Free lecture on regeneration of damaged tissues with stem cells offered at UC Riverside

RIVERSIDE - A UC Riverside professor will give a free lecture about stem cells at UCR's Extension Center later this month, a campus spokesman said today.

The May 30 lecture, ''Promise of Stem Cells: Hope or Hype?'' will be given by Nicole zur Nieden, an assistant professor of cell biology and neuroscience at UCR.

Zur Nieden will discuss whether stem cells -- which can become specialized cells with specific functions and can be used to regenerate and repair diseased or damaged tissues -- are a ''miracle cure,'' according to UCR spokesman Iqbal Pittalwala.

Zur Nieden, a biologist and expert in stem cell biology, toxicology and bioengineering, is a member of UCR's Stem Cell Center. Her research group is working to understand how embryonic stem cells develop into bone tissue, Pittalwala said.

The 5:30 p.m. lecture is the fourth and last talk in the annual Science Lecture Series hosted by the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. This year's theme is ''The Science of Disease.''

Seating for the lecture is open, and parking is free.