Invited Speakers 2013
Read more about the speakers who shared their work at our 2013 Conference
Dr. Cecile Fradin
I am interested in studying the dynamics of single molecules inside biological systems using optical tools. Dynamics is essential to the survival of the cell, which is a biological unit in permanent evolution, and which has to be able to process and react to information. Dynamical processes inside the cell happen on a very wide range of length and time-scales, and are governed by complex and intricate rules and mechanisms. At the scale of the molecule, they are of interest for the physicist as well as for the biologist, since they involve basic transformation of chemical or thermal energy into mechanical energy. In order to unravel their exact mechanisms, in vivo quantitative measurements at the single molecule level are required, which recent developments in the domain of fluorescence techniques, single molecule detection, and recombinant protein technology now offers the possibility to do.
Michael Allder
Michael Allder is the Executive Producer of CBC’s Science & Natural History Unit and its flagship programme, the multi-award-winning series “The Nature of Things with David Suzuki”, which is broadcast across Canada and many countries around the world. It explores issues, discoveries and events in the worlds of science, medicine, technology, wildlife and the environment.
Mr. Allder has had extensive experience as a producer and director of both television and cinematic productions in both the public and private sectors. He previously worked with the National Film Board of Canada, where he produced feature documentaries including the cult hit “Project Grizzly”, “Drowning in Dreams” and “The Lucky Ones”, which he also directed. All three films enjoyed various festival and limited theatrical runs, as did the acclaimed feature-length documentary “Cyberman”, which was produced for the CBC and revealed the alternative universe of a self-professed cyborg.
Mr. Allder was also the Series and Executive Producer of the limited series “Race for the Future”, “The Adventurers”, “The Science of the Senses”, “Passion and Fury: The Emotional Brain”, as well as the 5-part HD series “Geologic Journey”, which explored the geologic history of North America. Current projects include the follow-up series “Geologic Journey – World”, now in production, and “The Nano Revolution”, which takes a look at the world of the infinitesimally small, and the revolutionary technologies that promise to transform our world.
Dr. David Earn
David Earn is the recipient of a Canadian Institutes for Health Research New Investigator Award for his work on infectious diseases. Interested in understanding patterns of epidemics, Dr. Earn uses mathematics to discover better strategies for control or eradication of infectious diseases.
Originally, Dr. Earn, used math to study planetary motion and patterns of stars in galaxies, and has studied the use of conservation corridors to help protect species at risk due to habitat fragmentation.