Dear Colleagues,
As Chair of the H.A. and Edna Benning Medical Society, I am pleased to announce a special virtual lecture featuring Associate Professor of Human Genetics and 2020 MacArthur Fellow Nels Elde, PhD, on Wednesday, April 28 at 4 pm.
Dr. Elde is an evolutionary geneticist who investigates how viruses drive changes in evolution over millennia. As organisms evolve to fend off microbial attacks, other substantive changes can take place as a result. How do such small shifts influence the larger paths of evolution? Can we learn from them to develop new interventions and treatments? Dr. Elde's groundbreaking work points to a number of new possibilities for which others are beginning to take notice. Last fall, he was named a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.
Dr. Elde is one of 12 H.A. and Edna Benning Presidential Endowed Chairs in the School of Medicine. Established in 2005, the society supports a circle of researchers who demonstrate a strong commitment to our mission as well as the spirit of collaboration for which U of U Health is known. Over the past 15 years, the Benning Society has been represented by more than 30 faculty, many of whom are still an important part of our research community today.
This year, three new chairs are being added, bringing the total to 15. We are proud to announce the recipients of these new chairs at the event on April 28.
As a supporter of U of U Health, I hope you can join me to welcome the newest members of the society, learn about Dr. Elde's thought-provoking work, and celebrate the groundbreaking research taking place at University of Utah Health.
I look forward to seeing you on April 28.
Sincerely,
Chris Hill, DPhil
Chair, H.A. and Edna Benning Medical Society
Vice Dean of Research, School of Medicine Distinguished Professor, Department of Biochemistry
The H.A. and Edna Benning Medical Society and University of Utah Health invite you to a special virtual lecture:
The Viruses of Our Lives: Pandemics Past, Present, and Future
with 2020 MacArthur Fellow
Nels Elde, PhD
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
4 - 5 pm
Virtual event link sent upon registration.
Clicke Here to RSVP
About Dr. Nels Elde
Nels Elde is an associate professor of Human Genetics and H.A. and Edna Benning Presidential Endowed Chair. The Elde lab studies how interactions between infectious microbes and their hosts influence the process of evolution. The work is revealing far-reaching impacts of viruses and bacteria on the evolution of host species and leading to the discovery of new strategies to enhance our immunity to them. Elde was awarded the first Mario R. Capecchi, PhD Endowed Chair in Genetics and Biology, is co-host of the podcast This Week in Evolution, and is a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellow.
The Benning Society
The H. A. and Edna Benning Presidential Endowment was established through a generous gift to the University of Utah through the estate of Arthur E. Benning. The gift is in honor of Mr. Benning’s parents H. A. and Edna Benning. The endowment allows the university’s medical school to recruit and retain top researchers and clinicians in a variety of fields. The endowment also establishes the prestigious H. A. and Edna Benning Medical Society. The group includes each of the Benning chair holders and sponsors a lecture or symposium series held at the university focusing on leading-edge medicine.