MEETINGS

2009-2010 Season

Stem Cells: The New Frontier of Medical Science

Dr. Eva  Feldman

Dr. Eva Feldman
Russell N. DeJong Professor of Neurology, University of Michigan Health System
Director of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute
Director of the Program for Neurology Research & Discovery

View Biography

Stem cell research promises to be the most significant advancement in medical science in a generation. With the passage of last year’s constitutional amendment, Michigan voters gave scientists in the state the go-ahead to begin exploring this crucial new pathway to medical cures. Dr. Eva Feldman, director of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, will explain how Michigan has moved to the forefront of this technology:

• with the opening of the state’s first stem cell facility,
• Michigan hosting next year’s World Stem Cell Summit,
• her laboratory receiving approval for the first human clinic treatment of a stem cell trial for ALS.

What does this mean for the health and economic well-being of the state?
  • Meeting Date: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
  • Time: 11:30 a.m.
  • Location: Westin Book Cadillac

PRESIDING OFFICER:

 A. Alfred  Taubman

A. Alfred Taubman Founder
The Taubman Company LLC



MEETING PHOTO GALLERY

Speaker Biography

Dr. Eva Feldman   
Throughout her career, Dr. Eva Feldman has made it her mission to use scientific discoveries to understand and cure human diseases. As the Russell N. DeJong, Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan, she has made important contributions to medical research and clinical care in many critical areas, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and complications in Diabetes. She developed a clinical screening instrument for the rapid diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy, which is currently being used worldwide.

In January 2008, Dr. Feldman was named the first Director of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, which was created to support fundamental research into a wide range of human diseases. Under her leadership, the Taubman Institute funds senior-level scientists in a diverse spectrum of diseases – adult and childhood cancer, ALS, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hearing loss.

In the fall of 2008, Dr. Feldman and the Taubman Institute played a leadership role in educating Michigan citizens on the importance of stem cell research in the study and treatment of disease. In the November election, voters approved a constitutional amendment lifting restrictions on stem cell research in the state. The Taubman Institute is working to make the University of Michigan one of the nation’s leaders in this emerging technology. In her own work, Dr. Feldman is on of the forefront of applying stem cell research to human disease. In September, she received approval from the F.D.A. for the first human clinical trial of a stem cell cure for ALS.

Facts about Eva L. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.:
- Russell N. DeJong Professor of Neurology
- Director, A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute
- Director, JDRF Center for the Study of Complications in Diabetes
- Director, ALS Clinic
- Specialty: Neurology
- Research interests: Nerve regeneration, peripheral neuropathy, motor neuron disease
- M.D.: University of Michigan, 1983
- Ph.D.: University of Michigan, 1979