Events
The Monthly Seminar on Physical Genomics: Tracking Clonal Evolution in Normal Tissues and Cancer - Sydney Shaffer, MD, PhD
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
12:00 PM
Details
Abstract
Understanding the earliest changes in oncogenesis remains a significant challenge because we lack tools to map these changes in patient tissues. Using single-cell RNA and spatial profiling combined with mitochondrial mutation lineage tracing, we capture the clonality and transcriptional states of early oncogenic lesions from human patients. We find that pre-cancerous metaplasia of the esophagus is polyclonal, similar to normal tissues, and consists of well-defined cell types. In contrast, early cancer lesions emerge from a single clone, showing reduced transcriptional and cell-type diversity. We uncover specific molecular pathways in this transformation, including WNT signaling, activated through a mutation in APC. This approach broadly aims to delineate the initial evolutionary steps in cancer progression, offering potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for cancer interception.
About Sydney Shaffer, MD, PhD
Sydney Shaffer is an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. After completing her MD/PhD in 2018, she started her own research group in 2019 working at the intersection of engineering and medicine. As a recipient of the NIH Director's Early Independence Award, she has been recognized for her innovative research on single-cell heterogeneity with a focus on functionally important cell states that mediate drug resistance in cancer. Dr. Shaffer leads a research group that operates at the intersection of engineering and medicine, with a primary focus on developing and applying innovative single-cell technologies to study the complex interplay of gene regulation, cellular heterogeneity, and disease.
Live on Zoom, registration is free at https://tinyurl.com/3zd2wnn9
Time
Friday, April 19, 2024 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Contact
Calendar
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
The Monthly Seminar on Physical Genomics: Tracking Clonal Evolution in Normal Tissues and Cancer - Sydney Shaffer, MD, PhD
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
12:00 PM
Details
Abstract
Understanding the earliest changes in oncogenesis remains a significant challenge because we lack tools to map these changes in patient tissues. Using single-cell RNA and spatial profiling combined with mitochondrial mutation lineage tracing, we capture the clonality and transcriptional states of early oncogenic lesions from human patients. We find that pre-cancerous metaplasia of the esophagus is polyclonal, similar to normal tissues, and consists of well-defined cell types. In contrast, early cancer lesions emerge from a single clone, showing reduced transcriptional and cell-type diversity. We uncover specific molecular pathways in this transformation, including WNT signaling, activated through a mutation in APC. This approach broadly aims to delineate the initial evolutionary steps in cancer progression, offering potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for cancer interception.
About Sydney Shaffer, MD, PhD
Sydney Shaffer is an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. After completing her MD/PhD in 2018, she started her own research group in 2019 working at the intersection of engineering and medicine. As a recipient of the NIH Director's Early Independence Award, she has been recognized for her innovative research on single-cell heterogeneity with a focus on functionally important cell states that mediate drug resistance in cancer. Dr. Shaffer leads a research group that operates at the intersection of engineering and medicine, with a primary focus on developing and applying innovative single-cell technologies to study the complex interplay of gene regulation, cellular heterogeneity, and disease.
Live on Zoom, registration is free at https://tinyurl.com/3zd2wnn9
Time
Friday, April 19, 2024 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Contact
Calendar
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
2024 Symposium on Physical Genomics
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
9:00 AM
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Simpson-Querrey Auditorium, Robert H Lurie Medical Research Center
Details
The 2024 Symposium on Physical Genomics: Engineering Living Systems at the Convergence of Biological, Physical and Computational Sciences
9:00am to 5:00pm, Friday, April 26, 2024
Simpson-Querrey Auditorium, 303 E. Superior, Chicago, IL
Featuring talks by:
Keynote Lecture: Masashi Narita, Cancer Research UK
Gene Regulation in Cellular Senescence
Karmella Haynes, Emory University
Investigating Gene Activation Dynamics Within Human Polycomb Chromatin with Synthetic Reader-Effectors
Fang Huang, Purdue University
Ultra-High Resolution Imaging Through Deep Tissues and a New Information-Based Theoretical Resolution Limit
Melike Lakadamyali, University of Pennsylvania
Super-Resolution Imaging of Chromatin Structure and Dynamics in Health and Disease
Andrew Spakowitz, Stanford University
Physical Modeling of Nucleosome Clustering in Euchromatin Resulting From Interactions Between Epigenetic Reader Proteins
Allison Squires, University of Chicago
Capturing biomolecular interactions at the single-molecule level with ABEL trap fluorescence spectroscopy
Coffee/tea beginning at 9:00am
There will be a lunchtime open submission poster session; to participate, email abstracts to b-keane@northwestern.edu
Time
Friday, April 26, 2024 at 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location
Simpson-Querrey Auditorium, Robert H Lurie Medical Research Center Map
Contact
Calendar
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
Extending Care: A Conversation about Conservation and Futurity
Block Museum of Art
6:00 PM
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Block Museum of Art, Mary and Leigh
Details
The Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts is a collaboration between the Art Institute of Chicago and materials science-related departments at Northwestern University to pursue objects-based and objects-inspired scientific research. Materials research benefits ongoing work in conservation, archaeology, art history, and curatorial scholarship.
Learn how the Center uses materials research to care for art objects in sustainable, innovative ways with Maria Kokkori, Northwestern Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Senior Scientist in the Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts. She will be in conversation with Corey Byrnes, Northwestern Associate Professor of Chinese Culture and co-founder/co-director of the Environmental Humanities Workshop in Kaplan Humanities Center.
This event is presented by the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science in conjunction with exhibition Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology.
Time
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Location
Block Museum of Art, Mary and Leigh Map
Contact
Calendar
Block Museum of Art
Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
9:00 AM
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Welsh-Ryan Arena
Details
McCormick School of Engineering PhD Hooding and Master’s Degree Recognition Ceremony
Time
Monday, June 10, 2024 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location
Welsh-Ryan Arena
Contact
Calendar
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Northwestern Engineering Undergraduate Convocation
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
2:00 PM
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Welsh-Ryan Arena
Details
McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation
Time
Monday, June 10, 2024 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location
Welsh-Ryan Arena
Contact
Calendar
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science