UIUC Professor to Present on Biotechnology at Kaler Science Lecture Series

Lecture tickets are $2 or FREE for the Friends of the Staerkel Planetarium

A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor will present on biotechnology at the William M. Staerkel Planetarium in February.

UIUC professor Sara Pedron Haba will present “Bioengineered Human Disease Models" as part of Parkland College's James B. Kaler Science Lecture Series, on Friday, February 7 at 7 p.m. The lecture series was named for UIUC astronomer Jim Kaler, who spoke at the series each year for over 20 years.

Developments in biotechnology to address current challenges of human disease are increasingly relying on complex artificial disease models to better predict the outcome of clinical studies. These models offer a more physiologically relevant environment for cells compared to traditional cell cultures while avoiding the complex translational issues of animal models.

Professor Pedron Haba earned her B.S. at the University of Valencia and her Ph.D. at the University Carlos III of Madrid. She performed postdoctoral research for Philips Research Laboratories in the Netherlands and UIUC before becoming a research assistant professor at the university.

Lecture tickets are $2 or FREE for the Friends of the Staerkel Planetarium. The Kaler Science Lectures are filmed by Parkland College TV. After the talk, the planetarium will show Skywatchers of Africa at 8 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased in person or online. For a show schedule, call 217/351-3446 or visit parkland.edu/planetarium.