Wednesday, January 15, 1997
Elahi to speak about spirituality at NPI
Professor Bahram Elahi will be visiting UCLA this Friday to
present a lecture on his father’s unique philosophy of spirituality
and human existence. The lecture will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute Auditorium. Headsets will be
provided for translation purposes. There is no charge, and all are
welcome to attend.
Elahi, a professor of pediatric surgery in France, has
researched the topic of spirituality extensively for the past 30
years.
Inspired by the innovative teachings of his father, Ostad Elahi,
theologian and philosopher, Elahi expands on his father’s ideas and
carries on his teachings to people all over the world today.
Titled "Principles of Natural Spirituality," the lecture is
sponsored by the Nour Foundation, which promotes the education of
spiritual and philosophical ideas worldwide.
Ostad Elahi’s philosophy focuses on what he calls the process of
perfection which all living things go through. He believes that the
goal of perfection for the human soul, according to most religions,
is ultimately reaching one’s concept of "God."
Since Elahi’s principles transcend varying religions and belief
backgrounds, he believes his philosophy can be practiced by
all.
For Elahi, this week’s lecture will not be his first visit to
UCLA. In 1995, he spoke at UCLA during an international symposium
held in honor of his father’s centennial.
In addition to speaking at UCLA, Elahi has also given lectures
in Paris, London, and at the University of New York.
Jonsson Cancer Center receives $300,000
Four cancer researchers at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer
Center at UCLA have received $300,000 in awards to further research
in advanced prostate cancer.
Drs. Arie Belldegrun, Harvey Herschman, Rob Reiter and Charles
Sawyers were selected from an international field of 560 prostate
cancer experts to receive Competitive Research Awards from the
Association for the Cure of Cancer of the Prostate (CaP CURE).
The association, established as a public charity in 1993 by
Michael Milken, supports research into cures and controls for
advanced prostate cancer.
This year, CaP CURE presented a total of 73 Competitive Research
Awards to cancer researchers and clinicians at 38 institutions
worldwide.
With four award-winners, the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
boasts the highest number of any institution in California this
year and holds one-third of all awards received by
Californians.
Dr. Richard Atkins, executive director of CaP CURE, said that
the UCLA researchers won because "their cutting-edge work shows
promise in terms of basic science and clinical interventions to
promote cures or controls for advanced prostate cancer."
Belldegrun’s award will fund investigation of the effectiveness
of gene therapy in targeting and destroying prostate cancer
cells.
Herschman’s award will support development of a new imaging
technique to monitor prostate tumor behavior in cancer patients and
of an artificial gene that gives rise to a toxic protein that kills
only prostate cancer cells.
Reiter and Sawyer’s awards will fund their efforts to identify
specific genes that induce prostate tumor development. Using a
laboratory model of prostate cancer invented by Sawyers at UCLA,
they will analyze how prostate tumors become hormone-independent
and develop uncontrollably.
Reiter, an assistant professor of urology at the UCLA School of
Medicine, said that "hormone therapy tends to control advanced
prostate cancer only for a limited time.
To develop more effective long-term treatments, we need to find
out why prostate tumors often resume growth, independent of
anti-cancer hormone therapies."
Compiled from Daily Bruin staff reports