February is shaping up to be education month. Working in research has the additional benefit of highlighting areas of science education that need to be strengthened. On 16 February I gave a lecture at the University of Calgary to students in the Cancer Biology course on the topic of Checkpoint Adaptation. The textbook version states that cells with damaged DNA will die by apoptosis; everyone is surprised to learn that cells first enter mitosis and that some of these survive.
This week I'm invited to participate in the Life Science Inspired Teaching Symposium in Toronto. A leading Canadian science publisher is bringing scientists to the table to discuss the methods of teaching science. One view is that students live is a noisy and distracting education world, we need to ensure that the science message gets their attention. The month ends with another Checkpoint Adaptation lecture to the graduating biology class at the U of Lethbridge. As usual, I will include a slide or two about Louis Pasteur.
