Associate Professor of Medicine Jeffrey Spees will present the eighth Osher Lifelong Learning Institute lecture of the winter series on Wednesday March 01 on the “Rescue and Repair of Cardiac Tissue After Injury: Turning Star Trek into Sesame Street”. Professor Spees earned his Ph.D. in Physiological and Molecular Ecology at the University of California, Davis. At UVM he teaches courses in Developmental Neurobiology, Human Structure and Function and Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine.

Dr. Spees has directed the Stem Cell Core in UVM’s Department of Medicine and was one of the founding members of the New England Stem Cell Consortium. Stem cells, which come from adult tissues as well as from embryos and fetal tissue, retain the potential to develop into a variety of cell types in the body. Fortunately for us, it is possible for these stem cells to repair and regenerate tissues and organs.

Dr. Spees and his colleagues have developed and applied for a patent for a therapy using a protein complex that is highly protective and keeps cells alive. He will discuss this research and its role in repairing cardiac tissue to improve cardiac function after heart attack.

Osher programs take place at The Town and Country Resort, 876 Mountain Road, Stowe. There is a $5.00 charge for non-members. Doors open at 1:00 p.m. and the lecture will begin at 1:30 p.m. Join us for refreshments after the presentation.