Intelligence Squared discussion: The Future of Medicine June 28, 2010

Four speakers from the James Martin 21st Century School at Oxford University will describe how they are pushing forward the frontiers of medical science, seeking solutions to some of the critical medical problems of our age – in particular diseases associated with greater life expectancy.

The discussion will take place at: Royal Geographical Society, Ondaatje Theatre.

Doors open at 6:15 pm. The discussion starts at 7:00 pm and finishes at 8:30 pm.

Tickets

Tickets are priced at £20: http://events.intelligencesquared.com/current-events.php?event=EVT0222

Turning back the clock: Dr Paul Fairchild will explain how a breakthrough in stem cell research – enabling pluripotent cells to be harvested from the patient’s own cell tissue rather than from embryos – has brought us much closer to the point where we will be able to replace or regenerate diseased and worn out tissue.

Beating Alzheimer's: Scientists at the Institute for the Future of Mind have come up with an important new theory to explain how brain cells degenerate. Professor Susan Greenfield will argue that this could be a crucial step to finding a cure for two of the most widespread neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

A cure for cancer: Professor Bleddyn Jones and his colleagues at the Particle Therapy Research Institute are working on a new form of radiotherapy – known as CPT – which targets cancer cells while avoiding the damage that conventional radiotherapy does to healthy tissue. As Professor Jones will show, this could prove a highly effective way of dealing with cancer.

Combating the superbugs: A major problem confronting modern medicine is the spread of “superbugs” resistant to all conventional types of antibiotic. Dr Sonia Contera will show how by creating a completely new form of antibiotic made out of nanoparticles, she and her colleagues at the Institute of Nanoscience for Medicine are on the verge of cracking the problem.

The James Martin 21st Century School

Founded in June 2005 at the University of Oxford, the James Martin 21st Century School is a unique collaborative research effort, bringing together leading scholars and practitioners across a very wide range of disciplines. Its goal is to develop strategies for tackling the most serious problems of the 21st century, some of which may even threaten the future of humanity itself. The school also seeks to harness the most promising opportunities facing the world in the years ahead.