2009-10 Season Speakers

September 11, 2009: Dr. Tadayoshi Kohno, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington
Dr. Kohno's research focuses on security and privacy of technologies such as wireless medical devices, electronic voting machines, and RFID systems. He was named one of the world's top innovators under 35 by MIT Technology Review in 2007, and is the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship. Dr. Kohno also has earned national recognition for his teachings on "the security mindset."

October 9, 2009: Dr. David Baker, Principal Investigator, The Baker Lab, University of Washington & Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
At his University of Washington lab, Dr. David Baker is pioneering the design of new proteins and enzymes not found in nature. Technology developed at the Baker Lab has been used to create an enzyme engineering platform that breaks down proteins, and has the potential to transform the chemical industry through the development of genetically modified plants, biofuels, other chemical intermediates from biomass, and therapeutic drugs.

November 13, 2009: Dr. Alan Aderem, Executive Vice President and Director, Institute for Systems Biology
A global leader in immunology, infectious disease, and cell biology research, Dr. Alan Aderem studies how our body’s immune system responds to infectious disease, particularly global threats such as AIDS and swine flu. His goal is to create new vaccines and improved treatments through understanding how our body’s first line of defense detects and destroys - or fails to destroy - infectious threats. Dr. Aderem will discuss how systems biology enables a deep understanding of how the immune system fights infections, and how these insights will lead to better strategies to combat pandemic disease.

December 11, 2009: Dr. Denise Galloway, Human Biology and Public Health Sciences Program Head, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Dr. Galloway studies the role of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in cancer development. She and her colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center firmly established that nearly all cervical cancers - a leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide – are caused by HPVs. Breakthrough studies by Dr. Galloway’s lab laid the groundwork for Gardasil®, a vaccine that protects against the two most common cancer-causing HPVs.

January 8, 2010: Dr. Bruce Montgomery, Senior Vice President, Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet need, seeking to improve the care of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. Dr. Bruce Montgomery will discuss breakthroughs being made at Gilead in the treatment of potentially fatal respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis and tuberculosis.

February 12, 2010: Dr. John Stark, Director, Puyallup Research & Extension Center, Washington State University
Pesticides are an emerging concern for the health of salmon throughout the Pacific Northwest, as surface waters throughout the area are frequently contaminated with diverse mixtures of insecticides, herbicides, and other biocidal compounds that degrade the quality of salmon habitats, and make it difficult to rebuild native salmon populations. Dr. John Stark is an ecotoxicologist specializing in ecological risk assessment of Pacific Northwest salmon. He runs the WSU Salmon Research Laboratory, which was developed to investigate these issues.

March 12, 2010: J. Michael Davis, Associate Laboratory Director, Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Mr. Davis is known nationally as a key resource in the areas of hydrogen, power grid, renewable energy and energy efficiency policy and technology issues. His work is focused on delivering science and technology solutions to increase energy capacity; reduce dependence on imported oil; and detect, mitigate and prevent the environmental impacts of legacy waste and energy generation and use. Mr. Davis has lead smart grid projects across the country, including the Pacific Northwest GridWise Demonstration Project, which helped consumers save money                                 and play an active role in conserving energy through “smart”                                 home appliances.

April 9, 2010: Dr. Debbie Nickerson, Professor, Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington
Dr. Debbie Nickerson, a leader in medical sequencing of cardiovascular, blood and lung diseases, has been named as one of the principal investigators for the newly formed Northwest Genomics Center at the University of Washington. The Center, a project made possible by a $25 million grant from The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institutes of Health, is one of the first new, large-scale genomics centers focused entirely on medical sequencing to be created in the United States in more than a decade.

May 14, 2010: Christina Lomasney, President & CEO and Dr. John Whitaker, Chief Scientist, Modumetal
By growing metal using low-cost electrochemistry, the scientists at Modumetal have created a revolutionary new nanolaminated alloy with the strength to stop bullets, that is stronger and lighter than steel. Christina Lomasney and John Whitaker believe that Modumetal will replace conventional metals and composites in many applications, starting with military armor, and eventually in cars, planes, buildings, and other transportation and construction sectors.