The Phelps Colloquium was founded in 2004 as “Lunch with the Provost” by former provost Chuck Phelps. Though the name and format has changed, the goal remains the same: to bring members of the academic community together in a relaxed setting to hear about research taking place campus-wide, spend time with colleagues outside their normal spheres, and promote cross-school and cross-discipline collaborations.

Below are the presenters for 2019-20. Click here to register. Questions? Contact Adele Coelho, faculty outreach coordinator, at (585) 273-2571 or by email at adele.coelho@rochester.edu.

October 30, 2019

• How do we “fix” urban schools? Moving beyond tests, takeover, and other policy tools. Kara Finnigan, professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Warner School of Education.
• Can we TRANSFORM our nation’s approach to preventing child abuse and neglect? Yes, by using evidence-based practice. Sheree Toth, professor of psychology and psychiatry, and director of the Mt Hope Family Center.

4–5:30 p.m. Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library, River Campus. Reception preceding the talks.

November 21, 2019

• From the bedside to the cloud: The digital revolution in behavioral health. Michael Hasselberg, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Emergence of cardiometabolic risk: The childbearing years. Susan Groth, associate professor, School of Nursing.

4–5:30 p.m., Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, River Campus. Reception preceding the talks.

January 30, 2020

• A vision for the future: How to recruit neural plasticity for sight restoration. Krystel Huxlin, professor in the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Making stars and planets in the laboratory and pushing the frontiers of physics with lasers. E. Michael Campbell, director of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.

4–5:30 p.m., Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, River Campus. Reception preceding the talks

February 26, 2020

• Surgery of the future: 3D-printed patient-specific organs guide the way for complex cancer surgery. Ahmed Ghazi, associate professor in the Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Structural engineering to the rescue of cultural heritage. Renato Perucchio, professor and chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and director of the Program in Archaeology, Technology, and Historical Structures.

4–5:30 p.m., Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, River Campus. Reception preceding the talks

March 26, 2020

• Harnessing immunity to fight cancer: Clues from the tumor microenvironment. David Linehan, professor and chair, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Preparing for the worst: Portrayal of downside risk in professional investment advice. Joanna Wu, professor in the Department of Business Administration, Simon Business School.

4–5:30 p.m. Eisenberg Rotunda, Schlegel Hall, River Campus. Reception preceding the talks.

April 22, 2020

• Making fuel and fertilizer from sun, air, and water. Kara Bren, professor in the Department of Chemistry, School of Arts & Sciences.
• A black musician in the court of Henry VIII. You’re kidding, right? Lee Koonce, president and artistic director of the Gateways Music Festival in association with Eastman School of Music and senior advisor to the Dean, Eastman School of Music.

4–5:30 p.m. Max of Eastman Place, 25 Gibbs Street, Rochester. Reception preceding the talks.

High schools where students are more connected to peers and adult staff, and share strong relationships with the same adults, have lower rates of suicide attempts, according to a new study published by the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

The study, “Peer-adult network structure and suicide attempts in 38 high schools: implications for network-informed suicide prevention,”  surveyed 10,291 students from 38 high schools to determine social integration through the relationship network structure of each school.

This focus on social networks had been relatively unexplored in previous research on suicide, according to lead author Peter A. Wyman, professor in the Department of Psychiatry. “Most suicide prevention is centered on the high-risk individual,” Wyman said. “We wanted this study to provide us with new ways of thinking on how to intervene to strengthen protective relationships on a broader school-level, and even on a community level.”

Students were asked to name up to seven of their closest friends at their school. In a novel approach, students were also asked to name up to seven adults in their school they trust and feel comfortable talking to about personal matters. Researchers used the friendship and adult nominations that the students submitted to build comprehensive social networks for each school. Researchers used this data to determine whether differences in social networks between schools resulted in different rates of suicide attempts and suicidal ideation (thinking about or planning suicide).  Their findings revealed the following:

• Rates of suicide attempts and ideation were higher in schools where students named fewer friends, friendship nominations were concentrated in fewer students, and students’ friends were less often friends with each other.
• Suicide attempts specifically were higher in schools where students were more isolated from adults, and student nominations of adults were concentrated among fewer students (i.e. a few students had disproportionately more trusted adults vs. other students).
• Schools in which 10 percent more students were isolated from adults correlated to a 20 percent increase in suicide attempts.
• Conversely, suicide attempts were lower in schools where students and their close friends shared strong bonds with the same adult, and where a smaller number of adults were nominated by a larger share of students.

The number of children and teens who have been brought to the emergency room for suicide attempts or suicidal ideation has nearly doubled in recent years, according to a recent study published by JAMA Pediatrics. In addition, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people in the U.S. age 10 to 18 and rates have been increasing by nearly 2 percent per year.

Wyman hopes these study results could potentially help schools develop more effective, comprehensive interventions. “Despite a great deal of effort, suicide rates continue to rise. This study identifies protective schoolwide network factors, such as cohesion between adolescents’ peer and adult networks. This network-informed perspective gives us some new concepts for suicide prevention,” Wyman says. “Strengthening inter-generational cohesion so that more friendship groups share a trusted adult could make it easier for youth to close the circle through that connection if a friend is at-risk.” Read more here.

Dan Alexander joins the Department of Political Science as an assistant professor, after serving as a postdoctoral scholar at Vanderbilt University’s Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. His research explores the processes that elected officials, policymakers, and other administrative leaders use to shape governmental policies and priorities. The work is part of a larger examination of electoral and distributive politics, including the ways in which incumbency, ideology, campaign spending, and other factors influence election outcomes and policymaking.

A recipient of research support from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the National Opinion Research Center, he has recently published research in the Journal of Politics and International Studies Quarterly, and he has papers under review at other leading journals.

At Rochester, Alexander teaches classes on Congress, on American democracy, and on how food policy is shaped by political decision making. At Vanderbilt, he was an instructor for a math camp for political science graduate students.

Tremendous progress has been made in the deployment of direct brain modulation and stimulation techniques, both non-invasive and intracranially implanted, to treat neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions.

A conference — hosted by the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Oct. 24-26 at the Memorial Art Gallery — will highlight the emerging field of neuromodulation, which stands at the interface of clinical delivery and novel cutting-edge technological advances, and is the process of understanding the capabilities of these techniques and developing the parameters and protocols necessary for effective treatment delivery.

Twenty internationally-renowned speakers will give talks.

Attendees at this meeting will learn of the latest applications, techniques, technologies, and mechanistic accounts of neuromodulation, and will be brought abreast of the clinical conditions that are best suited for treatment with these devices.

Learn more here. Click here to register.

The University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) is now accepting applications for three funding programs with a potential start date of July 1, 2020.

The Pilot Studies Program supports translational and clinical research that moves new discoveries along the translational continuum to humans and the community. There are three award categories: Faculty, Trainee and UNYTE Translational Research Network. Learn more and view the RFA. Initial abstract submissions are due on Monday, October 7.

The Incubator Program supports the development of promising clinical and translational research in a collaborative fashion within the institution, where substantial, carefully targeted investments can accelerate progress and create stand-alone research programs. Learn more and view the RFA. Initial abstract submissions are due on Monday, October 7.

The Novel Biostatistical and Epidemiologic Methods Program supports the development of novel biostatistical and epidemiologic methods that help overcome specifically identified limitations and significantly enhance the validity and accuracy, scope or speed of clinical or translational research. Learn more and view the RFA. Initial abstract submissions are due Monday, November 11.

Jianbo Yuan, computer science, “When Machine Learning Meets Healthcare: Towards Knowledge Incorporation in Multimodal Healthcare Analytics.” 10 a.m. today, September 13, 2019. 3201 Wegmans Hall. Advisor: Jiebo Luo.

Debapratim Dutta, biophysics, “Relating Riboswitch Structure to Gene Regulation in Live Cells.” 1 p.m. September 16, 2019. Neuman Room (1-6823) Medical Center. Advisor: Joseph Wedekind.

Oliver Swart, chemistry, “Analysis and Effect of Small-Molecules Targeting Pre-MicroRNA Structures and Synthetic Efforts Toward A Novel Scaffold for RNA Targeting.” 10 a.m., September 19, 2019. 473 Hutchison Hall. Advisor: Benjamin Miller.

Today: Symposium on novel applications of technology to accelerate the development of new therapeutics for patients with rare neurological disorders. Hosted by the University and sponsored by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI). Featuring industry leaders in rare diseases, health technologies, and clinical trials. Agenda available on the TRNDS website.

Sept. 17: Training workshop for the TriNetX cohort discovery tool that will replace the current i2b2 tool. With TriNetX, investigators can search a limited set of electronic medical record data to determine the feasibility of their clinical trials. Participants should have a basic understanding of the TriNetX interface and be able to build simple queries. 2-4 p.m. SRB 1404. Register now. Learn more about TriNetX here.

Sept. 23: Deadline for next-generation optics, photonics, and imaging-enabled startup companies to apply for the next cohort of the Luminate business accelerator. Each cohort company receives a $100,000 investment to begin the program. At the end of six months, $2 million in additional seed money is distributed among four winning teams at Demo Day. Learn more.

Sept. 26: Humanities Center Rosenberger Works-in-Progress lecture. Ryan Prendergast, associate professor of Spanish – “The Picaresque and Early Modern Madrid in Guia y avisos de forasteros que vienen a la Corte [A Guide and Warnings for Outsiders who Come to Court] (1620).” 12:30 p.m., Humanities Center Conference Room D, Rush Rhees Library.

Oct. 7: Initial abstracts due for two URCTSI funding opportunities.

• The Pilot Studies Program supports translational and clinical research that moves new discoveries along the translational continuum to humans and the community. There are three award categories: Faculty, Trainee and UNYTE Translational Research Network. Learn more and view the RFA.
• The Incubator Program supports the development of promising clinical and translational research in a collaborative fashion within the institution, where substantial, carefully targeted investments can accelerate progress and create stand-alone research programs. Learn more and view the RFA.

Oct. 10: Humanities Center Rosenberger Works-in-Progress lecture. Brianna Theobald,assistant professor of history – “Bringing Back Woman-Knowledge: Indigenous Women and the Modern Midwifery Movement.” 12:30 p.m., Humanities Center Conference Room D, Rush Rhees Library.

Oct. 16: Training workshop for the TriNetX cohort discovery tool that will replace the current i2b2 tool. With TriNetX investigators can search a limited set of electronic medical record data to determine the feasibility of their clinical trials. Participants should have a basic understanding of the TriNetX interface and be able to build simple queries. 2-4 p.m. SRB 1416. Register now. Learn more about TriNetX here.

Oct. 22: Deadline to apply for AS&E PumpPrimer II seed funding, typically up to $50,000 for up to one year, for innovative research projects to help the applicant establish a novel research direction and secure extramural funding. Submit proposal via the application portal. All eligibility criterion is enumerated in the guidelines. Direct questions to your respective AS&E assistant dean: Arts and Sciences – Debra Haring, debra.haring@rochester.edu; Engineering – Cindy Gary, cindy.gary@rochester.edu.

Oct. 23: Humanities Center Rosenberger Works-in-Progress lecture. Eduardo Herrera, Humanities Center fellow – “Making a Jewish Neighborhood: In-group/Out-group Sonic Dynamics in an Argentine Soccer Stadium.” 12:30 p.m., Humanities Center Conference Room D, Rush Rhees Library.

Oct. 24-26: “Manipulating Brain States” conference on neuromodulation, hosted by the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. More than 20 internationally-renowned speakers will attend. Memorial Art Gallery. Learn more here. Click here to register.

Oct. 25: Conference co-sponsored by UNYTE on opportunities and challenges in research and clinical collaboration, including regional clinical, biomedical and translational research and advances in psychosocial care in pediatric hematology/oncology. 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Flaum Auditorium. Learn more.  Register now.

Oct. 30: Phelps Colloquium Series:

• How do we “fix” urban schools? Moving beyond tests, takeover, and other policy tools. Kara Finnigan, professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Warner School of Education.
• Can we TRANSFORM our nation’s approach to preventing child abuse and neglect? Yes, by using evidence-based practice. Sheree Toth, professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of the Mt Hope Family Center.

4–5:30 p.m. Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library, River Campus. Reception preceding the talks.

Nov. 7: Humanities Center Rosenberger Works-in-Progress lecture. Chun Yi Sum,visiting assistant professor of anthropology – “Toast to Adulthood: Alcohol Consumption and Moral Personhood in Postreform China.” 12:30 p.m., Humanities Center Conference Room D, Rush Rhees Library.

Nov. 11: Initial abstracts due for URCTSI funding through the Novel Biostatistical and Epidemiologic Methods Program, which supports the development of novel biostatistical and epidemiologic methods that help overcome specifically identified limitations and significantly enhance the validity and accuracy, scope or speed of clinical or translational research. Learn more and view the RFA.

Nov. 20: Training workshop for the TriNetX cohort discovery tool that will replace the current i2b2 tool. With TriNetX investigators can search a limited set of electronic medical record data to determine the feasibility of their clinical trials. Participants should have a basic understanding of the TriNetX interface and be able to build simple queries. 2-4 p.m. SRB 1412. Register now. Learn more about TriNetX here.

Nov. 21: Phelps Colloquium Series:

• From the bedside to the cloud: The digital revolution in behavioral health. Michael Hasselberg, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Emergence of cardiometabolic risk: The childbearing years. Susan Groth, associate professor, School of Nursing.

4–5:30 p.m., Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, River Campus. Reception preceding the talks.