Penn and the Mutter Museum invite you for a tour of the Mutter’s main collections of human medical anomalies, which includes a full skeleton of Harry Eastlack, the most well-known case of FOP (fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive). FOP is a rare disease in which connective tissue gradually turns to bone. Eastlack began developing the disease at 10 and, by the time of his death in 1973 at the age of 40, his entire body (except for the lips) had turned to the bone. By his request, his body is preserved for science at the Mutter. Following the tour, join us for a boxed dinner and talk by Penn’s Fred Kaplan, the world’s leading expert on FOP, and Eileen Shore, whose lab discovered the gene for FOP in 2006. (Greg’s recommended reading: Atlantic article)
We will gather at 6:00 in the lobby of the Mutter for the tour, which will last about an hour, with lecture and dinner to immediately follow. Please contact Karen Kreeger at karen.kreeegr@uphs.upenn.edu or 215-459-0544 if you plan to attend because we need to get a count for dinner. Watch this spot for updates.