Watch TEDx NorthwesternU:
The Complex World of Fertility
The live stream will be available from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on June 19th.
Why is the mystery of life so complex? Why do we need chemists, biologists, ethicists and engineers to unravel this mystery? How do we facilitate relevant research that transcends the boundaries of established disciplines? This program will explore how multidisciplinary teams are working together to understand the complicated process of fertility.
5:30 – Doors Open, Guest Registration
6:00 – Welcome
Sharon Green, MHA, Event Organizer
6:05 – What is TED? Video
6:10 – Teaming Up to Drive Scientific Discovery
Brian Uzzi, PhD
What does the world’s largest repository of more than 26 million scientific papers tell us about trends in the production of scientific knowledge? There appears to be a nearly universal end to the era of the solo scientist and a rise in the supremacy of teams. The advantage of teams is growing and frontier of knowledge is reached through the invisible but complex networks through which scientists assemble teams.
6:30 – TED video talk “Eric Berlow–How Complexity Leads to Simplicity”
6:35 – Zinc Sparks Control Reproduction
Thomas V. O’Halloran, PhD
Romantics often look for emotional ‘sparks’ when they meet a potential mate. An interdisciplinary research team shows how the egg and sperm experience similar fireworks at the molecular level: the egg scavenges massive quantities of zinc in the hours before the arrival of sperm charming, and then undergoes waves of zinc sparks upon fertilization. Intriguingly, biology is using zinc (an inorganic substance that it can neither create nor destroy) as a master switch in development.
6:55 – TED video talk “Julia Sweeney has THE TALK”
7:02 – Fertility after Cancer
Teresa K. Woodruff, PhD
Ten years ago the phrase ‘families after cancer’ would have been an oxymoron if thought of at all. Today, due to the impressive rise in cancer survivors, this is not only a well-used phrase, but also an issue that needs further exploration. To address this concern we created the Oncofertility Consortium, a national, interdisciplinary initiative and uncommon team, to explore and expand the reproductive options for young cancer patients – men, women, and children. By bridging bench science with physician education and patient empowerment, the Oncofertility Consortium has transformed the dual catastrophe of cancer and infertility into the hopefulness of a life lived and life delivered.
7:20 – Closing Remarks
7:30- 8:30 – Reception and Informal Discussion