Place, date, time: Blake Street Tavern on Tuesday 15 October 2019 at 6:30 PM.

Our speaker: Holger Russ, PhD, Assistant Professor, Barbara Davis Center, CU Anschutz Medical Campus

The Topic: "Stem Cells"

Originally from Stuttgart, Holger Russ trained at the Mannheim University for Applied Sciences, got his PhD from Tel Aviv University, and did postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco before joining the faculty at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes. His group works on the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms that result in childhood (Type 1) diabetes, which is an autoimmune condition with a very strong genetic component, as well as mostly unknown environmental effects. While at UCSF he was part of a team that developed a method to differentiate human stem cells into functional thymus cells, which are essential for T lymphocyte development, and recently was able to induce stem cells to differentiate into functional, mature insulin-secreting cells very similar to the ones that do the job in the normal pancreas. “They can function there, can basically secrete insulin in response to an increase in blood sugar, which happens after the patient ate,” Russ explained on CBS Denver. “We definitely have a cure in mind. We made a big step, and there are about 2 more big steps to take.”  He’ll tell us what’s still needed, and how things like this are actually done.

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EVERYONE IS WELCOME. The talk starts at 6:30. Come before 6 PM to leave yourself time to get something to eat. We end around 8 PM. 

Blake St. Tavern is at 2301 Blake St., close to Coors Field. Parking in a lot adjacent, or at meters on the street.

We welcome your input, including ideas for speakers and topics. Bring them with you to the next Café, or e-mail them and any questions to Eric Meer