Dr Jennifer Doudna will be the guest speaker at this year’s Gerald Westheimer Lecture.
The UNSW Centre for Ideas and UNSW Science are excited to present this year’s Gerald Westheimer Lecture with guest speaker Dr Jennifer Doudna.
Join us on Tuesday 21 May at 10.30am to hear 2020 Nobel prize winner in Chemistry Dr Doudna present ‘My Life in Science’. Dr Doudna is a scientific pioneer whose revolutionary CRISPR discovery transformed genetic research.
CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a technology that research scientists use to selectively modify the DNA of living organisms. CRISPR was adapted for use in the laboratory from naturally occurring genome editing systems found in bacteria.
Dr Doudna’s work has opened up a new era of revolutionary advances in medicine and agriculture while posing profound ethical questions. In an exclusive event for UNSW students and staff, Dr Doudna will discuss with Professor Merlin Crossley the mentors who fuelled her scientific passion, the collaborations that led to her incredible discoveries, her experience as a leading woman in STEM, and how her Innovative Genomics Institute is enabling equitable access to CRISPR technology.
In addition to her scientific achievements, Dr Doudna is a leader in public discussion of the ethical implications of genome editing for human biology and societies. She advocates for thoughtful approaches to the development of policies around the safe use of CRISPR technology.
Find out more and register to attend this event. Students and staff are also encouraged to submit questions they would like to ask live at the event.
Dr Jennifer Doudna’s visit is supported by the Sydney Opera House, Big Questions Institute (BQI) and the Sydney Writers’ Festival.
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