to the public.

Videos of past lectures can be found here. Details about our most recent lecture are below. A video of this event will be available soon.

Spring 2009 Silverstein Lecture Series

Personal Genomes and Web 2.0 Volunteerism

May 11th and 12th, 2009

George Church, PhD, Harvard Medical School

What good was a personal computer in 1977? What good is a personal genome today? Does it help predict disease, help you decide on insurance, or help researchers work on your family traits? Can we work together to make a bio-weather map, tracking pathogens and allergens around the globe? Is a microscopic flake of skin from a crime scene enough to determine a name, a face, and a psychiatric profile?

This event was co-presented by Science Chicago.

George Church is a professor of genetics and director of the Center for Computational Genetics at Harvard Medical School. He is currently leading the Personal Genome Project, which will utilize the genetic information of volunteer participants to better understand how our personal genomes may improve individual disease prevention, treatment, and overall healthcare.