Transforming Healthcare is a community lecture series that showcases the extraordinary medical advancements and top scientists from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Presented by Chancellor Donald M. Elliman, each lecture examines a different timely topic in research, healthcare and innovation.
The fall 2024 lecture will highlight our latest research in the rapidly-developing realm of immunotherapy. Join us to learn how scientists at CU Anschutz are harnessing the power of the human immune system to develop more effective and personalized treatments for conditions like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune neurologic disease.
Tuesday, November 12th | 5:00 - 7:00 P.M.
CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Anschutz Health Sciences Building
Elliman Conference Center (2nd floor), 1890 N. Revere Ct., Aurora, CO, 80045
RSVP Now
Invitation-only event. Space is limited. RSVP by Nov. 6, 2024. Free parking provided.
The Future of Immunotherapy: Breakthroughs Beyond Cancer
About the Fall 2024 Transforming Healthcare Lecture Topic
Advancements in immunotherapy—a field dedicated to harnessing the immune system to cure disease —have exploded in recent decades. While immunotherapy is often associated with cancer treatments, the field also has far-reaching applications for a wide range of other diseases. Empowered by basic science lab discoveries, researchers worldwide are continuing to devise new, more precise ways to intervene in the malfunctions that cause autoimmune diseases – and CU Anschutz is at the forefront of these exciting breakthroughs.
This invitation-only event offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from the top scientists who are advancing groundbreaking new immunotherapy treatments to help improve the health of patients worldwide. We hope to see you there!
Featured Speakers
Dr.
Berg is Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology and Director of the Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Initiative at the CU School of Medicine on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. As an immunologist, Dr. Berg’s research
focuses on understanding how T cells develop and help fight infection. She has special expertise in studying ways that the body addresses pathogens, which is key to developing treatments for ailments caused by immune system dysfunction.
Dr. Berg is the author of more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and invited articles. She served as President of the American Association of Immunologists in 2011-2012 and has received numerous academic awards and honors.
Dr. Aimee Bernard is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the CU School of Medicine. Dr. Bernard teaches immunology to medical, dental, physician assistant and graduate students at CU Anschutz. She is a member of the American Association of Immunology (AAI) Teaching Interest Group, and she has received several awards and honors for her role as an educator.
Dr. Bernard is also a co-director of the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute’s (CCTSI) “Communicating Your Science to the Public’” workshop series and the director of the CU Anschutz Basic Science Department’s Science Communication Program. She co-hosts the “Help! Make it Make Sense” science podcast, and she shares pro-science tips, vaccine information and more via her Instagram, Threads and TikTok accounts (@funsizeimmuninja).
Dr. Gottlieb is a tenured Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes at the CU School of Medicine and the holder of the Orr Family Endowed Chair in Adult Diabetes. His areas of research have included the immune mechanisms underlying type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases focusing on the role of antigen-specific T cells and B cells that drive the immune process. Over his career, Dr. Gottlieb has been a clinical investigator on numerous prediabetes and type 1 diabetes intervention trials, publishing nearly 200 papers in the field.
As part of his translational research at CU Anschutz, Dr. Gottlieb and his colleague Dr. Aaron Michels founded IM Therapeutics, Inc., a biotech company that is developing novel therapies that target the root cause of autoimmunity to prevent type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.
Dr. Kuhn is the Scoville Endowed Chair and head of the Division of Rheumatology and a Professor of Medicine and of Immunology and Microbiology at the CU School of Medicine. She also serves as an active member of several committees for the American College of Rheumatology.
As part of the research group within the Division of Rheumatology, Dr. Kuhn is interested in understanding the natural history of autoimmune arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis, and using this knowledge to develop prevention and therapeutic strategies for these diseases.
Dr. Piquet is the inaugural chair holder of the Céline Dion Foundation Endowed Chair in Autoimmune Neurology and Director of the Autoimmune Neurology Program at CU Anschutz, where she also serves as the Associate Director of the Neuroinfectious Disease and Autoimmune Neurology Fellowship program. Her main clinical and research interests focus on central nervous system autoimmunity, including Stiff Person Syndrome and autoimmune encephalitis, and her team is advancing the field forward with actively enrolling clinical trials to develop new treatments.
Through her research, Dr. Piquet has created the Autoimmune, Paraneoplastic and Inflammatory Neurological Disease Patient Registry, which captures and analyzes a range of clinical, epidemiological and patient data. By characterizing patterns of neuroinflammation, Dr. Piquet aims to identify new biomarkers and treatments for neurological autoimmune diseases.
Past Transforming Healthcare Lectures
Changing the Practice of Medicine with AI
April 4th, 2024
The spring 2024 lecture featured our leading experts in artificial intelligence and bioinformatics. View the recap to learn how AI is changing the practice of medicine and rapidly accelerating the pace of scientific discovery.
Unlocking the Potential of Cellular Therapy
May 2nd, 2023
The spring 2023 lecture celebrated the recently launched Gates Institute. This special event offered a unique opportunity to hear directly from the leading scientists whose research is revolutionizing the way we treat cancer and other diseases.
New Frontiers in Mental Health Treatment
November 1st, 2022
Amid a nationwide mental health crisis, Colorado ranks among the worst states for access to treatment and services. View this video to learn how CU Anschutz is shifting this paradigm by putting groundbreaking new psychiatric treatments and tools directly in the hands of providers and patients to improve mental health for all.
The Promise (and Proof) of RNA Research
April 26th, 2022
The Spring 2022 lecture featured the cutting-edge research of the CU School of Medicine’s RNA Bioscience Initiative (RBI). Our renowned team of RBI researchers shared how their RNA breakthroughs are transforming the future of medicine, opening up a wide range of new treatments, tools and therapies.
Breakthroughs in Cancer Treatment and Care
February 4th, 2020
This Transforming Healthcare lecture series, presented by CU Anschutz Chancellor Don Elliman, will feature the top University of Colorado Cancer Center doctors who are working on cutting-edge techniques to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer in adults and children.
Breakthroughs in Orthopedics
November 4th, 2019
The University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopedics offers Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region and range and depth of expertise in spine, joint, and limb repair and care.