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Reimagining Chronic Illness: A Conversation With Meghan O’Rourke

Author Meghan O’Rourke recently joined ISB President Dr. Jim Heath for a virtual fireside chat focused on reimagining chronic illness – also the topic of O’Rourke’s New York Times bestselling book.

Meghan O'Rourke Author BioThe hour-long conversation was wide ranging. O’Rourke talked about her first encounter with chronic illness about 25 years ago and the prejudices of those suffering and seeking answers encountered in doctors offices. Heath and O’Rourke also discussed the striking similarities between long COVID and other chronic conditions, how chronic diseases could be treated in the future, and much more. 

You can watch the video in full by hitting play above or by going here.

A day after Heath’s conversation with O’Rourke, ISB hosted Reimagine: Healthcare, our annual fundraiser. This year, for the first time since 2019, ISB opened its doors for tours and welcomed guests to an interactive evening to learn about new and exciting research being conducted in our labs. Heath also showed a teaser of his recent video conversation with Nobel laureate Dr. Jim Allison and Apricity CEO Dr. Lynda Chin. In the full conversation, the cancer researchers discussed disparities in cancer care and ways to bring state-of-the-art care from big cities and major academic centers to rural and underserved areas. You can watch that video by going here or by hitting play below.

About the Science Series 

This fireside chat featuring O’Rourke was the latest event in the ISB-Town Hall Seattle Science Series.

ISB and Town Hall Seattle have put on a number of virtual events focusing on a range of important scientific issues: The “elegant” immune system, the state of the microbiome field, the new science of longevity, why we age (and why we don’t have to), the importance of getting kids outside, STEM policy and advocacy, the politics of immunization, mining sewage to track population health, creating new senses for humans, and more. 

ISB often creates new and compelling events, both virtual and in-person. To make sure you know what is happening, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter for event updates.

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