James D. Watson, Ph.D., winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for the discovery of the double helical structure of DNA, will present "Curing Incurable Cancer" and attend other events associated with the Kentucky Derby. Watson's appearances are sponsored by the James Graham Brown Cancer Center at the University of Louisville.
Watson's lecture will be 10-11 a.m., Thursday, May 5, at the Brown Theater, 315 W. Broadway, Louisville. Admission is free but advance reservations are required at (502) 562-8021 or [email protected].
Following the lecture, Watson will have lunch with the Brown Fellows, a group of University of Louisville and Centre College freshmen and sophomores. Named for the businessman and philanthropist James Graham Brown, the Brown Fellows Program is designed to provide a diverse group of students the opportunity to build leadership skills through academic enrichment, expanded opportunity and personal accountability. The James Graham Brown Foundation administers the program.
Watson also will participate in the awarding of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center Scientist of the Year Award, presented annually on Derby Eve at the Julep Ball to a cancer center researcher for exceptional work. This year, the Julep Ball will be held at 7 p.m., Friday, May 6, at the Galt House Hotel and Suites, 140 N. Fourth St.
"The University of Louisville is an exciting place to be these days. Dr. Watson will see and feel the energy we're pouring into research and innovation, something a Nobel Prize winner understands and appreciates," UofL President James R. Ramsey said. "At the same time, this is an uncommon opportunity for our students and our community to see and hear one of the greatest scientific pioneers of our time. The University of Louisville is proud to make this opportunity available."
"We are very fortunate to have one of the world's most revered scientists joining us for this occasion. Dr. Watson has inspired thousands of successful scientists and has had a huge impact on the development of science over the past 60 years," Donald Miller, M.D., Ph.D., director of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, said.
More than 50 years after Crick, Watson and Wilkins published their work showing the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), their discovery still stands as one of the world's greatest scientific breakthroughs. By identifying what had been the elusive picture of DNA, they enabled future scientists to make great strides in understanding the human genome and the importance of DNA to life.
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