Is it true that we can 3D print organs?
Can we transplant a brain yet?
Do celebrities get organs faster?
Why donate at all?

Organ, eye, and tissue donation are essential parts of modern medicine, but there is still a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about the field. In this talk, we will explore the amazing, sometimes grotesque but always fascinating science behind organ donation and debunk some of the most common myths.

Why is this topic important? There are 111,000 people on the organ donation wait list right now – as if Autzen (Go Ducks!), Reser (Go Beavs!), and the Moda Center (Go Blazers!) were all filled to capacity! Nearly 1 in 20 people will benefit from a tissue donation during their lives. Join in the conversation as we learn more about the history of organ donation, how it saves lives, and how the science continues to make science fiction into science fact.

If you’ve been to a Science on Tap lately, you already know our speaker as one of our beloved and enthusiastic emcees of the show! Now we get a chance to learn about one of her passions.

Bio: Dr. Jackie Wirz is a biochemist by training, a nonprofit executive by profession, and a passionate community advocate. Her research career spanned 15 years and included DNA repair to the structural properties of skin. She spent 10 years as a faculty member and dean at OHSU, and currently serves as the executive director of Donate Life Northwest.