The University of Maine at Presque Isle is pleased to announce that its 2010-2011 University Distinguished Lecturer Series will continue with a presentation by Dr. Mark Noble, Director of the University of Rochester Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute.

Noble will deliver his talk Stem Cell Biology: The Next Medical Revolution at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21 in the University’s Campus Center. He will describe how the field of stem cell biology can enhance the understanding and treatment of a variety of diseases. Just as antibiotics and vaccinations revolutionized medical treatments, stem cell biology research has the potential to provide similar benefits in the treatment of cancer, neurological diseases, bone diseases, heart diseases and metabolic diseases.

Noble is a Professor of Genetics and of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the Universityof Rochester School of Medicine in New York. He has served as the Director of the University of Rochester’s Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute since 2007 and has also been the Co-Director of the New York State Center of Research Excellence for Spinal Injury Research since 2005. Noble received his PhD in 1977 from Stanford University. He is a recipient of the Jean Monet Prize of the European Neurological Society, has more than 100 publications and seven patents with four additional pending, and is a member of several research advisory boards.

Along with serving as the Director of the University of Rochester Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Noble is a member of a three-laboratory team whose research includes many areas related to stem cell medicine. UMPI professor Bonnie Wood had the opportunity to hear Dr. Noble when he was on a panel of experts discussing The State of Stem Cell Science: Adult, Embryonic & Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: What is the Science and How Does it Translate to Cures? at The Stem Cell Education Summit, which was a special event at the 2009 National Association of Biology Teachers Professional Development Conference.

“Dr. Noble’s ability to explain a complex topic about which people have many misconceptions was impressive,” said Wood. “It is exciting to have someone with his expertise on campus for our students and the community.”

The University Distinguished Lecture Series (UDLS) was established in 1999. Each year, the UDLS Committee sponsors five to six speakers who come from Maine and beyond, representing a range of disciplines and viewpoints. While the emphasis tends to be on featuring visiting academics, it is not exclusively so. The speakers typically spend two days at the University meeting with classes and presenting a community lecture.

Noble’s lecture is free and the public is invited to be a part of this special evening. For more information, contact the University’s Community and Media Relations Office at 768-9452.