Bisan Lecture Series – The Palestine Lens: A Conversation with Annemarie Jacir

The upcoming Bisan Lecture webinar scheduled for Wednesday, February 14th, at 7 pm Palestine time (6 pm Central European Time, 12 noon US Eastern time). We are honored to host acclaimed Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir for an engaging conversation with George Smith, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry and member of our Steering Committee, titled 'The Palestine Lens: A Conversation with Annemarie Jacir.' (English with simultaneous Arabic translation for those who wish) You can register for the webinar by clicking here!

Dear Colleagues,

In his captivating Bisan lecture last week, Prof. John Hardy delved into the “Pathogenic mechanism of neurodegenerative disease. commonalities end progress towards treatment.” He discussed the pathogenic mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. He started by outlining the original amyloid hypotheses for Alzheimer’s and the identification of amyloid genes. The connection between amyloid and tau pathology is explored, emphasizing the role of TREM2 gene expression in Alzheimer’s. Next, he spoke about Parkinson’s disease, the involvement of tangle diseases such as PSP, and the clearance of tangle tau by the ubiquitin-proteasome. He discussed the genetic factors, like Mendelian loci for Parkinson’s, and risk genes for sporadic tauopathies like PSP and CBD. The role of microglial response, particularly TREM2, is highlighted, with the knockout exacerbating the connection to tau pathology. The immune network associated with amyloid plaques and downstream effects of amyloid deposition. After his presentation, Prof. Hardy answered several interesting questions raised by the attendees. You can watch the video recording here. The slides of his lecture are available here.

We are delighted to announce the upcoming Bisan Lecture webinar scheduled for Wednesday, February 14th, at 7 pm Palestine time (6 pm Central European Time, 12 noon US Eastern time). We are honored to host acclaimed Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir for an engaging conversation with George Smith, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry and member of our Steering Committee (in English with simultaneous Arabic translation for those who wish). The event, titled ‘The Palestine Lens: A Conversation with Annemarie Jacir,’ promises to be an enlightening exploration of cinema, culture, and the multi-layered intersections of historical and political perspectives.

You can register for the webinar by clicking here!

Biographical Sketch of Annemarie Jacir

Annemarie Jacir has written, directed and produced over sixteen films with premieres in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, and Toronto. All three feature films were Palestine’s Oscar entries. In 2007, she shot the first feature by a Palestinian female director, the acclaimed Salt of this Sea, which was her second work to debut in Cannes. When I Saw You won Best Asian Film at Berlinale. Wajib won 36 awards including Mar Del Plata, Dubai, and London. Her documentary films also include Until When and Some Crumbs for the Birds. Founder of Philistine Films, she collaborates regularly as editor, screenwriter and producer with fellow filmmakers. With a commitment to hiring locally, Annemarie also mentors and actively promotes Arab cinema. She has been jury member to numerous festivals including Cannes, Berlin, and Sundance; and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). She co-founded the artist-run space Dar Jacir for Art & Research in her hometown of Bethlehem.  Recently, she directed for the groundbreaking series Ramy.

You can register for the webinar by clicking here!

This lecture is sponsored by the Bisan Center for Research and Development and Scientists for Palestine.

In light of the urgent need to assist the people of Gaza, who are currently experiencing immeasurable loss of life and widespread devastation, please read this humanitarian aid appeal from ANERA, forwarded to us by a friend of BLS, Dr. Sara Roy of Harvard University.

Hoping to see many of you at this webinar, we send you our best regards.

The Bisan Lecture Series Steering Committee

Upcoming BLS webinars

Wednesday March 13, 2024, 7 pm Palestine time

Achille Mbembe (University of the Witwatersrand)

Wednesday April 10, 2024, 7 pm Palestine time

Prof. David Mumford (Brown and Harvard University)

Title: Are fully intelligent robots coming soon?

Wednesday May 8, 2024, 7 pm Palestine time

Prof. Khaled Fahmy (Tufts University)

BLS Statement of purpose

In concert with Scientists for Palestine and the Bisan Center for Research and Development, and in keeping with their joint commitment to full integration of Palestine in the global community of learning, the Bisan Lecture Series sponsors discourses on subjects of cultural, scientific, and societal importance by leading research experts and public intellectuals of varied heritage and viewpoint. The interactive webinars are free and open to the public, and recordings of each will be posted soon afterward.