The new Rodger Kobes and Michael Keller Science and Human Health Lectureship at Hope College will debut with the general-audience address “Gene Therapy 101 — What you should know” by Dr. Anne Connolly of Columbus Nationwide Children’s Hospital on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall.”
Connolly will also present the technically-focused lecture “Advances in Gene therapy for children with spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy — why the size and site of the gene/protein matters” on Friday, Sept. 27, at 4 p.m., also in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall,
The public is invited to both lectures. Admission is free.
Connolly is chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurology at the Columbus Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an expert in gene therapy for children with spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Her research has focused on neuromuscular disease and neuroimmunology.
“Gene Therapy 101 — What you should know” on Thursday, Sept. 26, will be an introduction to gene therapy. “Advances in Gene therapy for children with spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy — why the size and site of the gene/protein matters,” will focus on Connolly’s research.
Connolly joined Nationwide Children’s Hospital in 2019. She holds the hospital’s Robert F. and Edgar T. Wolfe Endowed Chair in Neurology, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and is cited as one of the Best Doctors in America.
She has helped develop outcome measures for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) from infancy to adulthood, and has led or been a collaborator in numerous pivotal clinical trials in children with neuromuscular disorders. She has published 152 peer reviewed papers and reviews. Dr. Connolly has helped mentor and train more than 150 child neurologists and more than 100 adult and child neuromuscular fellows over 35 years.
Connolly studied biology at Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, graduating summa cum laude in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, and attended medical school at Indiana University in Indianapolis, graduating in 1984. She subsequently completed her residency in pediatrics and fellowships in pediatric neurology and neuromuscular medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis. She is board certified in neurology with special qualifications in pediatric neurology, electrodiagnostic medicine and neuromuscularpathology.
The lecture series was established by Dr. Rodger Kobes and Michael Keller so that Hope students and the greater Holland community may be exposed to leading-edge endeavors in the translation of science to human health. Believers in the value of liberal arts education and faith-based institutions, they seek to give back for their own formative undergraduate experiences by helping students to see how basic science impacts health and to motivate them to apply science to solve problems. Kobes is a 1963 Hope graduate who is retired from career in biochemistry and psychiatry that included a 45-year-long practice in psychiatry and 20 years as a medical director for Pfizer. Keller, whose career focused on financial management and planning at various non-profit health-related organizations, has no formal connections to Hope but has come to appreciate the college and Holland area through Kobes.
To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu. Updates related to events are posted when available at hope.edu/calendar in the individual listings.
Graves Hall is located at 263 College Ave., between 10th and 12th streets.