| Thanks to all who joined us May 7 in the Kahn Auditorium of the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building for an informative half-day symposium featuring three distinguished speakers.
For those who missed the event, view the lectures via YouTube by using the links below.
Richard DiMarchi, PhD
“Evolution of Natural Hormones to Transform Drug Treatment of Obesity”
Headlines have been dominated in recent months by a new class of drugs, like Ozempic and Mounjaro, based on gastrointestinal hormones that include GLP-1, and their ability to control Type 2 diabetes without insulin while reducing body weight.
But while these positive effects may have been news to many, Dr. Richard DiMarchi was helping lay the foundation for their emergence for the past 40 years. Dr. DiMarchi is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University. His research has championed the biosynthesis and chemical optimization of macromolecules, such as peptides and proteins, with enhanced therapeutic properties. He has spent much of his career focused on improving the lives of individuals with diabetes, and in more recent decades, obesity.
Jack Parent, MD
“Building a Better Brain: Organoid Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders”
Dr. Parent is the William J. Herdman Professor of Neurology and Research Professor in the Michigan Neuroscience Institute at the U-M medical school. His current research focuses on applying stem cell biology approaches, including the use of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC), human brain organoid and mouse models, to identify disease mechanisms and precision therapies for genetic neurodevelopmental disorders.
Dr. Parent has received several awards for his research, including the Dreifuss-Penry Epilepsy Award from the American Academy of Neurology, the Grass Foundation Award in Neuroscience from the American Neurological Association, and the Basic Science Award from the American Epilepsy Society. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Medical School League of Research Excellence, was a Taubman Institute Senior Scholar and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Parent also directs the Human Stem Cell and Gene Editing Core for Michigan Medicine
Alison Affinati, MD, PhD
“Building a Better Brain: Organoid Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders”
Dr. Affinati graduated from University of Chicago in 2007 with a BS in Biological Chemistry and attended the MSTP program at Northwestern. During her PhD training, she worked with Dr. Joe Bass investigating the role of circadian regulation of the nutrient NAD+ in glucose and lipid metabolism. Her research program focuses on understanding the mechanisms through which the hypothalamus regulates glucose homeostasis and body weight.
She joined U-M in 2015 and completed her internal medicine and endocrinology fellowship training. Her post-doctoral work involved studying how the brain controls glucose metabolism. She was promoted to Assistant Professor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes (MEND) and started her lab in July 2022. She has received recognition for her work from the American Society for Clinical Investigation as a recipient of the Young Physician Scientist Award, named as the Kenneth Eisenberg Emerging Scholar by the Taubman Institute at University of Michigan and was awarded the Georgiana M Sanders Junior Faculty Endowment by the University of Michigan Department of Internal Medicine.
All welcome; there is no charge to attend, but registration is requested. Please click here to reserve your seat.
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