Six new positive cases of COVID-19

Since Friday’s notice in @Rochester, there are six new cases of COVID-19 to report: five River Campus students and one employee. Please note that the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily. Whenever a new case is known, the contact-tracing process begins immediately with confirmed exposures being contacted and required to quarantine.

It’s extremely important for the health of the University community that individuals continue to adhere to the face masking and social distancing protocols. Even as some individuals are now receiving their first or second dose of the vaccine, these practices to prevent the transmission of the virus cannot be relaxed.

If you think you’re experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, it’s important to report them through Dr. Chat Bot—for non–Medical Center faculty, staff, and all students and for Medical Center employees—immediately. Even if you think your symptoms might be something else—like a cold, seasonal congestion, or allergies—it’s still important to tell University health professionals and contact tracers what you’re experiencing.

Feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed in these COVID times? Students can reach out to the University Counseling Center for help. UHS also maintains a site with COVID Coping and Resources for students. Employees can contact the UR Medicine Employee Assistance Program, one of several support services for faculty and staff.

Security Tip: Upgrade your personal LastPass account

Recent awards and honors

The following members of the University community are being recognized for contributions to their respective fields:

• Sarah Howd, an assistant professor of geriatrics and aging, has been inducted as a member of the 2021–22 Tideswell Emerging Leaders in Aging Program by the American Geriatrics Society.
• Martina Poletti, an assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences, has received the 2021 Elsevier/Vision Sciences Society Young Investigator Award for her fundamental contributions to better understanding the fovea—a small region of the retina that is essential for high-resolution vision—and how it works in tandem with microscopic eye movements and attention to enable vision.

Regulatory science student competition crowns winning teams

The eighth annual “America’s Got Regulatory Science Talent” student competition, hosted by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Regulatory Science Program, drew the largest number of competing teams in its history. Read more about the top four projects.

Flags will be lowered for Eric Davis

University flags will be lowered Thursday, April 1, for Eric Davis, a clinical professor of emergency medicine, who died on May 20. Davis joined the University faculty in 1995.

• Dr. Chat Bot: Non–Medical Center faculty, staff, and all students | Medical Center employees
• What to do if you or your close contacts have symptoms or have been exposed
• University’s COVID-19 Resource Center
• Medical Center’s COVID-19 update page
• COVID-19 Concern Report

Latest results put Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID vaccine back on track

Nature, March 25

“Overall it’s a win for the world,” says Ann Falsey, co-lead principal investigator of the US clinical trial and codirector of the URMC Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit. “The final story is the results for the final analysis are great. They look very similar to the interim analysis.”

UR Connected drop-in hours

Are you feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Homesick? Do you need help finding resources on campus that can help you? Chat with a UR Connected coach during drop-in hours, held on Zoom on Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m., Fridays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 7 to 9 p.m.

Instagram Live 'Day of Mindfulness'

Join the Mindful University Project on Tuesday, March 30, on Instagram for a full day of mindfulness programming to rejuvenate yourself on the second study break day. Participate in a variety of sessions including forest bathing, grief and healing, doodle and chill, meditations, yoga, sound baths, journaling, listening as an act of love and social change, and more. For more information and the entire schedule of events, visit Rochester.edu/mindful/retreats or follow @URMindfulUniversityProject on Instagram

Final spring 'BIC-Ture This' queer art-making session

Join the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center for the final “BIC-Ture This” class of the spring: Creativity and Improvisational Illustration. Follow along as artist Daniela Shapiro leads you in activities that will push you to analyze different ways of visual expression, explore the edges of your own mind, and break the expectation of perfection in visual art. The virtual class, which brings together LGBTQ+ students, takes place Wednesday, April 7, from 7 to 8 p.m. EDT. Register by Wednesday, March 31. Markers and paper will be provided.

Get the support you need at Behavioral Health Partners

At Behavioral Health Partners, you’ll get the opportunity to work on pressing issues and to learn the skills necessary to continue to grow. Clients are providing positive feedback about their experiences, from the staff at the front desk to the sessions with their clinicians. To schedule a confidential appointment at Well-U’s Behavioral Health Partners, call (585) 276-6900.

Virtual job fair for Rochester youth

East Upper and Lower Schools, in partnership with the University and in collaboration with the City of Rochester, Connected Communities, Flower City AmeriCorps, the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative, and RochesterWorks!, are hosting a virtual job fair for Rochester youth March 29 through April 2. Learn more about the workshop sessions and register here.

'Implicit Bias in Medicine' lecture

The second panel in the “Implicit Bias in Medicine” series takes place Wednesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. EDT and features David Paul, a neurosurgery resident at the School of Medicine and Dentistry. Register for the event and submit any questions that you may have on the topic.

Grand rounds lecture on housing and health in a pandemic

The next public health grand rounds lecture will take place Friday, April 2, at noon EDT. Elijah de la Campa, a senior research associate in economics and urban analytics at the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, will give the talk, “Housing and Health in a Pandemic: A Public Health Perspective on Rochester’s Looming Eviction Crisis,” with a panel discussion to follow. Pre-registration is required. ASL interpreters will be in attendance. Email Carolyn Settle with questions.

Attend the virtual Discovery Ball

The annual Discovery Ball is inspired by Wilmot Cancer Institute’s pursuit of novel cancer therapies and cures. Proceeds from the event benefit Wilmot and will fund new discoveries, advance care and access to cutting-edge clinical trials, and help recruit and retain world-class cancer researchers and clinicians. This year’s virtual event takes place Thursday, April 15, from 7 to 8 p.m. EDT on News 8 WROC; you can also stream it on RochesterFirst.com. Guests who register by April 1 will receive a special Discovery Bag that includes a charcuterie board provided by Root Catering. Learn more and register here.

Attend the annual University Technology Showcase

The annual University Technology Showcase, to be held virtually from 1 to 5 p.m. EDT on April 29, is an opportunity for faculty and researchers in optics, imaging and photonics, data science, energy and materials, and biomedical technology to share their work with industry professionals. See the slate of speakers and register for the Showcase here. Contact Paul Ballentine with questions.

Students and faculty alike are encouraged to participate in a poster session. To present a poster virtually send poster title and brief abstract to ceisweb@ur.rochester.edu.