Chicago Council on Science & Technology presents:

Personalized Medicine - One size does not fit all!

How can knowing your genetic code help you? Genetic conditions, ones you are born with or are predisposed to, affect people of all ages, race, and gender. The treatment for these conditions are not so universal and recent research shows that patient-specific treatment can produce a better response and reduce the risk of side effects. Knowing what diseases you're predisposed to can even allow you to take preventive actions to drastically decrease your chances of getting the disease. Emerging technologies, such as CRISPR-Cas9, zinc finger, and other gene therapies, have brought personalized medicine to the forefront of medical research and hope for finding cures to genetic diseases.

Join us to hear a panel of experts on the current clinical implications of personalized medicine, how individualized therapies are designed, and what the future of personalized medicine promises. 

Panelists:

Elizabeth McNally, MD, PhD - Director, Center for Genetic Medicine at Nortwestern University; Elizabeth J. Ward Professor of Genetic Medicine; Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics.

Thomas P. Shanley, MD is Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Founders’ Board Centennial Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He also serves as President and Chief Research Officer of the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute. 

Dr. Shanley is an internationally renowned physician leader and researcher in pediatric critical care.  As a clinician, he specializes in the treatment of children with hypoxemic respiratory failure from lung disease and septic shock triggered by infection. Over the course of his career, he has conducted basic, translational and clinical research and has a keen interest in making the translational spectrum more efficient so that benefits reach patients faster. Dr. Shanley currently is the principal investigator on six National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored projects and has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He sits on the steering committee of the NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, which aims to speed the delivery of new treatments to patients.

James Sullivan, PhD is Vice President, Discovery.  In this role, he is responsible for AbbVie’s research efforts in a variety of diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, hepatitis C, and a number of autoimmune disorders. He oversees a global network of scientists that includes AbbVie researchers at sites in the United States and Europe, and external research partners around the world.  Dr. Sullivan is a member of the R&D Leadership Team that has responsibility for the advancement of compounds in all stages of development, the Executive Licensing Steering Committee and the Scientific Governing Board for Abbvie.  He is also an executive sponsor for the AbbVie Women in Science organization. Jim joined Abbott in 1991 and has held various positions in the R&D organization.

Jim has advanced more than 100 compounds into clinical development across a number of disease states and technology platforms. These include AbbVie’s recently launched combination product for HCV, the-first-in- class Bcl2 selective inhibitor, Venclexta and multiple compounds currently in Phase II or III trials.  He has authored/co-authored more than 130 scientific publications and is an inventor on 11 patents. Jim is an adjunct faculty member at Northwestern University and serves on the board of a number of companies and foundations including Alector, Regis Technologies, Accelerator, BIO, MATTER, and C2ST. He earned his bachelor's degree and Ph.D. in biochemistry from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and conducted post-doctoral research in neurobiology at Northwestern University.

Moderator:

Paulina Rychenkova, PhD, is an experienced venture investor and a passionate rare disease advocate. For most of her professional career Paulina invested in early and growth stage technology, software, and healthcare companies while working at Charles River Ventures, The Carlyle Group and, most recently, Sandbox Industries. Paulina has been an active patient advocate for her daughter who was born with a rare chromosomal disorder called Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. While supporting her daughter's developmental and clinical needs, she also worked with the research community to raise awareness of the syndrome and to forge a path towards therapeutic drug development for this rare neuro-developmental condition. Paulina grew up in Russia and received her PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Cambridge (U.K.).

DETAILS: Please join us for a wine and cheese reception at 5:30 pm in the Ryan Atrium, just outside the auditorium. This program will be recorded and livestreamed. 

Discounted parking ($6) is available at the 202 E Huron parking garage. Ask at the C2ST registration table, and you can purchase a ticket to exit the garage at the discounted rate. Baldwin auditorium is also easily accessible via public transportation.

This program is presented in partnership with Lurie Children's Hospital and AbbVie.

Northwestern Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center

303 E. Superior St. Baldwin Auditorium

United States

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