Great Falls Forum with Andrew Kennedy
The 2019-2020 season of the Great Falls Forum kicks off on Thursday, September 19th, featuring Dr. Andrew Kennedy, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Bates College, with a talk entitled “Retooling the Genome to Treat Memory Loss.” The program will take place from 12 noon to 1 PM in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library.
The brain is made of molecules, which means its thoughts, emotions, and memories are made manifest by molecules. Advances in neuroscience are making it possible to reorganize how genes—including those that are critical for memory storage, maintenance, and retrieval—are used by the mind. In his Great Falls Forum presentation, geared toward the general public and followed by interactive discussion with audience members, Professor Andrew Kennedy of Bates College will explain how treatments of memory disorders and memory loss are emerging because processes that were one analyzed in purely abstract terms are now being approached with a more molecular and genetic understanding.
Andrew Kennedy teaches courses such as Mechanisms of Memory and Organic Chemistry at Bates College, where he is known not only as a gifted teacher but also, in a recent student’s words, “a brilliant researcher, mentor, and friend.” A graduate of Providence College, Kennedy earned his Ph.D. in Drug Discovery, also referred to as Medicinal Chemistry, at the University of Virginia. He also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neurobiology at the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His current research, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health, attempts to understand the chemical mechanisms that encode and maintain long-term memory.
The Great Falls Forum is a monthly, brown-bag speaker series featuring statewide and regional leaders in public policy, business, academia and the arts. The programs are free, open to all and no reservations are required. Coffee, tea and bottled water are provided for a donation at the event. The Forum is a co-sponsorship of the Sun Journal, Bates College, and LPL.
For more information, contact LPL Adult & Teen Services at (207) 513-3135 or LPLReference@Gmail.com
