Galileo's Science Cafe

Hear about the latest findings surrounding hot topics in science and medicine that affect our everyday lives and the decisions that we make! Bring your family and friends for a free, casual, interactive science discussion. Learn from the experts and speak with them.

Location: Face to face sessions will be held at the Mason Science and Tech Campus at Manassas, VA. Remote sessions will be held by preregistering on Mason Zoom. Find instructions on how to join us under each session title.

Evening Schedule:

For face-to-face sessions:

6:30 PM: Seating begins. Individual light meal and beverages served.
7:00-7:45 PM: Scientific discussion
7:45-8:15 PM: Ask the presenters! Questions from the audience
8:15-8:45 PM: Meet the scientist and networking reception (Socially Distanced)
9:00 PM  Session closes

For remote sessions:

6:45 PM: Logon
7:00-7:45 PM: Scientific discussion
7:45-8:15 PM: Q&A from audience
8:15-8:45 PM: Meet the scientist and networking reception
9:00 PM  Session closes

Thursday, October 15th 2020: 

The Search for life on Venus, Mars, and Elsewhere in our Solar System -

-presented by:

Mike Summers, PhD

In case you couldn't join us in person, here is a link to  Dr. Summer's presentation, https://youtu.be/iUuI8g4275Y.

Thursday, November 19th, 2020: COVID-19 Myth Busters
(A virtual and highly interactive remote session)

Register

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected more than 35 million people globally, with more than 1 million deaths recorded by WHO as of Oct 12, 2020. As a second wave of COVID-19 affects Europe and the US, and with winter approaching, we all need accurate, up to date, scientific guidance about COVID-19 to safely navigate our families through this pandemic. The November Galileo Science Café will address the major questions from our Community about COVID-19.

• What is COVID-19? How is it different from the common cold or flu?
• Where did it come from?
• How does it infect a person?
• Will I die if I get infected?
• How do you test for COVID-19 and which tests should I trust?
• How does COVID-19 spread?
• Do antibodies protect me from COVID-19? What is “herd immunity”?
• Can I get COVID-19 again?
• When will a vaccine be ready and should I take it?

-presented by: 

Lance Liotta, MD, PhD, Mason College of Science University Professor 

Since 2005 Dr. Lance Liotta has served as Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM) at George Mason University. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Liotta served as Chief of the Laboratory of Pathology, NCI, Deputy Director of NIH, Co-Director of the NCI/FDA Clinical Proteomics Program, and Director of the Anatomic Pathology Residency Program. For his PhD in Biomedical Engineering (MD/PhD Case Western Reserve) he developed the first mathematical model of the cancer metastatic process and studied the early release of circulating tumor cells. At the NIH he went on to investigate the process of tumor invasion and metastasis at the molecular level. Dr. Liotta has invented and patented, along with his laboratory co-inventors, transformative technologies in the fields of diagnostics, cancer molecular therapeutics, microdissection (Laser Capture Microdissection), and proteomics (Reverse Phase Protein Microarrays, Biomarker Harvesting Nanoparticles, preservation chemistries for molecular analysis, and “protein painting” for drug target mapping) that have been used to make broad discoveries in cancer biology, and diagnostics, and therapeutics. The Laser Capture Microdissection prototype is in the Smithsonian Collection. His team at CAPMM studies the proteomics of human tissue, cultured cells, and body fluids, using this set of novel technologies. This research has directly resulted in ongoing clinical research trials applying the technology to the discovery of markers for early stage disease, individualized therapy for metastatic cancer, and adjuvant therapy of premalignant breast cancer. He is a founder of Theranostics Health and Ceres Nanosciences. Dr. Liotta has more than 100 issued or allowed patents and more than 690 publications. He is an ISI highly cited investigator.

Padhu Seshaiyer, PhD Mason College of Science Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of Mathematical Sciences

Dr. Padmanabhan Seshaiyer is a tenured Professor of Mathematical Sciences at George Mason University and serves as the Director of the STEM Accelerator Program in the College of Science at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. His research interests are in the broad areas of computational mathematics, computational data science, scientific computing, computational biomechanics, design and systems thinking, entrepreneurship and STEM education. During the last decade, Dr. Seshaiyer initiated and directed a variety of educational programs including graduate and undergraduate research, K-12 outreach, teacher professional development, and enrichment programs to foster the interest of students and teachers in STEM at all levels. He serves on several prominent local and national organizations including the National Math Alliance; SIAM Diversity Advisory Group; the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition; Council on Undergraduate Research and; the US National Commission for Mathematics Instruction by the National Academy of Sciences. In 2019, he was selected as Figures that Matter and was awarded a honorary doctorate from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. This was given to committed scientists who transcend the boundaries of their own disciplines and to personalities that have been at the frontiers of societal change.

If you would like to submit questions to ask about COVID, please fill out the RSVP form!

https://youtu.be/lOjJL6_nuBg

Thursday, February 4th, 2020: 

The Neuroscience of Trust

-presented by:

Frank Krueger, PhD, Mason College of Science Associate Professor, School of Systems Biology (A virtual and highly interactive remote session)

Thursday, March 4 (Coming soon)

Thursday, April 1 (Coming soon)

Thursday, May 6 (Coming soon)

Thursday, October 15th 2020: The Search for life on Venus, Mars, and Elsewhere in our Solar System

by Mike Summers, PhD

Register

Is there life elsewhere in the universe!  We don’t know the answer just yet.  But we are finding clues in some of the most bizarre places imaginable.  We have found that the ingredients for life - carbon, usable energy, and liquid water – are abundant in the universe.  We have found that planets, and even ocean worlds, are commonplace.  Even in our neighborhood solar system, we’ve found that hints of life may exist on our two closest planets, i.e. Venus and Mars, and have found that there are at least half a dozen places where simple Earth life could thrive.  In this talk, Dr. Summers will describe several of the most recent discoveries that suggest that life may be ubiquitous in the universe.

Sign-up  here to join the Galileo's Science Cafe mailing list.

Andrea Cobb, Ph.D., George Mason College of Science, Director of Galileo’s Science Café, Director of Student Research and Internships,
Phone: (703) 993-7058
Email: acobb4@gmu.edu