Admissions

Lake Forest, Ill. - Dr. Graeme I. Bell, a world authority on the genetics of diabetes mellitus, will deliver a public lecture at Lake Forest College on Wednesday, February 25, at 4:30 pm.

The Lake Forest College biology and chemistry departments invite the community to attend Dr. Bell’s presentation titled “Genetics of Diabetes Mellitus: Insight from Studies of Neonatal Diabetes,” which will be held in Meyer Auditorium, Hotchkiss Hall.

The public is welcome to attend free of charge. A pre-seminar reception will be held at 4:00 p.m. Please call 847-234-3100 for more information.

Dr. Bell is the Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics at the University of Chicago. He also serves as the Director of the University of Chicago Diabetes Research and Training Center. He received his B.Sc. degree in zoology and M.Sc. degree in biology from the University of Calgary, Canada. He earned his Ph.D. degree in biochemistry and biophysics from the University of California, San Francisco, where he also performed his postdoctoral research and began his faculty career. Before moving to the University of Chicago, Dr. Bell served as Senior Scientist at the Chiron Corporation.

Diabetes mellitus is a complex group of metabolic diseases, all of which are characterized by high blood glucose levels. If untreated, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney and heart disease, stroke, loss of limbs, and reduced life expectancy. It is a major public health problem affecting 150 million people worldwide. Diabetes has an enormous personal and economic impact on society of approximately $100 billion attributable to the disease in the United States alone.

Dr. Bell has published over 450 articles, reviews, book chapters, and a book on diabetes research, and holds fourteen patents.

Dr. Bell has received a number of awards for his work, including the Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award from the American Diabetes Association, the Rolf Luft Award from the Swedish Medical Society, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Calgary, the Gerold and Kayla Grodsky Basic Research Scientist Award from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International, the Naomi Berri Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diabetes Research from Columbia University, and the J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine. Dr. Bell is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

This keynote lecture serves to inaugurate a new interdisciplinary student organization at Lake Forest College called UAN-ASBMB, which serves as the local chapter of the national student organization Undergraduate Affiliates Network of the American Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Encouraged by the recent approval of a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major at the college, ten biology and chemistry majors started this local chapter last fall.

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 12,000 members. Founded in 1906, the Society is based in Bethesda, Maryland, on the campus of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. The Society's purpose is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology through publication of scientific and educational journals: the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, and the Journal of Lipid Research, organization of scientific meetings, advocacy for funding of basic research and education, support of science education at all levels, and promoting the diversity of individuals entering the scientific workforce.

UAN, the undergraduate arm of ASBMB, aims to form scientific and educational communities across the world to help academic institutions develop the best possible undergraduate curricula and to provide more research and learning opportunities for students by pooling their resources and working together.

The mission of UAN-ASBMB at Lake Forest College is to assist in the development of programs in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This goal will be accomplished by providing students with access to seminar speakers in the field, such as Dr. Bell. Additionally, the organization will plan outreach programs and other educational opportunities for both its members and the Lake Forest College community as a whole. Finally, outstanding educational activities of the College students in the area of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will be recognized and promoted as guided by UAN-ASBMB national and regional networks.

Lake Forest College is a national liberal arts institution located 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. The College has 1,400 students representing 45 states and 68 countries.