Alumni Weekend 2008 Symposium
TOOTH AND BONE―GONE TODAY, HERE AGAIN TOMORROW
Research in Craniofacial Development and
Tissue Regeneration: Spanning Sciences Across Harvard Faculties
The historic breakthrough in growing teeth and the impressive progress in stimulating new bone are among the first fruits of tissue regeneration research. Highlighting some of the cutting-edge advancements in the fields of craniofacial evolution, development, genetics, and tissue regeneration, this symposium will focus on research emanating from the School of Dental Medicine and across the University—including the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Medical School, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
This event will bring together four Harvard scientists who are pioneers in their fields and one young researcher engaged in highly interdisciplinary basic and clinical research. Moderated by Dr. Bjorn Olsen, HSDM Dean for Research, the panel will include Dr. James Hanken, Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Richard Maas, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Dr. Matthew Warman, Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School; and Dr. Praveen Arany, School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Illuminating the depth and breadth of the science and the innovations generated by the combined work of Harvard scientists, their talks will deal with the leaps in the understanding of biological, molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying craniofacial development and how studies of these mechanisms and new and emerging technologies such as stem cell biology and nanotechnology are being translated into new possibilities in tissue regeneration and bioengineering. The topics will include:
- Craniofacial evolution and development;
- Tooth development and cell-based tissue regeneration;
- The genetic basis of craniofacial development, heritable disorders, and tissue engineering;
- The design of new biomaterials for tissue engineering that mechanically or chemically mimic cell activity.
SYMPOSIUM MODERATOR
Dr. Bjorn R. Olsen is the Dean for Research and Professor of Developmental Biology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the Hersey Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School. Over the past 35 years, he has made fundamental contributions to research into the roles of the extracellular matrix in embryonic development, and skeletal and vascular cell and molecular biology. His research has furthered our understanding of diseases from dwarfism to congenital vascular anomalies, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, corneal dystrophy and retinal degeneration.
SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS
Dr. James Hanken is Director of Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology and Professor of Biology in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, a member of the Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine Program, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and a faculty member of the Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on the evolutionary morphology, development and systematics of vertebrates, especially amphibians; his laboratory maintains active field programs in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.
Dr. Richard L. Maas is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Division of Genetics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His research includes the identification of the molecular components of the inductive signaling mechanisms that operate between tissues during early mammalian organogenesis. Especially interesting is his work using tissue engineering platforms in conjunction with the molecular blueprint for early tooth development and engineering design principals to direct tooth development from progenitor cells in vitro.
Dr. Matthew Warman is the Director of Orthopedic Research at Children’s Hospital, Boston and the Ormandy Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. Based on a “bedside to bench to bedside” approach, his research has its origins in patients affected by rare, heritable, skeletal disorders. The work in his lab uses genetic, cell biologic, biochemical, and model-organism approaches, with the long-term goal of using research discoveries to improve patient care. His lab also studies biologic pathways that are essential for the normal growth and homeostasis of bone and cartilage.
Dr. Praveen R. Arany is enrolled in the PhD program in Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine at HSDM through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; the Leder Medical Sciences Program at Harvard Medical School; and a residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His research focuses on how cells perceive and interpret external cues and how we analyze this interface and the signaling pathways initiated in embryonic development and malignancies. He plans to initiate research projects to study these phenomena in a clinical setting.
HSDM is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.
This symposium will count for two (2) continuing education credits.
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