Prominent scientists from Norway have joined colleagues from research institutions in North Carolina and several other medical centers in the United States for a two-day symposium (May 3-4) in Research Triangle Park to discuss possible collaborations in the global battle against breast cancer.
The symposium, "Advancing Translational Cancer Research and Innovation," is being held at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, one of several symposium sponsors. More than 75 scientific leaders from both nations have come together to explore current and future trans-Atlantic collaborations in breast cancer research.
Representatives of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Innovation Norway, the Norwegian Research Council and several Norwegian research hospitals and institutions helped coordinate the event with counterparts from UNC-Chapel Hill, the Biotechnology Center and other Research Triangle area organizations.
Norwegian Collaboration
"We have a history of collaboration with Norwegian scientists," said Dr. Russ Lea, vice president for research and sponsored programs at UNC-Chapel Hill. "In North Carolina we have a huge commitment to research and development, spending $1.4 billion a year -- two-thirds of it on medical research. And Norway has a vast resource of population data and statistical models that are proving extremely valuable in our collaborations, especially for cancer researchers."Keynote speakers today include Dr. Anthony Atala, Wake Forest University research physician; Dr. Anne-Lise Borresson-Dale of Rikshospitalet -- Radiumhospitalet of Oslo, Norway; and Dr. Peter Agre, Nobel laureate and vice chancellor for science and technology at Duke University.
Friday morning's keynote speaker will be Dr. Charles Perou, assistant professor of genetics and pathology at the UNC School of Medicine.
