Verfaillie Delivers Director's Lecture

Dr. Catherine Verfaillie accepts a plaque from NIDCD director Dr. James Battey in commemoration of her NIH Director's Lecture on Feb. 11 titled "Greater Potency of Adult Stem Cells."

Verfaillie, who is director of the Stem Cell Institute at the University of Minnesota, described the past 8 years of research in her laboratory, including work on MAPCs—multipotent adult progenitor cells. Her rigorous studies aim to determine whether stem cells can eventually be used for so-called "regenerative medicine," in which ailments in the human brain, heart and liver, for example, can be cured.

The talk drew a packed Masur Auditorium and is archived at http://videocast.nih.gov/ram/wals021104.ram. Battey introduced Verfaillie and is chair of the NIH stem cell task force.