Melissa Kosinski-Collins, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at Brandeis University, will speak on “When Good Proteins Go Bad” at a University on Wheels breakfast cosponsored by the Tucson Chapter of the Brandeis National Committee and the Tucson Jewish Community Center on Jan. 8 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the JCC.
How is it that a human brain can function perfectly for so many years and then may suddenly begin to self-destruct at an alarming rate? Kosinski-Collins will discuss molecules in the brain with no known function other than to cause the destruction of memory. She will explain how degeneration of proteins leads to such debilitating conditions as autism, Lou Gehrig’s disease and Parkinsonism and talk about current studies at Brandeis and possible future therapies for disease treatment.
The event is free to JCC members, $10 for Brandeis members and guests with reservations by Jan. 6 — contact Arlene Zuckerman at zuck4@juno.com or 577-1457. Admission at the door will be $12. Proceeds benefit Brandeis University’s “Sustaining the Mind: Scientific Research and Scholarships” campaign.
