Nov 20 2015
Advanced medical isotopes hold immense promise in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, and their development is rooted in physics. On Dec. 2, join Paul Schaffer of TRIUMF – Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics and accelerator-based science – as he discusses leading-edge developments in nuclear medicine and his team’s award-winning efforts to produce a secure supply of critical medical isotopes.
Shaffer’s lecture, titled “Get a Half-life: Isotopes as the Unlikely Hero of Modern Medicine,” is part of the Perimeter Institute Public Lecture Series, and will be webcast live Dec. 2 at 7 PM EST on the Perimeter Institute website and via partner organizations.
As the Associate Laboratory Director of TRIUMF’s Life Sciences Division, Schaffer is responsible for advancing the core competencies of TRIUMF’s Life Sciences program which include accelerator target design, medical isotope production, and radiopharmaceutical synthesis. Schaffer worked as a scientist at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor and General Electric Global Research before joining TRIUMF in 2009.
“I enjoy recognizing a problem society is facing, and motivating a team to find the answer to that problem,” says Schaffer. “I hope my enthusiasm for what I do is caught by the audience. It’s so energizing to see the excitement of science passed along.”
Following his talk, Schaffer will answer questions from the online and in-house audience – including questions submitted prior to and during the talk via Facebook and Twitter (using the hashtag #piLIVE). Questions are welcomed from everyone – aspiring scientific explorers, school classes, physics and chemistry buffs, and general science enthusiasts.
Click here to sign up for a reminder to tune-in to the live webcast.
View past PI Public Lectures and events, and find further details about PI’s research, training, and outreach activities at www.perimeterinstitute.ca.