For November 28, 2018
Hi WN@TL Fans,
Mr. Magoo’s superb rendition of Scrooge from 1962 wrecked me for all other versions of Dickens’ most enduring character. His impact was matched in fearsome factor by the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Be in its deathly hood and wretched crooked finger pointing, pointing, pointing at the telltale headstone.
That crucial scene in the graveyard includes one of humanity’s pivotal questions: “Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point,” said Scrooge, “answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only?”
The aspiration of science to provide prescience, if not omniscience, has long been a driving force in fields that hope to intervene in the future—none more so than the fields of health.
As Dickens alluded to, making informed projections about the future takes an understanding of the Past & Present. Ironically, a powerful way to tailor preventions, treatments or cures for each of us may be to collect data on the genetics, physiology & environment from many of us who form a sample population that robustly represents all of us, every one—as Tiny Tim might say.
This week (November 28) Fatou Jallow of the School of Medicine & Public Health speaks on a new nationwide initiative in precision medicine and Wisconsin’s roles in it. Her talk is entitled “The ‘All of Us‘ Research Program: Be One in a Million.”
Here’s how Fatou describes her talk:
Far too many diseases do not have a proven means of prevention, or effective treatment. We must gain better insights into the biological, environmental, and behavioral influences on these diseases to make a difference for the millions of people who suffer from them. Precision medicine is a revolutionary approach for disease prevention and treatment that takes into account individual differences in lifestyle, environment, and biology. While some advances in precision medicine have been made, the practice is not currently in use for most diseases.
The All of Us Research Program is a key element of the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI). Through advances in research, technology, and policies that empower patients, the PMI will enable a new era of medicine in which researchers, health care providers, and patients work together to develop individualized care.
About the Speaker
Fatou Jallow earned her BS in biology at Dillard University and her PhD in Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2017. She works for the All of Us Research Program under the Institute of Clinical and Translational Research at UW-Madison. She is working to improve participation of minorities and the underrepresented in the All of Us Research Program.
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Next week (December 5), Lennon Rodgers of the Grainger Makerspace in the Wendt Building will rev us up with a talk on “Designing Electric Motorcycles for the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy and the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb — the World’s Oldest and Most Dangerous Motorcycle Races.”
Amp it up: the future is electric.
Hope to see you soon at Wednesday Nite @ The Lab!
Tom Zinnen
Biotechnology Center & Cooperative Extension
Biotechnology Center & Cooperative Extension
UW-Madison