Transcript Lecture No. 1 - Stony Brook University

Scott A. Smolka
Department of Computer Science
Stony Brook University
http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~sas/
Scott A. Smolka
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
Course Description
The number of people needing a transplant continues to
rise faster than the number of donors. About 3,700
transplant candidates are added to the national waiting
list each month. Each day, about 77 people receive organ
transplants. However, 18 people die each day waiting for
transplants that can't take place because of the
shortage of donated organs.
The focus of this LDS 102 course will be two-fold: (1)
students in the course will learn the facts and issues
surrounding organ and tissue donation in the United
States; and (2) they will help establish, plan, implement
and carry out various projects aimed at increasing organ
and tissue donation awareness within the University and
the surrounding community.
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
Please Introduce Yourselves
•Name
•Major
•Why you enrolled in this course
•Anything else you want to tell us
Scott A. Smolka
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
Who Am I?
• Professor of Computer Science at Stony Brook
University since 1983
• President and Co-Founder of Reactive Systems, Inc.
• PhD from Brown University in 1984
• Heart transplant recipient: 7/14/2003 (Arrhythmogenic
Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy)
• Research Interests: Formal Methods, Computer-Aided
Verification, Systems Biology, Networking & Security
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
Who Am I? (continued)
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Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
• Heart muscle disease characterized by replacement of
heart muscle by fibrous scar and fatty tissue. Right
ventricle tends to be most affected.
• ARVC is often patchy in its distribution so abnormal
areas may be surrounded by normal ones.
•Certain areas of the world have higher rates than
elsewhere, such as the area around Venice in Italy, and
parts of Greece.
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
ARVC (continued)
Figure 1a.
Organised rows of heart muscle cell.
Figure 1b.
Muscle cells become disorganised and are
replaced by fibrous and fatty tissue.
http://www.cardiomyopathy.org/html/which_card_arvc.htm
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
What is the Cause of ARVC?
Family tree shows four generations affected by ARVC.
Condition transmitted from one generation to the next
without skipping. Child of an affected person has 50:50
chance of inheriting condition. This is called autosomal
dominant inheritance.
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
My Organ & Tissue Donation Activities
• Volunteer for the New York Organ Donor Network:
http://donatelifeny.org/
• At their web site, one can enroll online in the New York
State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry
• I participated in 2004 and 2006 US Transplant
Games
Helped enroll SBU in Sec. of Health Tommy Thompson's
Workplace Partnership for Life program: offers
employees of participating organizations opportunity to
learn about, discuss, and make decisions concerning
donation of organs, tissue, marrow and blood
Scott A. Smolka
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
My Organ & Tissue Donation Activities
• Faculty advisor to ODAC (Organ Donation Awareness
Club)
• Student club with funding available from Division of
Student Affairs
• Sruthi Devarinti is club president
• ODAC is a facebook group with 54 members!
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
Course Projects
• I will ask you to design, plan and implement course
project focused on raising awareness about organ &
tissue donation on campus and surrounding community
• Will probably take the form of Donate Life Walk for
organ & tissue donation awareness (around campus mall)
• Probably to be preceded by registration events
where we set up tables in SAC or University Hospital
lobby to register people for Walk and/or NYS Organ
and Tissue Donor Registry
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
Other Ideas for Course Projects
• An Oprah-style show on organ & tissue donation
• Bring Dr. Oz to campus
• Organize Legislative Day at Albany (Mar. 4?)
• And many many more!
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LDS 102, S02
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More Ideas for Course Projects
•Analyze the depiction of organ donation in movies:
John Q, 24 Grams, others (view in class)
•Develop website to link to SBU main website
•One-Act play/esssay from perspective of donor family
•Awareness events – potluck, play, etc.
•Research different types of transplants
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08
Things to Do this Week
• Spend some time at http://donatelifeny.org/
• Enroll at least one person in the New York State Organ
and Tissue Donor Registry
• Join ODAC group on Facebook
• Discuss organ and tissue donation with your family
•Think about what you would like to do for term project
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LDS 102, S02
1/29/08