On December 15 at 10p CT, WTTW Channel 11 will be airing Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita as part of yearlong celebration in honor of Kartemquin’s 50th anniversary.
The Peabody Award-winning film by Maria Finitzo follows Dr. Jack Kessler, chair of Northwestern University’s Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences. Initially focused on using stem cells to help cure diabetes, Kessler made the decision to begin looking for a cure for spinal cord injuries using embryonic stem cells after his daughter, Allison – then age 15– is injured in a skiing accident and paralyzed from the waist down.
The film follows the constantly evolving interplay between the promise of new discoveries, the controversy of modern science and the resilience and courage of people living every day with devastating disease and injury.
Find more information here.