The first of a series of three Science Cafes will be held on Saturday, Feb 8th at 2PM in the Atrium. The format is that over coffee, tea and pastries, a scientist will talk informally about their research for 15 to 20 minutes followed by time for discussion, questions and answers and comments. These cafes are sponsored by the Campion Fund, a non-profit founded by Phyllis Leppert in 2012 to support research on reproduction including development and diseases of both male and female reproductive organs.
The first speaker, on February 8th is Dr. Megan Miller, a board-certified pediatric dentist who practices in Bellevue. She also teaches at the University of Washington. She treats infants and young children with cleft lip and cleft palate, a serious birth defect that is life threatening as it makes if difficult if not impossible for the infant to drink. Dr. Miller will talk about her research on how this defect develops before birth. She is also on a national professional committee that set stands for pediatric dentistry, a committee which recently reviewed the science behind fluoridation of water. She will also answer questions on that topic.
Other speakers at the late spring and fall cafes will be Dr. Kristina Adams-Waldorf, University of Washington who is a nationally recognized researcher on the effects of viral and bacterial infections on infants and mothers during pregnancy and birth and Phyllis, who will share her research findings on the physiology of birth and the basic molecular biology of a uterine fibroids which develop in over 80% of women globally. She is currently working with Duke colleagues on a non-surgical treatment for this disease To recap: Science Cafes provide the opportunity to hear a scientist talk about their research for 15-20 minutes in an informal atmosphere followed by questions and answers and comments.