Renowned genetics leader to speak at symposium

Leroy Hood, the founder and president of the Institute for Systems Biology, will discuss “Decoding Life: Genomics, Proteomics, and Systems Biology” at the Wisconsin Symposium on the Analysis of Human Biology: Genes, Genomes and Molecules, Thursday, June 14.

The free public presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m., 145 Birge Hall, at the University of Wisconsin. The symposium is scheduled June 12-16.

Hood, a leader in biotechnology and genomics, holds a M.D. from Johns Hopkins and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from CalTech, where he was involved in the development of several instruments used in biomedical research, including a rapid DNA sequencer.

His interests include immune diversity and autoimmune diseases, prostate cancer, stem cell development, and efforts to enhance science education for grades K-12.

“The Wisconsin symposium promises to be an outstanding meeting, discussing current topics in human biology and cancer genetics,” says William Dove, organizer for the symposium.

In addition to Hood’s presentation, other renowned speakers include Bruce Ponder from the University of Cambridge (England) and Mary Claire-King from the University of Washington in Seattle.

The symposium is sponsored by the UW-Madison Medical School, Laboratory of Genetics, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research and the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center.

For information, contact William Dove, (608) 262-4977.