Professor Molly Shoichet (ChemE, IBBME) and Natalie Panek (AeroE MASc 0T9) were among the inspiring roster of speakers and performers at this year’s TEDxToronto conference, held October 22.

Shoichet’s talk focused on her research into regenerative medicine and it’s potential to be a game-changer in the treatment of disease. “When I look back on medical treatments [from the past] I’m really happy to be living today,” she said. “But I can’t help but wonder how we will look back on today’s medical treatments. What will we laugh at and ask why?”

Shoichet described her work in three areas — cancer, blindness and stroke — and how her team is going beyond the treatment of the symptoms toward stopping and even reversing these conditions. Her complete talk is now available online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRpnmwajwh0&w=560&h=315

Panek discussed “a world we can’t see,” the world of satellites. Though we depend on them for everything from finding our way via GPS to TV signals, the world of satellites are facing a growing problem: only 1 in 7 of those satellites launched since the 1960s is still operational. The increasing amount of “space junk” requires disposal or cleanup, or else it risks damaging working satellites on which we depend.

Panek spoke eloquently about the need for laws to increase the sustainability of our presence in space. “Space is simply a different kind of wilderness that we need to protect,” she said. Her complete talk is also now available online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrJG2c0rgqc&w=560&h=315

To view other talks from the conference, including from other members of the U of T community, visit the TEDxToronto website.