Elizabeth Blackburn: “From Looking Down the Microscope to Looking Out the Window”

Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn presented “From Looking Down the Microscope to Looking Out the Window” on October 20, 2021.

A cure for aging doesn’t exist, nor is there a hidden fountain that restores youth. Rather, the understanding of how cells age can help us treat disease and symptoms of aging. Telomeres are sections of DNA found at the end of chromosomes that help protect the ends of chromosomes, particularly during cell division. Understanding the relationship between cell aging and telomeres could lead to novel therapies for diseases. Join Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, as she provides an overview of the history of telomere research, her current work in the field, and the ethical questions tied to genetic research.

Abstract:
My research journey, beginning with curiosity-driven, basic science research, was first aimed at discovering, at a molecular level, how cells protect their chromosomal ends (telomeres). From our research using model organism systems for investigating telomere biology at molecular and cellular levels, our subsequent research has led to humans, with collaborative discoveries of societal and environmental factors that impact on telomeres, and hence on human health. I will briefly explain the fundamental science discoveries, then discuss the growing evidence that life-long factors – starting from earliest life – affect telomere maintenance and may reverberate throughout the life course to affect health.  Current work is aimed at understanding telomere biology in disease processes in humans and, conversely, in optimizing human health. The broader implications of such scientific research have prompted my interest in how science is done: specifically, initiating discussions for adoption of guidelines akin to a “Hippocratic Oath” for scientists. 

Biography:
Throughout her long career in science, Dr. Blackburn has been a leader in the area of telomere and telomerase research, having discovered the molecular nature of telomeres – the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that serve as protective caps essential for preserving the genetic information – and co-discovered the ribonucleoprotein enzyme, telomerase. She is also known for her championing of diversity and inclusion in the sciences. Currently, Dr. Blackburn and her UCSF research team continue their work with various cells (including human cells), with the goal of understanding telomerase and telomere biology. She and her research team also collaborate in a wide range of investigations of the roles of telomere biology in human health and diseases, through clinical and other human studies.

Born in Australia, Dr. Blackburn earned her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the University of Melbourne, and her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in England. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department at Yale University. Professor Blackburn has won many prestigious awards throughout her career including Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Albert Lasker Medical Research Award for Basic Medical Research, and in 2007 was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.