Why Sex Matters in Health and Disease
Presented by David C. Page, Member, Whitehead Institute
Live webinar with audience Q&A. Free and open to all.
Topic
David Page’s lab studies the genetic differences between males and females and the biological and medical ramifications of these differences. At the core are the sex chromosomes: females have two X chromosomes, while males have an X and a Y. The Page Lab has overturned the long-held view that the influence of sex chromosome constitution (XX vs. XY) is restricted to the reproductive tract. Intrinsic differences between XX and XY cells exist across the body, likely contributing to the pervasive differences that exist between males and females in the incidence, severity, and progression of diseases that collectively affect all organ systems. A grand opportunity awaits: To understand male-female differences in healthy cells, tissues, and organs, at a molecular level and across the body.
Bio
Page earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Swarthmore College in 1978. He trained in the laboratory of David Botstein at MIT, while earning an M.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Medical School and the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program. He is currently a Professor of Biology at MIT, and an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In 1992, he founded the Whitehead Task Force on Genetics and Public Policy. Page serves on the Selection Committees of the March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology and the Taubman Prize in Translational Medical Science. He serves as Chair of the Visiting Committee of Harvard Medical School/Harvard School of Dental Medicine and on the Board of Directors of PepsiCo. Page served as Director of the Whitehead Institute from 2004 to 2020.
Moderator
Jonathan Weissman
Member and Landon T. Clay Professor, Whitehead Institute
Professor of Biology, MIT
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
