Daily News

Posted on May 10: Genes as medicine

The timeline from when the word 'gene' was first coined and the entire human genome was sequenced is less than 100 years. Jack Gauldie describes this genomic timeline as a "short and frantic ride in science". Gauldie, professor and chair of the Department of Pathology and head of McMaster's Institute for Molecular Medicine and Health (IMMH), will take his audience on a whirlwind tour of gene research in his Science in the City lecture, Genes as medicine: from growth factors to vaccines . Gauldie, a leader in gene therapeutics, will be at the forefront of the research that will see gene therapy as a cure for diseases from asthma to cancer, for treatment of growth deficiencies and also for use as a vaccine for infectious diseases such as SARS. In an interview with the Hamilton Spectator Gauldie explains that, "things go wrong when genes don't work right or they're working too hard or there's too many or too few or they're in the wrong sequence. This is a new way of treating disease at that level."

Posted on May 7: McMaster to shine during May @ Mac

This Saturday, McMaster's doors will fling open for more than 4,000 prospective students and their families. May @ Mac, one of McMaster's largest annual events, takes place tomorrow (Saturday, May 8). The open house will give visitors the opportunity to find out information about programs of study, ask questions about admissions or scholarships and tour campus facilities. Every year, the number of visitors attending May @ Mac grows. "We've been seeing an increase in attendance over the last couple of years," says Bonnie Crocker, liaison officer in McMaster's Office of the Registrar. "Part of the increase is due to the number of parents that attend and appear to be more involved than in previous years in the decision-making process. People want to shop more and investigate their options."