Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita (2007)

Terra Incognita is a documentary film and related campaign that follows Dr. Jack Kessler, head of Neurology at Northwestern University, and his daughter Allison, a Harvard student. Dr. Kessler initially planned to use stem cells to cure diabetes when he took his new position. However, shortly after moving to Chicago, Allison, then 15, was paralyzed in a skiing accident. Immediately following the accident, Dr. Kessler shifted his research focus to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries using embryonic stem cells. Through Dr. Kessler's experience, the film aims to introduce the public to the stem cell debate and encourage discussion.