Class dates: Wednesdays, November 4, 18, December 2, 9, 16  (5 weeks)

Class time: 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Location: Assumption, Kennedy 119

Recent advances in biology have opened possibilities for humans to modify the genes of other humans and to repair/replace damaged organs, but much research remains to be done. In this course, we'll discuss some of these pioneering studies in gene editing, human development, animal cloning, and organ transplantation. The course will hopefully provide the scientific basis needed for non-scientists to appreciate the advances described in the popular press. We have a long way to go before Huxley's Brave New World arrives!

Instructor: Clare O’Connor is a cell biologist who received her Ph.D. from Purdue and led a research lab at the former Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in Shrewsbury from 1984-1995. From 1995 to 2017, she was a professor in the Boston College Biology Department, where she taught both introductory and advanced courses in genetics and molecular cell biology. Since retiring in 2018, she has taught several WISE courses in these same subject areas.