A science talk by UO’s Patrick Phillips, “Science at the Nexus of Life and Death,” drew more than 400 members of the local community to the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts last Tuesday evening.

Phillips spoke about the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact — a $1 billion initiative to fast-track scientific discoveries into innovations that improve quality of life for people in Oregon, the nation and the world — before delving into his own research examining the biology of aging, genomics and the genetics of complex traits.

In a talk that was informative, amusing and engaging, Phillips explored how complex genetic interactions shape the way organisms develop, behave and evolve. He discussed his research on aging and the challenges and opportunities created by the potential for prolonging human life.

Phillips is a professor in the UO Department of Biology and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution who serves as the acting director of the Knight Campus.