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Dr. Emerson Perin Discusses Stem Cell Therapies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
Dr. Perin, Texas Heart Institute’s Medical Director, is a world-renowned cardiologist known for his leadership in the development of stem cell therapies for cardiovascular diseases. Laura Beil is the award-winning host of Bad Batch and Dr. Death podcasts. On March 6, 2020, they filled the James A. Baker III Hall on the Rice University campus for the annual policy lecture series co-sponsored by the Rice University Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences and the Texas Heart Institute.
The Baker Institute and THI launched the policy lecture series in 2016 to educate the public on the critical intersection of science, medicine, and policy in stem cell research at the state and national levels. Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Ph.D., a fellow in science and technology policy at the Baker Institute, moderated the enlightening panel discussion entitled Stem Cell Therapies 2020: Are We There Yet?
Stem cell-based inventions offer great hope to patients with debilitating illnesses and injuries. However, only a limited number of treatments are approved for clinical use. Dr. Perin eloquently chronicled the stem cell therapy landscape and his decades of research with Dr. James T. Willerson and colleagues around the world. Dr. Perin also highlighted why even negative clinical data could lead to new interventions. Beil evaluated recent incidents of unregulated stem cells harming patients.
Funding for the program was been provided by a grant from the George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation.