From Classical Philosophy
to Quantum Mechanics

Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Dr. Michael Epperson, founder and director of the Center for Philosophy and the Natural Sciences at Sacramento State and a Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy, will explore the philosophical implications of recent innovations in quantum mechanics and the resulting challenges for the conventional classical world view.

In classical mechanics, nature’s fundamental constituents are material substances (things); in quantum mechanics, they are units of relation (events). “In the classical world view, things have histories; in the quantum world view, things are histories,” says Epperson. He will explore how ‘classical reality’ is modeled from a more fundamental quantum mechanical description of nature.

HIV Gene Therapy

Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Dr. Gerhard Bauer, director of the UC Davis Good Manufacturing Practice Facility, will address a new gene therapy approach to treating HIV infection.

Gene therapy for HIV is based on the concept that human cells can be made resistant to the detrimental effects of HIV by the insertion of anti-HIV genes into the genome of HIV target cells. A wide variety of anti-HIV genes have been developed, interfering with the life cycle of HIV at various stages, and making it impossible for HIV to enter a cell or replicate in it. All target cells for HIV are derived from hematopoietic stem cells which are found in the bone marrow and give rise to a variety of mature blood cell types. Dr. Bauer's therapeutic approach is based on the insertion of anti-HIV genes into hematopoietic stem cells of an HIV infected individual, thus causing all newly arising HIV target cells to be resistant to HIV, and thereby preventing the virus from replicating.

The Future Of Fighting Diseases

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Dr. Diane Krause, a Yale Professor and leading authority in stem cell research, will address new discoveries in regenerative medicine.

In 2001 Dr. Krause lead a team of researchers who discovered that adult stem cells taken from the bone marrow of mice can differentiate into epithelial cells for the repair of organs as diverse as liver, lung, and intestines. This research led to one of the first reports of marrow-derived stem cells contributing to tissue repair, which is now an exploding field. This lecture is funded through a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine grant in collaboration with the UC Davis Stem Cell Program.

Biomedical Engineering

Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Dr. Warren Smith, a Sacramento State professor of Electrical & Electronic Engineering who specializes in biomedical engineering will discuss the development of new medical monitors at Sacramento State.

These new monitors have been made possible by miniature electronics and computers, digital signal processing, and wireless technologies. Dr. Smith will describe several projects he and his students have designed using this new technology, including the development of a depth-of-anesthesia monitor based on the patient's brain waves (the electroencephalogram, or EEG) to reduce the chance of patient awareness during anesthesia.

Ethnomathematics

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Daniel Orey, a Sacramento State professor of Teacher Education who specializes in mathematics and multicultural education, will discuss Ethnomathematics. A research program developed by Brazilian philosopher, educator, and mathematician Ubiratan D'Ambrosio, Ethnomathematics uses aspects of mathematics modeling to study the relationship between mathematics and culture.

Ethnomathematicians study the diverse contexts in which mathematics is used outside of academic situations. An ethnomathematics program provides a basis for acknowledging mathematical structures in non-western societies and possesses the power to connect culture to mathematics. In this talk, Dr. Orey will share examples of cultural and mathematical practices he has come across in his travels around the world, including Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil, Nepal, and Israel. 

Under the Microscope

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Jan Nolta, a Sacramento State alum and director of the UC Davis Stem Cell Program since 2006, will discuss research that suggests stem cells can be used to repair tissue

Nolta says human stem cells from adult sources have been shown in laboratories to promote the repair of damaged tissues. Different populations of stem cells have been shown to contribute to the regeneration of muscle, neural tissue, the liver, the heart and the vasculature. While the potential benefits could signal a radical change in medical treatment, Nolta says more research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which stem cells work.

To view more STEM Lectures, click STEM Lecture Series Archives '06-'09