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Distinguished Bioengineer to Present "Natural Products: Challenges and Opportunities" at NCCAM's Distinguished Lecture Series
NIH News |
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) |
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For Immediate Release:: |
Contact: |
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 |
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. |
For more information or reasonable accommodations, call 301-594-5595, or the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.