By Ryan Downs
Staff Writer
Every year, the science faculty on campus work together to provide an event series meant to spread the word about the latest innovations from scientific minds, and Spring 2014 is no different.
For the upcoming semester, the Department of Physics is debuting a lecture series called “Frontiers in Science” in celebration of such innovations, which kicked off on Feb. 6 and will continue through May 1. Each lecture focuses on a different matter in the forefront of science, covering topics from disease, to food, to the Internet. An expert in that very field is scheduled to speak at each lecture. One vital subject the lectures will cover are discoveries related to treating cancer.
The series kicked off last week with “The Targeted Delivery of Chemotherapeutics to Tumors,” with Dr. Dowdy Jackson, the Principal Scientist/Assistant Director at Agensys. Jackson has worked with companies at the forefront of the development of pharmaceuticals meant to combat cancer. During the lecture, he described the process of enabling the body’s antibodies to target cancerous cells within the body with impressive prejudice; allowing the treatment to reach the harmful cells without damaging too many of the healthy ones. This treatment, which has recently begun adoption at medical centers, helps deal with some of the more harmful side effects of chemotherapy.
Dr. Jackson was keen to remind that the company and its scientists are still working on a litany of projects using similar technology.
“It’s one of the exciting new breakthroughs for cancer patients,” Jackson said. “There’s two [treatments] already out there, but there’s a whole lot we’ve been developing right now that are making their way through the pipeline.”
However, Jackson is just one of the many experts who can be expected this series, which continues on Feb. 27 with a lecture on “Social Media Helping Global Disaster Response (in 140 Characters or Less)” with Dr. Eric Frost, in Arts 240.
The rest of the lectures will be held during U-Hour in Science Hall 2, Room 242.