Micro-Seminar: Gene Editing & Gene Therapy PART TWO

Micro-Seminars have two parts. Attendance to both parts is required. Registering for the PART ONE session will automatically enroll you in the PART TWO session on Friday.

Part 1: Thursday, August 22, 2024 from 3:00 – 4:30 pm (PST)
Part 2: Friday, August 23, 2024 from 10:00 – 11:30 am (PST)

Editing genes has the potential to cure devastating human diseases, but this powerful technology still has limitations and ethical considerations. In this seminar we will explore gene expression and applications of gene editing. Biologists can use an understanding of gene expression to learn how cells develop, how they acquire specialized features, and what goes wrong when genes are mutated. Identifying the underlying genetic causes of human disease can help to diagnose, treat, and even cure patients. Modifying genes has been used for many years in scientific research, however the discovery of customizable CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene editing has rapidly expanded the tool kit for studying and treating diseases. The gene editing revolution has begun, but how is research translated from a laboratory into humans? How do doctors test gene editing to erase diseases? How much does it cost to get a disease cured and will insurance cover it? Students who attend will learn the basic biology involved in gene expression and gene editing to prompt discussions on the applications and implications of gene editing.

Part 1 Concept mapping: How are genes expressed? Short lecture:
- Description of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing
- Gene editing for disease modeling Discussion:
- What happens when genes are mutated?
- What are examples of diseases that have known genetic contributions?

Part 2 Concept mapping: What is gene therapy?
- Review of how gene therapy is portrayed in the media Short lecture:
- Intro to gene therapy Discussion:
- What can future researchers/doctors investigate to establish better disease therapies?
- What are the ethical concerns around altering human genes?

The target audience will be incoming students from any major but may be appealing to students enrolled in biological sciences and biomedical engineering majors or students interested in a minor in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

Lead By: Professor Louise Menendez

Dr. Menendez is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Southern California. Her interest in regenerative medicine began as an undergraduate researcher at UC Santa Cruz where she received her Bachelors degree in neuroscience and she learned the importance of basic research to inform medical practices and the innovation of therapeutics. As a graduate student at USC, she performed research to better understand the lack of regeneration in the mammalian auditory system. This led to the establishment of an in vitro model of inner ear cells to facilitate studies on this sensitive cell population and the completion of her Ph.D. in neuroscience. She became passionate about developing effective ways to communicate science. This motivated her to seek out professor positions after graduate school. Her teaching experience spans across two community college districts in the greater Los Angeles area where she worked as an Adjunct Professor and more recently at USC where she now teaches full time at the Keck School of Medicine in the department of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

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