In an oven, aluminum is remarkable because it can serve as foil over a casserole without ever becoming hot itself.

However, put aluminum in a crucible of extraordinarily high pressure, blast it with high-powered lasers like those at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, and even more remarkable things happen. Aluminum stops being a metal. It even turns transparent.

Exactly how and why this occurs is not yet clear. However, LLE scientists and their collaborators say a $4 million grant—from the Quantum Information Science (QIS) program within the Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion Energy Science—will help them better understand and apply the quantum (subatomic) phenomena that cause materials to be transformed at pressures more than a million—even a billion—times the atmospheric pressure on Earth.

The potential dividends are huge, including:

• Superfast quantum computers immune to hacking.
• Cheap energy created from fusion and delivered over superconducting wires.
• A more secure stockpile of nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
• A better understanding of how planets and other astronomical bodies form – and even whether some might be habitable.

“This three-year effort, led by the University of Rochester, will leverage world-class expertise and facilities, and open a new chapter of quantum matter exploration,” says lead investigator Gilbert “Rip” Collins, who heads the University’s high energy density physics program. The project also includes researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Buffalo, the University of Utah, and Howard University and collaborators at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the University of Edinburgh.

Read more here.

The Institute for Popular Music and Eastman School of Music will host the Abbey Road Symposium September 27-29. The interdisciplinary symposium will commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the worldwide release of the Beatles’ Abbey Road, with scholarly presentations, keynote addresses, poster sessions and other special events open to the public.

The symposium will feature scholarship and commentary from the world’s foremost experts on the Beatles, including Eastman students and alumni.

University affiliated speakers include Joan Saab, Susan B. Anthony Professor and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; Robert Fink ‘88E (MA), and Bruce Pilato, Instructor in the College Music Department. Featured Eastman- and UR-affiliated students and alumni include Ivan Tan (current Ph.D. student), and Donald Traut ’02E (PhD).

Other featured speakers will include Ken Townsend (engineer and General Manager at Abbey Road Studios), Andy Babiuk (author, Beatles Gear), Walter Everett (author, The Beatles as Musicians), Kenneth Womack (author, Maximum Volume: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin), Nicole Biamonte, Mark Spicer, Katie Kapurch, Andrew Flory, and Victor Coelho.

Read more here.

Zhen Bai has joined the Department of Computer Science as an assistant professor after serving as a postdoctoral fellow at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and Language Technology Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

Her research focuses on designing embodied and intelligent interfaces that improve learning, communication, and well-being. Her research spans human-computer interaction, augmented reality, tangible user interface, embodied conversational agent, and education and assistive technologies and embraces interdisciplinary fields relating to artificial intelligence; game design; and cognitive, social, and learning science.

At Carnegie Mellon, Bai led a project that investigated how social factors influence curiosity in scientific inquiry among elementary and middle school students who are underrepresented in STEM disciplines. The project also explored the design of a virtual tabletop game that fosters curiosity, exploration, and self-efficacy to help students with science education.

Bai’s peer-reviewed work has been published in journals of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and presented at some of her field’s top conferences.

She received her PhD in computer science from the University of Cambridge.

The Junior Faculty Biomedical Association at the School of Medicine and Dentistry will present an overview of the intramural and extramural grant opportunities available to junior faculty at the University and the research services offered by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) from 4 to 5 p.m. October 10 in the Natapow Conference Room (1.9545).

It will be followed by a networking session with JFBRA members from 5 to 6 p.m.

The overview will be presented by:

• Stephen Dewhurst, associate vice president for health sciences research and professor of microbiology and immunology.
• Dirk Bohmann, senior associate dean for basic research and professor of biomedical genetics.
• Martin Zand, senior associate dean for clinical research and professor of medicine.
• Carrie Dykes, director of research services for the CTSI and DTF liaison for the Center for Leading Innovation & Collaboration.

Click here to register.

The URSMD Junior Faculty Biomedical Research Association (JFBRA) is an academic peer group designed to serve the unique needs of early-stage Ph.D. and M.D. faculty to promote success in scientific discovery, funding, publications, mentoring, teaching, and service to the University and the greater Rochester community. For more information or to be added to the JFBRA distribution list, please contact the JFBRA co-directors or email faculty_development@urmc.rochester.edu

The Red Cell “Club” fosters the exchange of published and unpublished data on all aspects of erythrocyte (red blood cell) biology, ranging from developmental erythropoiesis to the diagnosis and treatment of inherited and acquired erythrocyte disorders.

The meeting has been held annually for over 60 years, and will feature speakers from across the US and Canada, as well as several European countries.

The meeting will be held October 11 and 12 in the Saunders Research Building. View more details and register online.

The Department of Pediatrics will host its annual “Pediatrics Research Celebration Day” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday October 30.

The day will showcase the pediatric research being conducted across the Medical Center, and will feature a lecture by this year’s Gilbert B. Forbes Scholar: Robert M. Blum, the Emeritus William H. Gates, Sr. Professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the immediate past director, Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute. A poster session will take place in the Flaum Atrium and the lecture will be in the Class of ’62 Auditorium.

Join the Center for AIDS Research for the Annual CFAR World AIDS Day Scientific Symposium on Tuesday December 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m,

Keynote addresses will be presented in the Class of ’62 Auditorium (G-9425), Medical Center.  A poster session will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Flaum Atrium.

Register your poster by November 1  Posters related to HIV that have been presented previously at other poster sessions, conferences, or events can be registered.

Contact Laura Enders for more information.

The UR CTSI Career Development Award (KL2) provides two years of support for the early career development of multidisciplinary clinical and translational scientists.

The program fosters the transition of KL2 scholars to an independent career as a clinical and translational investigator, generally by means of an individual K- or R-award.

View the request for applications. Submit letters of intent by Friday, October 4.

Shiyang Ma, statistics, “Methods for Improving Efficiency in Clinical Trials.” 1 p.m. September 25, 2019. Saunders Research Building (1.416). Advisor: David Oakes.

Huiwen Xu, health services research & policy, “Rural-Urban Disparities in Risk-adjusted Rates of Emergency Department Visits of Nursing Homes: Roles of Facility Characteristics, Market Factors, and State Policies.” 1 p.m. September 25,  2019. Helen Wood Hall (HHW 1W-509). Advisor: Orna Intrator.

Hyuntae Kim,  economics, “Essays on Wage Stickiness and Labor Turnover.” 9 a.m. September 26, 2019. 113 Harkness Hall. Advisor: Mark Bils.

Today: Center for Integrated Research Computing (CIRC) symposium. Sreepathi Pai from the Department of Computer Science will give a talk on the performance of graph algorithm implementations on a variety of GPUs. Louis Smith from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics will highlight some results from molecular dynamics simulations for benchmarking force fields. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wegmans 1400. Lunch will be served.

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.

Sept. 27-29: Abbey Road symposium, commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the worldwide release of the Beatles’ Abbey Road. Scholarly presentations, keynote addresses, poster sessions and other special events open to the public. Hosted by the Institute for Popular Music and Eastman School of Music. Read more here.

Oct. 4: Letters of intent due for UR CTSI Career Development Award (KL2), provides two years of support for the early career development of multidisciplinary clinical and translational scientists. View the request for applications.

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: Overview of grant opportunities and research services available to junior biomedical faculty members. Presented by the Junior Faculty Biomedical Association at the School of Medicine and Dentistry.  4 to 5 p.m. Natapow Conference Room (1.9545) followed by a networking session from 5 to 6 p.m. with JFBRA members. Click here to register.

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. 11-12: Red Cell Club conference. Speakers from US, Canada and Europe address all aspects of erythrocyte (red blood cell) biology, Saunders Research Building. View more details and register online.

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: Annual “Pediatrics Research Celebration Day” showcasing Medical Center pediatric research. Poster session and lecture by Robert M. Blum, the Emeritus William H. Gates, Sr. Professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the immediate past director, Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Flaum Atrium and Class of ’62 Auditorium.

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

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

Dec. 3: Annual CFAR World AIDS Day Scientific Symposium. 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m, Keynote addresses will be presented in the Class of ’62 Auditorium (G-9425), Medical Center.  A poster session will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m .in Flaum Atrium.  Register your poster by November 1. Contact Laura Enders for more information.