When
Brought to you by the Arizona Center for the Biology of Complex Diseases (ABCD) at the University of Arizona:
TOPIC: “Cancer Genetics”
SPEAKER: Jianfeng Xu, MD, DrPH — Vice President of Translational Research, the Ellrodt-Schweighauser Family Chair of Cancer Genomic Research and Director of the Program for Personalized Cancer Care (PPCC) within the Mark R. Neaman Center for Personalized Medicine at NorthShore University HealthSystem
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 15, 2018 | 9-11 a.m.
Weekly Colloquium, Spring 2019 – Problems in the Biology of Complex Diseases
(CMM, MCB, GENE, IMB, PCOL 595H)
Fridays, 9-11 a.m., Keating/BIO5 Room 103, Jan. 11-April 26 (except for March 1, 9-11 a.m., Keating/BIO5 Room 247)
SPEAKERS SCHEDULE: 
Click here [PDF] for a printable schedule for the entire series.
About the Speaker
Dr. Xu joined NorthShore in the fall of 2014. His previous position was at Wake Forest University Medical Center, where he was Professor of Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research, Epidemiology, Cancer Biology and Urology, as well as the Director of the Center for Cancer Genomics. He is an internationally known genetic epidemiologist and genomic translational researcher, and has been working on genetic studies of cancer and other diseases for over 20 years. Dr. Xu has received multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health and has published over 300 papers in such journals as the New England Journal of Medicine and Nature Genetics. His primary research interests are 1) discovery of associations for cancer risk and progression with inherited genetic variations as well as somatic genetic and epigenetic changes in tumors, and 2) application of genetic research findings for risk prediction, and genomic-targeted prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Dr. Xu received his medical training at Shanghai Medical University and genetic epidemiology training at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
About the Lecture Series
Human complex diseases such as asthma, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, are major biomedical challenges, because they are common but difficult to decipher. The complexity of these diseases is reflected by their phenotypic heterogeneity and likely results from intricate interactions among genetic, environmental and developmental factors that modify disease susceptibility and severity.
Understanding complex diseases is urgent, because these conditions impose a burden on our society. Yet, this goal cannot be achieved by isolated research disciplines. Rather, it requires a novel paradigm that successfully integrates basic and clinical research across multiple fields and translates mechanisms into phenotypes and phenotypes into treatments. This novel paradigm provides the underpinning for this Colloquium.
This colloquium features speakers who are nationally and internationally renowned for their work on environmental biology, immunological and clinical phenotyping, microbiota, developmental biology, epigenetics, genetic epidemiology, population genetics, functional genomics of human and animal models. The series’ theme and vision are unique in that the discussion focuses particularly on the biological components shared by ostensibly distinct complex diseases (for instance, asthma, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases).
The underlying assumption, supported by much emerging evidence, is that these shared components are features that define the mechanistic architecture of complex diseases as a group. The goal of the Colloquium is to provide a platform that will catalyze broad, expert discussions on these foundational topics, thereby fostering the emergence of a new experimental and conceptual paradigm in complex disease biology.
For further information, contact ABCD Director Donata Vercelli, MD, colloquium organizer: donata@email.arizona.edu