A free public symposium at UCLA will explore the ethical and legal aspects of stem cell research in California and discuss how the landmark passage of Proposition 71 will affect leading-edge science in this state and in laboratories across the country.

The symposium, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, at UCLA's Sunset Village in Covel Commons, features renowned experts in the science of stem cells, as well as authorities on the legal, ethical, policy and public health issues that surround the research. The event is sponsored by UCLA's Center for Society and Genetics, the UCLA Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, and the UCLA School of Law.

More than a year has passed since California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 71, which authorized $3 billion for embryonic and adult stem cell research. Scientists believe this research will result in new and more effective therapies for a host of diseases that plague humanity, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, and neurological and metabolic disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes.

"Embryonic stem cells have the power to develop into every type of human tissue," said Dr. Owen Witte, director of UCLA's stem cell institute and a featured speaker at the symposium. "If we can learn how they are regulated for growth and development, we can harness this knowledge to study tissue development and regeneration and potentially come up with new ways to fight many life-threatening diseases."

Witte will give a detailed introduction into the biology of stem cells. Other topics to be discussed at the symposium include the legal challenges filed against Proposition 71 and the complex state and federal regulations governing stem cell research, as well as the consumer's role in science policy and patient advocacy efforts.

Featured speakers include:

-Sherry Lansing, patient advocate, Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee.

-Candace Coffee, patient advocate and student, UCLA School of Public Health.

-Roger Noll, professor, Stanford University Institute for Economic Policy Research.

-Joe Palca, science correspondent, National Public Radio.

-Glenn McGee, director, Alden March Bioethics Institute, Albany Medical College.

-R. Alta Charo, professor, University of Wisconsin School of Law.

-Patrick Terry, co-founder, Genomic Health Inc.

-Mildred Cho, associate director, Stanford University Center for Biomedical Ethics.

-Mathew Nisbet, professor, Ohio State University School of Communication.

-Michael Darby, professor, UCLA Anderson School of Management.

UCLA's Center for Society and Genetics is unique nationwide in the variety of disciplines that it brings to bear on topics such as stem cell research, said Dr. Edward McCabe, co-director of the center.

"This cross-disciplinary approach gives us the opportunity to convene a broad-ranging discussion of critical issues related to regenerative medicine," McCabe said.

"Stem Cells: Promise and Peril in Regenerative Medicine" is the third in a series of annual symposia focusing on controversial issues emerging from the genomics revolution. The symposium is free and open to the public. Parking costs $8.

Other event sponsors include the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, UCLA School of Public Affairs and the UCLA School of Public Health.

For more information on the symposium and to view the agenda, visit http://www.socgen.ucla.edu/symposium.htm. For more information on the UCLA Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, visit http://www.stemcell.ucla.edu/.

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