Biotech researcher to speak in Siouxland about longevity

SIOUX CITY | Dr. Bill Andrews, a leading biotech industry expert whose research has focused on extending the human lifespan, will speak in two Siouxland cities this week.

Andrews will speak at the Stoney Creek Inn, 300 Third St., in Sioux City on Monday, Jan. 20, and Tuesday, Jan. 21 at the Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center in Okoboji. Both presentations are scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

Andrews has worked in the biotech industry for 28 years, focusing the last 15 years on finding ways to extend human lifespan through the intervention of telomere shortening in human cells.

He is founder and CEO of Sierra Sciences, which is focused on discovering compounds that can induce telomerase, an enzyme that repairs telomeres. Telomeres are a part of a cells structure thought to play a role in aging and diseases like cancer, osteoarthritis and Alzheimers disease.

Andrews earned his Ph.D. in molecular and population genetics at the University of Georgia in 1981. He was a senior scientist at Armos Corporation and Codon Corp., director of Molecular Biology at Codon and at Geron Corp., and director of Technology Development at EOS Biosciences.

While at Geron from 1992 to 1997, Andrews was one of the principal discoverers of both the RNA and protein components of human telomerase. He was awarded 2nd place as "National Inventor of the Year" in 1997 for this work.

He is presently a named inventor on 35 US issued telomerase patents.

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Biotech researcher to speak in Siouxland about longevity