Science2002 Festival to Spotlight Synergy in Science

March 27, 2002

PITTSBURGH—Science2002: Synergy in Science, the University of Pittsburgh's second annual fall celebration of science, will highlight cutting-edge research projects that not only break new ground scientifically but also are vital to the Pittsburgh region's economic development.

This year's three-day event is scheduled for September 18-20 on campus. The program is designed to appeal to scientists and others in the science community, as well as anyone with an interest in science and its impact on society. Admission is free.

"This will be a campus-wide event, bringing together scientists from various schools and departments of the entire University. It is also a tremendous opportunity to open our doors to the region's nonuniversity-based scientists and to others interested in the interface of science and society," said James V. Maher, Pitt provost and senior vice chancellor.

"The University of Pittsburgh as a whole is now ninth in the nation in funding from the National Institutes of Health, which clearly indicates the increasingly important role this institution plays both in biomedical science and as a catalyst for biotech-nology-based regional economic development," said Arthur S. Levine, M.D., senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and dean of the School of Medicine at Pitt.

Highlights of Science2002 will include:

• A symposium with eight spotlight sessions on topics such as regenerative medicine, biodefense, robotics, "cool" gadgets, and mining "monster" databases;

• Nationally prominent keynote speakers, who will be recognized for their significant research advances;

• Spinout sessions featuring the science behind some of Pittsburgh's emerging biotech companies;

• A job fair, offering a chance for students and other job applicants to meet with representatives of local technology companies in an informal and interactive setting;

• Technical exhibits of laboratory and other scientific products and services;

• Poster sessions spotlighting the research of Pitt graduate and medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty; and

• Evening social events, including a barbecue, music, and something new this year—a Science in Art exhibition and reception.

This year's keynote speakers will be C. David Allis, Harry F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics in the University of Virginia Health System, and Errol C. Friedberg, professor and chair of pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Allis discovered the key molecular mechanisms that permit gene expression in the context of chromatin. He will receive this year's Dickson Prize in Medicine, a national award presented each year by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine to a top American investigator in biomedical research.

Friedberg will present this year's Mellon Lecture, which has been held nearly every year since 1914. Friedberg is one of the world's leaders in the field of DNA damage and repair, processes that are central to understanding and treating conditions such as cancer, birth defects, and heritable disease.

Faculty and students from Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University, and other local colleges and universities; representatives of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, information technology, scientific equipment, and related industries; leaders in economic development and philanthropy; and secondary school science teachers are all encouraged to attend Science2002: Synergy in Science.

More information about the program, speakers, and other details, including registration, will be posted online at www.science2002.pitt.edu as it becomes available.

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3/27/02/tmw