Calendar of Events

Hopes for our Health: How New Medical Devices and Techniques Work

Scientists and engineers from many fields have developed numerous medical techniques and devices that have revolutionized treatment for all manner of conditions and diseases. These exciting possibilities provide the medical world with new means to help people and improve the quality of their lives. Change in this area is occurring at a breathtaking pace. This three-week forum presented by B.D. Silliman Professor of Physics Steve Feller will introduce audiences to some of the most important innovations in medical technology in recent decades. The first session will explain therapeutics like antibiotics and radiation treatments and the consequent emergence of nuclear medicine and vaccines. It will also discuss imaging technology and devices like X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computerized tomography (CT) scans. Week two will continue with the most recent advances in imaging as well as the emergence of research on and the applications for genetic markers and modifications in our genes. The final session will discuss the development of techniques like organ transplantation and stem cell donation as well as the use of innovative glasses to enhance wound healing, bone growth, and cancer treatments.

Admission to each four-week forum series is $40. Admission to individual lectures and one-, two-, and three-week forums is $12 per week. Admission includes the lecture and morning refreshments of coffee, tea and pastries. Payment can be made in person on Thursday mornings by cash or personal check. Credit card payments can be processed by registering online in advance at www.coe.edu/thursday-forum. For more information, visit the Thursday Forum website or call 319.399.8523.

In the event of inclement weather, consult local media outlets to find out if the day’s forum will take place.

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