NIH VideoCasting

The Demystifying Medicine Series, jointly sponsored by FAES and NIH, includes presentations on pathology, diagnosis, and therapy in the context of major disease problems and current research. Primarily directed toward PhD students, clinicians and program managers, this series is designed to help bridge the gap between advances in biology and their application to major human diseases. Each session includes clinical and basic science components presented by NIH staff and invitees. All students, trainees, fellows, and staff are welcome to participate. The coordinators are Dr. Win Arias and Dr. Dan Kastner LECTURE SUMMARY: Sanford Markowitz is the Ingalls Professor of Cancer Genetics at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and co-leader of the GI Cancer Genetics Program at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. His laboratory studies molecular abnormalities in colon cancer, including colon cancer suppressor genes and oncogenes, the functions of positive and negative regulatory growth factors, and the role of genomic instability in inherited and sporadic colon cancers. Rebecca Siegel is Senior Scientific Director of the Cancer Surveillance Research at the American Cancer Society. A cancer epidemiologist, Siegel maintains a research focus on disparities in cancer incidence and mortality with an emphasis on colorectal cancer, particularly early-onset disease. Her research contributed to a shift in the age at which the American Cancer Society recommends beginning colorectal cancer screening, from age 50 to age 45, and she serves as a scientific advisor on research initiatives in this area. Together the speakers will elucidate how improving early detection and developing targeted treatments will ultimately save lives by transforming this deadly disease into a manageable condition.