Cafe Science features Jim Haber

Jim Haber, professor of biology, will discuss 'Studying Cancer by Studying Yeast Cells.'

After an exciting kickoff in April, and a second in May, Café Science will hold the third lecture in its series on Monday, June 4, at 6 p.m. at the Elephant Walk in Waltham. Admission is $10, which includes one drink.

A partnership between the Office of the Provost and the Division of Science, Brandeis Café Science features informal talks by some of the university’s premier science professors. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy a beverage and engage in conversation about science-related topics of interest. 
Monday's speaker is Brandeis Professor of Biology Jim Haber, who is engaged in studying how breaks in the DNA double helix are repaired. His lecture is titled: “Studying Cancer by Studying Yeast Cells.”

DNA double strand breaks, or DSBs, can lead to chromosome instability and can be lethal if not repaired. Interest in DSBs stems from the fact that they sometimes result in chromosomal rearrangements, which in some organisms, can lead to the formation of cancers. Professor Haber is most interested in the mechanisms of how DNA goes about repairing itself after a DSB occurs; Haber and his team of researchers use a budding yeast to try and solve the mysteries of DNA repair by creating a single DSB within the entire yeast genome and then employing a variety of techniques to follow what happens.

“Almost all the cells that are cancerous have defects in these repair mechanisms, so we’re trying to understand in detail how cells repair such DNA damage,” says Haber. “We’ve established a model in budding yeast where we can follow these processes in much more detail than is currently possible in a mammalian model.”

For more information, visit the Brandeis Café Science Facebook page.

The Elephant Walk is located at 663 Main St., Waltham. Parking is available nearby at the Central Square Parking Deck on Common Street.

To reserve a seat in advance, email the Elephant Walk at contactwaltham@elephantwalk.com or call the restaurant at 781-899-2244 and let them know how many seats you would like to reserve. Reservations are not required, but are highly recommended.

The Elephant Walk is happy to offer a 10 percent discount towards the price of their dinner, to anyone who stays to dine after the Cafe. This discount is not valid in conjunction with any other promotions or discounts.