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Speaker: Nicolas Gorjestani
Language: English

Synopsis:

The 21st Century will increasingly be considered as the age of innovation. The shift in the organizing principle from the industrial era paradigm of scarcity of traditional factors of production to an abundance of knowledge will create unlimited opportunities for innovation in all facets of societal life. Innovation will become the distinguishing feature of the intelligent societies of the future. To be successful in such an environment, societies, organizations and citizens will have to develop appropriate mindsets, values and behaviors. Building on the speaker’s earlier lectures at IAAP, this lecture will focus on mindset implications of the shift to an innovation culture, and address the following questions: Why is creativity and a culture of innovation critical to the success of a knowledge-based, innovation-driven organization in the 21st Century? What are some examples of creative organizations that are experimenting with innovative approaches in management or moving from the prevailing ‘more from less’ model of innovation to approaches that promote ‘more from less for more’ to reach larger segments of the global market? How to re-think innovation in product and process in order to successfully compete in the newly emerging global consumer landscape?

About the Speaker:

Nicolas Gorjestani is a former senior official of the World Bank. An economist by training, Mr. Gorjestani had held a variety of senior staff and management positions at the World Bank for more than three decades, before retiring in July 2007. He now devotes his time to advising, lecturing and writing on knowledge-based development strategy, innovation, intelligent cities and organizations, organizational learning, and leadership development issues. Since retiring from the World Bank, Mr. Gorjestani has also been Senior Adviser/Consultant at the World Bank; Adjunct Professor in Knowledge Ecology at the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong; Executive Director, Global Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation Partnership; member of the Learning Innovation Laboratory at Harvard University; and a member of the New Club of Paris, a think tank focused on issues of the global knowledge economy. A recognized international thought leader on knowledge-based development, organizational change, innovation and learning issues, Mr. Gorjestani has published on knowledge-based development and organizational change topics and keynoted at several major international events.

Fee (including dinner): $10 Students, $15 Public

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Speaker: Hossein A. Ghanbari, Ph.D.
Language: Farsi

Synopsis:

HAAH, the target of this drug, is over-expressed specifically on the surface of cancer cells. It is an embryonic protein that is demonstrated to be responsible for cancer etiology: cell proliferation, motility and invasiveness. When normal cells are transfected to over-express HAAH, they behave as cancer cells and when HAAH is neutralized or its expression is inhibited, cancer cells become normal. Anti-HAAH antibodies inhibit cancer cells’ growth, motility and invasiveness, and inhibit tumor growth. The company has developed a novel anticancer nanoparticle vaccine in which the N-terminal or C-terminal thirds of HAAH are expressed on a bacterial virus. They are UV irradiated to render the virus non-self replicating, hence a nanoparticle. The vaccines have demonstrated strong tumor growth inhibition in animals (90%). Moreover, they have increased the survival in breast cancer mouse models from 12.5% in control animals to 100% and have reduced metastasis from breast to lung significantly (up to 80%). Panacea has developed an HAAH-based serum test that could be used as a companion diagnostic. We plan to begin human clinical studies in early 2015.

About the Speaker:

Hossein A. Ghanbari, Ph. D., is co-founder of Panacea Pharmaceuticals and serves as its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, and Chairman of the Board. The company has developed tests for prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. The lung cancer test was selected as a Top 10 Medical Breakthrough by Time magazine. Panacea has three preclinical drug candidates for cancer and one for treating neural damage and neurodegeneration. At Abbott Laboratories in Chicago, Dr. Ghanbari developed several pharmaceuticals including Leupron (for prostate cancer) and Survanta (for respiratory distress syndrome), along with the first ever commercialized diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Ghanbari was inducted into the prestigious honorary organization, the Volwiler Society. He held professorships at Pennsylvania State University, University of Florida, and Arya-Mehr University of Technology. He was also on the academic staff of The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences as an Adjunct Professor. Dr. Ghanbari serves as a Board member of the Gastric Cancer Foundation. He received his bachelor of sciences degree, with distinction, from the American University in Beirut, and his doctorate degree in Biochemistry from Pennsylvania State University, has authored over 60 peer reviewed publications, and is an inventor on over 60 patents and patent applications.

Fee (including dinner): $5 Students, $15 Public

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Speaker: Mohammad Kazem Attari, M.D.
Language: Farsi

Synopsis:

Congenital abnormalities (also referred to as birth defects or Congenital anomalies) affect an estimated 1 in 33 infants and result in approximately 3.2 million birth defect-related disabilities every year in world. Although congenital anomalies may be genetic, infectious or environmental in origin, most often it is difficult to identify the exact causes. These are the second or third commonest cause of infant deaths in all countries; although the vast majority of infants born with a congenital anomaly will survive.
A birth defect may affect how the body looks, works or both. Some birth defects like cleft lip are structural problems that can be easy to see. To find others, like heart defects, needs use special tests.  Infections during pregnancy, exposures to medicines or chemicals can result in birth defects. For most birth defects, the cause is unknown. Some birth defects can be prevented. Some medicines can help prevent some congenital abnormalities. And some medicines can cause serious birth defects.
Babies with birth defects may need surgery or other medical treatments. Today, we can diagnose many birth defects in the uterus. This enables us to treat or even correct some problems before the baby is born. In this lecture, different aspects of congenital abnormalities and their prevention will be presented.

About the Speaker:

Mohammad Kazem Attari was born in 1966, graduated from Iran Medical University as Medical physician in 1991. Since he entered the university in 1984, and after graduation, he has been an active member in Public Health, Epidemiology, political and social affairs. Most of his activities were social-medical studies. Results of some of these studies were published or presented in TV medical programs, including: “Causes and methods of suicide in Iran”, “Kidney business in Iran”, “Testicle cancer and decrease in men infertility due to satellite jam”, “Childhood bed Wetting (Enuresis)”, “Epidemiology of obesity and weight loss methods”, “Still birth and Birth Defects in sheep after Nishabur train explosion”, “Antibiotic therapy and reducing mortality in burns”, “Semen Analysis in bodybuilding athletes”, “Biochemistry changes in new tear gas victims”, “Gasoline component leak and Entering in drinking water”, “Favism (Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenize Deficiency) Epidemiology in Iran”.
Dr. Attari is member of Iran’s Medical Council. He founded the first medical journalism website in Iran “Iranian physician’s informative website” (irteb.com) in 2000, and “Iranian Medical News agency” (irmna.com) in 2010. He is working on “Obesity treatment with stem cells” as Post-Doctoral student in GW University now.

Fee (including dinner): $5 Students, $15 Public

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