Building on the presentations of the Summer 2003 High School Outreach Program, the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) fall lecture series continues to focus on the biology of cancer, as five new lectures are announced. Teachers are invited to attend these lectures, each one followed by a laboratory that features exercises to help the participating teachers to transfer lecture information into use in the high school curriculum.

Cost
The program is FREE; enrollment is limited to 70 participants; register ASAP

Application Requirements
Applicants must be full-time teachers or curriculum directors in a public, private, parochial, or charter school in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or New Hampshire.

Application Deadline: September 16, 2003
Applicants will be notified of participation by September 19, 2003, and a packet of materials will be sent containing directions, maps, and pre-lecture reading materials.

Resource Materials
Materials will be given to each participant that will include pertinent papers by lecturers, laboratory directions, DVDs, CD-ROMs, and other relevant materials to facilitate transfer of the information and adaptation of the laboratory techniques to the typical high school lab.

Professional Development Points
10 PDPs will be awarded only to those teachers who attend all five lectures.

Wednesday, October 15
Dr. Andrew Murray, Professor of Biology, MCB; Director, Center for Genomics Research
"Socks before Shoes: How Cells Keep Track of Their Chromosomes"
Every time a cell divides, it runs the risk of generating daughters with too few or too many chromosomes. These mistakes play a crucial role in many cancers. Dr. Murray will discuss the mechanisms by which cells make sure that their chromosomes are properly lined up on the cell division machinery before the cell divides.

Wednesday, October 29
Dr. Joan Brugge, Professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School
"Molecular Pathogenesis of Breast Cancer"
Dr. Brugge will discuss the pathogenesis of breast cancer and studies to define the molecular events that control the initiation and progression of breast cancer. In vitro models that mimic the behavior of breast epithelial cells in vivo will be included in the discussion.

Wednesday, November 12
Dr. Matthew Michael, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, MCB
"Subcellular Crisis Prevention: How Cells Detect Damaged Chromosomes"?
Dr. Michael will discuss the mechanisms and pathways that function to maintain stability of the genome. His lecture will include an overview of research being conducted to understand DNA damage checkpoint control.

Wednesday, November 19
Dr. Harold Burstein, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Clinician and Researcher, Dana Farber Cancer Inst.
"Targeted Therapy for Cancer"
New cancer treatments are being evaluated that take advantage of a better understanding of the biology of cancer cell growth. Dr. Burstein will focus on "targeted" therapies for cancer and new drugs that are changing our treatment strategies. The use of hormonal therapies, growth factor receptor inhibitors, and angiogenesis inhibitors will be highlighted.

Wednesday, December 3
Dr. Glenn Dranoff, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Clinician and Researcher, Dana Farber Cancer Inst.
"The Host Response to Cancer: Friend or Foe?"
The immune system plays dual roles during cancer development.  Host responses may inhibit tumor development and progression by controlling infection, inflammation, and immunity. Alternatively, cancer cells may subvert the host response to promote growth, attenuate death, and facilitate invasion and metastasis. A more detailed understanding of host/tumor cell interactions provides new opportunities for crafting cancer immunotherapy.

The MCB High School Outreach Program is jointly sponsored by the
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, and the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

For Additional Information Contact:

Tara Bennett
MCB-HHMI Outreach Coordinator,
Department of Molecular and Cellular
Biology, Harvard University
16 Divinity Avenue, Rm. B048,
Cambridge MA 02138; 617-496-3457
tbennett@fas.harvard.edu