b'14ABSTR ACT / BIOGR APHYConnie J. Eaves, Ph.D. FRS (Canada) FRS (Edinburgh)Distinguished Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Institute; Professor, Departments of Medical Genetics, School of Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, & Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaNormal and Malignant Stem CellsIs Conceptual Simplicity Going Beyond Utility?The introduction 60 years ago of functional methods to identify individual rarehematopoieticcellswithstemcellpropertiesrevolutionized approaches to elucidating how many tissues with a high cell turnover maintain their numbers throughout adult life. Subsequent studies have revealedanunanticipateddegreeofheterogeneityintheindividual molecularpropertiesandregulationofthesecells.Inaddition,the developmentofmethodstorapidlyandefficientlytransformprimary sources of human cells is now enabling these methods to be applied to elucidatingtheprocessofhumanleukemogenesisandbreastcancer development.Thistalkwilltrytosummarizethehighlightsofrecent progress from our lab along these emerging avenues of investigation.Dr. Eaves directs an internationally recognizedresearch program in normal and cancer stem cell biology, human leukemia, and normal and malignant mammary stem cell biology. She has published more than 500 papers and has a long track record as a global scientific leader andconscientious mentor of more than100 postgraduate trainees from many disciplines. She has also been a contributor to science policy and development in Canada and abroad and has received numerous national and international awards for her many accomplishments.'