Researcher Sean Morrison (Univ. Michigan) studies the role of adult stem cells in human development, aging, and cancer. As evidence mounts that many cancers may in part result from normal adult stem cells going awry, Morrison and his group hope to develop treatments that would target cancerous adult stem cells while leaving normal regenerative stem cells unharmed. In his lecture, Morrison discusses the basic biology of stem cells, their role in cancer and aging, and how state and federal politics are affecting the progress of stem cell research.