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News Advisory
Distinguished Bioengineer to Present “Natural
Products: Challenges and Opportunities” at NCCAM’s Distinguished
Lecture Series
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| What: |
On October 25, 2006 the National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), part of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), will host its Distinguished
Lectures in the Science of Complementary and Alternative
Medicine. Ram Sasisekharan, Ph.D., Professor of Biological
Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
will present “Natural Products: Challenges and Opportunities.” |
| When: |
Wednesday, October 25, 2006, from 11 a.m.
to noon
Masur Auditorium, NIH Clinical Center (Building 10)
10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland
The event is free and open to the public and will be videocast
live at videocast.nih.gov. |
| Why: |
Dr. Sasisekharan’s research group is playing
a central role developing tools and technologies to understand
the function of cellular components called glycans. Glycans
are complex sugars found on virtually every cell surface — they
coat cells and regulate cell function. Science is slowly
realizing the importance of these sugars to human health.
In fact, the MIT team has discovered that glycans are integral
to the communication between cells that causes them to divide,
migrate, and die. Glycans are also found in a vast array
of natural products including ginseng and chondroitin, which
have been the focus of recent research by the team. During
his lecture, Dr. Sasisekharan will illustrate the challenges
and opportunities that arise from exploring natural products
and discuss the potential of this research to improve human
health. |
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For more information or reasonable accommodations, call 301-594-5595,
or the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s mission
is to explore complementary and alternative medical practices in the context
of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and disseminate authoritative
information to the public and professionals. For additional information,
call NCCAM’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM
Web site at nccam.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical
Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and
is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic,
clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the
causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For
more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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