Growing new cells from so-called stem cells to potentially cure disease remains a hot topic all over the world, particularly in light of the recent announcement by South Korean scientists who admitted they faked once-groundbreaking embryonic stem cell research. The University of Virginia’s Center for Biomedical Ethics will widen the debate over this controversial issue by hosting a two-day conference featuring some of the best and brightest minds in stem cell and organ transplantation research. The conference, free and open to the public, will be held Thursday and Friday at the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville. The event is co-sponsored by U.Va.’s Department of Surgery’s Center for Cellular Transplantation. Full story.

U.Va. Health System

Anthony Essaye, who served in the Peace Corps General Counsel’s office from 1963 to 1967, under Sargent Shriver, the first director of the agency, will be the featured speaker during tomorrow’s Miller Center of Public Affairs Forum titled “Celebrating 45 Years of the Peace Corps.” The event will kick off the University of Virginia’s daylong celebration March 15 intended to recognize the Peace Corps and its returned volunteers and to honor U.Va. for its rank as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers. For the fifth consecutive year, U.Va. has ranked No. 1 among comparably sized universities in sending its graduates into Peace Corps service to work in countries throughout the world. More than 400 U.Va. graduates have served in the Peace Corps since 2000, and more than 800 throughout its history. Full story.

U.Va. News Services/Peace Corps photo taken in Haiti, 1987