Experts in the emerging field of “personalized medicine” will examine the promise of a new reality where doctors and researchers can better devise treatments for the individual.
The Future of Medicine: from Molecularly Targeted Therapies to Gene Editing will bring together four University of Victoria experts, one from the University of British Columbia and Brad Nelson, director of the B.C. Cancer Agency’s Trev and Joyce Deeley Research Centre in Victoria.
At the heart of the event is a range of therapies, some already in use, that are designed “to target those exact things that are causing your disease, rather than being more general,” said Perry Howard, chairman of UVic’s department of biochemistry and microbiology.
“You get rid of the bad effects of some drugs and really get them more precise.”
The therapies are being aimed at a number of treatment areas, Howard said.
“So in a cancerous environment, to understand exactly what are the changes that have happened in that cell to make it a cancerous cell,” he said. “And then, importantly, to follow that through time so we can see how those changes are evolving and how the disease is responding to the treatment.”
Other panel events include:
• Myths of the Good Mother — The discussion focuses on the “impossible ideal” against which the “sacred” role of being a mother is measured. 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Monday, Clearihue (CLE)A203.
• Is Feminism Finished? — Panelists look at the fact that some people say feminist goals have been achieved, while others say there is still a long way to go. 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, David Turpin Building (DTB) A110.
• Truth and Reconciliation in Canada: Coming to Terms — An examination of the role the church should play in the response to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which delved into the abuse of First Nations children at residential schools. 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday, Elliott (ELL)167.
