"Neural stem cells: from development to repair"
Department of Human Genetics Guest
Lecture:
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 ~ 3:30pm
Stewart Biology Building Room W4/12
Title: "Neural stem cells: from development to
repair鈥�
Freda Miller, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Toronto
Hospital for Sick Children
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Abstract:
This lecture will focus upon the field of mammalian neural stem
cells and precursors from two perspectives. The first part of the
lecture will focus on the mechanisms regulating self-renewal versus
differentiation of embryonic neural precursors, and how this is
perturbed in genetic syndromes that cause cognitive dysfunction.
The second part will focus upon multipotent, neural crest-like
dermal precursors (Skin-derived Precursors or SKPs) both with
regard to their basic biology and their potential therapeutic use
for treatment of the damaged nervous system.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Freda Miller is a cell and molecular developmental
neurobiologist at the Hospital for Sick Children Research
Institute, Professor at University of Toronto. She is the Canada
Research Chair in Developmental Neurobiology, a Howard Hughes
Medical Institute International Research Scholar, a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Canada, and the Secretary of the American Society
for Neurosciences. Dr. Miller has authored more than 120 scientific
papers, reviews and book chapters and has 15 patents (issued and
pending).
Dr. Miller is best known for her studies of neural stem cells and
of neuronal growth, survival and apoptosis. Major findings from her
lab have provided evidence that adult mammalian skin contains an
accessible multipotent dermal stem cell that can generate
peripheral neural cells, that the p75 neurotrophin receptor
mediates apoptosis and axonal degeneration, that the p53 family
members, p73 and p63 play a critical role in determining the life,
death and degeneration of mammalian neurons, and that one way
genetic disorders cause cognitive dysfunction is by perturbing
embryonic neurogenesis.
Dr. Miller obtained her PhD in Medical Sciences from the University
of Calgary and completed her postdoctoral training at the Scripps
Research Foundation. She then held faculty positions at the
University of Alberta and the Montreal Neurological Institute at
91社区 prior to moving to her current position in 2002.
Dr. Miller is also a founder of Aegera Therapeutics Inc., a
Canadian biotechnology company.
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