Events

Join us for upcoming events at the ASU Biodesign Institute.

Discovery Series

The Discovery Series, launched in 2013, brings eminent scientists, thought leaders and innovators from around the world to the Biodesign Institute to share their research expertise.

Discovery Series lectures and interactive discussions which follow exposes our faculty, staff and students to the latest developments in science, technology and medicine, keeping Biodesign researchers abreast of current trends and breakthroughs. Discovery Series events also provide networking and collaborative research opportunities. Lectures are open to the community. Seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please join us!

Past lectures

Karen Szumlinski, PhD, Professor, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology & Neuroscience Research Insitute at University of California, Santa Barbara. Recorded April 20, 2022. 

Substance use disorder is a chronic, relapsing, neuropsychiatric condition that affects 2% of the world’s population.  Substance use disorder is the leading risk factor of premature death globally. In addition to the deaths directly attributed to drug over-dose or fatal accidents, substance use increases the risk for many types of cancers, in addition to cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, and hepatic diseases, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, various neuropsychiatric conditions and suicide, accounting for 3-5% of the disease burden in many Western countries. 

The work to be discussed in this talk seeks to identify the environmental, genetic, age- and sex-related determinants of alcohol, opioid, and psychostimulant use vulnerability, as well as their co-morbidity with affective, neurocognitive and eating disorders. Using rodent models, we have distinguished between the neurobiological impact of various addictive substances of relevance to the design of substance-specific therapy. We are exploring and validating the therapeutic potential of drugs already approved by the FDA for other uses for neuroimmune modulation as an approach to reduce drug-taking and craving.

The Discovery Series, launched in 2013, brings eminent scientists, thought leaders and innovators from around the world to the Biodesign Institute to share their research expertise.  Discovery Series lectures and interactive discussions which follow exposes our faculty, staff and students to the latest developments in science, technology and medicine, keeping Biodesign researchers abreast of current trends and breakthroughs.  

The Biodesign Institute at ASU delivers the future of nature-inspired scientific innovation today for the betterment of human health, community safety and global sustainability.

Karen Szumlinski, PhD, Professor, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology & Neuroscience Research Insitute at University of California, Santa Barbara. Recorded April 20, 2022.

Substance use disorder is a chronic, relapsing, neuropsychiatric condition that affects 2% of the world’s population. Substance use disorder is the leading risk factor of premature death globally. In addition to the deaths directly attributed to drug over-dose or fatal accidents, substance use increases the risk for many types of cancers, in addition to cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, and hepatic diseases, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, various neuropsychiatric conditions and suicide, accounting for 3-5% of the disease burden in many Western countries.

The work to be discussed in this talk seeks to identify the environmental, genetic, age- and sex-related determinants of alcohol, opioid, and psychostimulant use vulnerability, as well as their co-morbidity with affective, neurocognitive and eating disorders. Using rodent models, we have distinguished between the neurobiological impact of various addictive substances of relevance to the design of substance-specific therapy. We are exploring and validating the therapeutic potential of drugs already approved by the FDA for other uses for neuroimmune modulation as an approach to reduce drug-taking and craving.

The Discovery Series, launched in 2013, brings eminent scientists, thought leaders and innovators from around the world to the Biodesign Institute to share their research expertise. Discovery Series lectures and interactive discussions which follow exposes our faculty, staff and students to the latest developments in science, technology and medicine, keeping Biodesign researchers abreast of current trends and breakthroughs.

The Biodesign Institute at ASU delivers the future of nature-inspired scientific innovation today for the betterment of human health, community safety and global sustainability.

YouTube Video UExDSUxwMmlxTXpqWHlZeFRnOVpIV09UMjRWaHBVOFZpMi4wOTA3OTZBNzVEMTUzOTMy

Substance use disorder: A global problem requiring an effective translational medicine approach

Arntzen Grand Challenges

The Arntzen Grand Challenges Lecture series is inspired by Charles (Charlie) Arntzen, founding director of the ASU Biodesign Institute.

Dr. Arntzen is internationally recognized for his novel applied research on the development of genetic strategies for using plants to manufacture pharmaceuticals and produce cost-effective vaccines or drugs to save lives around the world, especially in developing nations.

Past lectures

Presented by Carolyn Bertozzi, Nobel laureate, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and Radiology (by courtesy) at Stanford University, and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 

Complex sugars, which scientists call glycans, cover the surfaces of all living cells, where they serve as a molecular barcode that reports on the health status of the cell. Cancer cells are known to undergo changes in the structures and abundances of certain glycans, most prominently those that include a sugar-building block called sialic acid. Consequently, cancer cells have more sialic acids on their surface than healthy, normal cells. We discovered that this dense thicket of sialic acids allows cancer cells to escape recognition by our immune system, which allows the cancer to grow and spread. This finding motivated us to develop a new kind of cancer immune therapy that functions as a “lawnmower,” cutting the disease sugars off cancer cells so that the immune system can recognize them as diseased and kill them.

The Arntzen Grand Challenges Lecture series is inspired by Charles (Charlie) Arntzen, founding director of the ASU Biodesign Institute.

Dr. Arntzen is internationally recognized for his novel applied research on the development of genetic strategies for using plants to manufacture pharmaceuticals and produce cost-effective vaccines or drugs to save lives around the world, especially in developing nations.

About ASU Biodesign Institute:

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University delivers the future of nature-inspired scientific innovation today for the betterment of human health, community safety and global sustainability. Its transdisciplinary scientists are united in discovering bold solutions that directly benefit the health of our ecosystem. From individuals, to communities, to the planet, we focus on benefiting the overall health of life by turning our discoveries into technologies that are resilient, adaptive and deployable now and into the future.

Connect with ASU Biodesign:
Visit Biodesign’s website: https://biodesign.asu.edu/
Follow ASU Biodesign on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASUBiodesign/ 
Follow ASU Biodesign on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asubiodesign/ 
 
Connect with ASU Biodesign on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asu-biodesign-institute/

Presented by Carolyn Bertozzi, Nobel laureate, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and Radiology (by courtesy) at Stanford University, and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Complex sugars, which scientists call glycans, cover the surfaces of all living cells, where they serve as a molecular barcode that reports on the health status of the cell. Cancer cells are known to undergo changes in the structures and abundances of certain glycans, most prominently those that include a sugar-building block called sialic acid. Consequently, cancer cells have more sialic acids on their surface than healthy, normal cells. We discovered that this dense thicket of sialic acids allows cancer cells to escape recognition by our immune system, which allows the cancer to grow and spread. This finding motivated us to develop a new kind of cancer immune therapy that functions as a “lawnmower,” cutting the disease sugars off cancer cells so that the immune system can recognize them as diseased and kill them.

The Arntzen Grand Challenges Lecture series is inspired by Charles (Charlie) Arntzen, founding director of the ASU Biodesign Institute.

Dr. Arntzen is internationally recognized for his novel applied research on the development of genetic strategies for using plants to manufacture pharmaceuticals and produce cost-effective vaccines or drugs to save lives around the world, especially in developing nations.

About ASU Biodesign Institute:

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University delivers the future of nature-inspired scientific innovation today for the betterment of human health, community safety and global sustainability. Its transdisciplinary scientists are united in discovering bold solutions that directly benefit the health of our ecosystem. From individuals, to communities, to the planet, we focus on benefiting the overall health of life by turning our discoveries into technologies that are resilient, adaptive and deployable now and into the future.

Connect with ASU Biodesign:
Visit Biodesign’s website: https://biodesign.asu.edu/
Follow ASU Biodesign on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASUBiodesign/
Follow ASU Biodesign on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asubiodesign/

Connect with ASU Biodesign on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asu-biodesign-institute/

YouTube Video UExDSUxwMmlxTXpqVmJNYTA4elRsQVZkWVFzMFlGSEZXbi41MzJCQjBCNDIyRkJDN0VD

Sweet revenge on cancer: How studying sugars may change the practice of oncology

For the culmination of the ASU Biodesign Institute’s 20th anniversary celebrations, the Arntzen Grand Challenges Lecture presented a panel of our founding leaders, including namesake Charles Arntzen, Kathleen Matt, and George Poste. The discussion, moderated by Joshua LaBaer, the institute's current executive director, offered insights into the institute's beginnings. Discussion included the initial support and funding from Arizona tax dollars and how the building was designed to foster a culture of interdisciplinary research.

About ASU Biodesign Institute:

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University delivers the future of nature-inspired scientific innovation today for the betterment of human health, community safety and global sustainability. Its transdisciplinary scientists are united in discovering bold solutions that directly benefit the health of our ecosystem. From individuals, to communities, to the planet, we focus on benefiting the overall health of life by turning our discoveries into technologies that are resilient, adaptive and deployable now and into the future.

Connect with ASU Biodesign:
Visit Biodesign’s website: https://biodesign.asu.edu/ 
Follow ASU Biodesign on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASUBiodesign/ 
Follow ASU Biodesign on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asubiodesign/ 
Connect with ASU Biodesign on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asu-biodesign-institute/

For the culmination of the ASU Biodesign Institute’s 20th anniversary celebrations, the Arntzen Grand Challenges Lecture presented a panel of our founding leaders, including namesake Charles Arntzen, Kathleen Matt, and George Poste. The discussion, moderated by Joshua LaBaer, the institute's current executive director, offered insights into the institute's beginnings. Discussion included the initial support and funding from Arizona tax dollars and how the building was designed to foster a culture of interdisciplinary research.

About ASU Biodesign Institute:

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University delivers the future of nature-inspired scientific innovation today for the betterment of human health, community safety and global sustainability. Its transdisciplinary scientists are united in discovering bold solutions that directly benefit the health of our ecosystem. From individuals, to communities, to the planet, we focus on benefiting the overall health of life by turning our discoveries into technologies that are resilient, adaptive and deployable now and into the future.

Connect with ASU Biodesign:
Visit Biodesign’s website: https://biodesign.asu.edu/
Follow ASU Biodesign on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASUBiodesign/
Follow ASU Biodesign on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asubiodesign/
Connect with ASU Biodesign on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asu-biodesign-institute/

YouTube Video UExDSUxwMmlxTXpqVmJNYTA4elRsQVZkWVFzMFlGSEZXbi4xMkVGQjNCMUM1N0RFNEUx

Founders Panel: Early Biodesign Institute leaders

Presented by Zachary S. Rogers, PhD, Assistant Professor, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Colorado State University. Recorded on Nov. 2, 2021.

For years, global supply chains expanded and became increasingly complex in a quest to make shipping goods and services around the globe cheaper and faster. COVID-19 threw these finely tuned systems into tail-spin, making it difficult to find everything from toilet paper to pickup trucks. This disruption was not the first, nor will it be the last - but it has led to new ways of thinking that may lead to significant changes in the coming decades. There will be great change, but also great opportunity for innovation and connection. Zachary Rogers will share what's next and how it will impact your life, availability of everyday goods, personal data and the world economy.

The Arntzen Grand Challenges Lecture series is inspired by Dr. Charles (Charlie) Arntzen, Founding Director of the ASU Biodesign Institute. Dr. Arntzen is internationally recognized for his novel applied research on the development of genetic strategies for using plants to manufacture pharmaceuticals and produce cost-effective vaccines or drugs to save lives around the world, especially in developing nations.

The Biodesign Institute at ASU delivers the future of nature-inspired scientific innovation today for the betterment of human health, community safety and global sustainability.

Presented by Zachary S. Rogers, PhD, Assistant Professor, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Colorado State University. Recorded on Nov. 2, 2021.

For years, global supply chains expanded and became increasingly complex in a quest to make shipping goods and services around the globe cheaper and faster. COVID-19 threw these finely tuned systems into tail-spin, making it difficult to find everything from toilet paper to pickup trucks. This disruption was not the first, nor will it be the last – but it has led to new ways of thinking that may lead to significant changes in the coming decades. There will be great change, but also great opportunity for innovation and connection. Zachary Rogers will share what's next and how it will impact your life, availability of everyday goods, personal data and the world economy.

The Arntzen Grand Challenges Lecture series is inspired by Dr. Charles (Charlie) Arntzen, Founding Director of the ASU Biodesign Institute. Dr. Arntzen is internationally recognized for his novel applied research on the development of genetic strategies for using plants to manufacture pharmaceuticals and produce cost-effective vaccines or drugs to save lives around the world, especially in developing nations.

The Biodesign Institute at ASU delivers the future of nature-inspired scientific innovation today for the betterment of human health, community safety and global sustainability.

YouTube Video UExDSUxwMmlxTXpqVmJNYTA4elRsQVZkWVFzMFlGSEZXbi4yODlGNEE0NkRGMEEzMEQy

COVID-19 and the 2021 Global Supply Chain Crisis

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