A $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation will provide additional impetus to a University initiative applying augmented and virtual reality in health, education, product design, remote communication, entertainment, and other fields.

The grant will enable 62 doctoral students to be trained in the skills needed to advance AR/VR technologies and will also help them gain an appreciation for the broader cultural and societal implications of the technologies, says Mujdat Cetin, the principal investigator behind the grant. Other Rochester faculty supporting this initiative as co-PIs are Jannick Rolland, the Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering; Michele Rucci, professor of brain and cognitive sciences; and Zhen Bai, assistant professor of computer science.

The trainees—chosen from multiple departments, including electrical and computer engineering, optics, biomedical engineering, brain and cognitive sciences, computer science, and neuroscience—will also participate in industrial internships at companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vuzix, which have provided letters of support for the program.

The companies “will be eager to consider the trainees for permanent research positions after graduation,” says Cetin, the interim director of the Goergen Institute for Data Science and an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

As many as 300 other STEM graduate students at the University will participate in aspects of the training and professional development.

“I’m really excited,” Cetin says. “This project builds very well on the AR/VR initiative the University already has in place.”

Typically, PhD students researching AR/VR at Rochester and other universities “are educated only in the teaching practices of their own department or their faculty advisor,” Cetin says.

“But they never get perspectives on other aspects of AR/VR.”

For example, virtual reality systems are being used in physical therapy and neurological rehabilitation, but a computer science student trained in human-computer interfaces may not be able to make meaningful contributions to these systems due to insufficient exposure to the biomedical engineering and neuroscience aspects of the problem.

“This grant will provide that [exposure],” Cetin says. “It will be unique.”

Read more here.

Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize technology, medicine, and science by providing faster and more efficient processors, sensors, and communication devices.

But transferring information and correcting errors within a quantum system remains a challenge to making effective quantum computers.

In a paper in the journal Nature, researchers from Purdue University and the University of Rochester, including John Nichol, an assistant professor of physics, and Rochester PhD students Yadav P. Kandel and Haifeng Qiao, demonstrate their method of relaying information by transferring the state of electrons. The research brings scientists one step closer to creating fully functional quantum computers and is the latest example of  Rochester’s initiative to better understand quantum behavior and develop novel quantum systems. The University recently received a $4 million grant from the Department of Energy to explore quantum materials.

A regular computer consists of billions of transistors, called bits. Quantum computers, on the other hand, are based on quantum bits, also known as qubits, which can be made from a single electron. Unlike ordinary transistors, which can be either “0” or “1,” qubits can be both “0” and “1” at the same time. The ability for individual qubits to occupy these “superposition states,” where they are simultaneously in multiple states, underlies the great potential of quantum computers. Just like ordinary computers, however, quantum computers need a way to transfer information between qubits, and this presents a major experimental challenge.

If two electrons are in opposite states, they can sit on top of each other. A surprising consequence of this is that if the electrons are close enough, their states will swap back and forth in time.

“If you have one electron that’s up and another electron that’s down and you push them together for just the right amount of time, they will swap,” Nichol says. “They did not switch places, but their states switched.”

To force this phenomenon, Nichol and his colleagues cooled down a semiconductor chip to extremely low temperatures. Using quantum dots—nanoscale semiconductors—they trapped four electrons in a row, then moved the electrons so they came in contact and their states switched.

“There’s an easy way to switch the state between two neighboring electrons, but doing it over long distances—in our case, it’s four electrons—requires a lot of control and technical skill,” Nichol says. “Our research shows this is now a viable approach to send information over long distances.”

Transmitting the state of an electron back and forth across an array of qubits, without moving the position of electrons, provides a striking example of the possibilities allowed by quantum physics for information science.

Nichol likens this to the steps that led from the first computing devices to today’s computers. That said, will we all someday have quantum computers to replace our desktop computers? “If you had asked that question of IBM in the 1960s, they probably would’ve said no, there’s no way that’s going to happen,” Nichol says. “That’s my reaction now. But, who knows?”

Read more here.

Travis Baseler joins the Department of Economics as an assistant professor after earning his PhD in economics from Stanford University.

Baseler’s research interests include applied microeconomics and the economic development processes in low-income countries. He is currently studying the reasons for low rural-to-urban migration rates in Kenya, despite significantly higher pay levels in cities for workers with the same levels of education.

Among his other current projects are an exploration of the emigration of refugees and economic migrants from the collapsed Soviet Union and its satellite states, and an evaluation of an aid-sharing program between refugees and the host community in Uganda to test whether sharing aid can increase support for the right-to-work refugee hosting model.

Baseler was awarded a Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research Fellowship and twice received the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award from Stanford’s Department of Economics.

Trainees from the UR CTSI PhD in Translational Biomedical Science program will present their research to the public during the third annual Translational Biomedical Science Symposium Poster Session from 1-2 p.m., Oct. 10, in Flaum Atrium.

Two speakers from the Food and Drug Administration will discuss “Best Practices for Being Prepared for an FDA Inspection,” at the October 16  meeting of SCORE — the Study Coordinators Organization for Research and Education.

The meeting, to be held from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Upper Auditorium, Room 3-7619, will feature Karen Kosar, Public Health Service investigator,  and Joanne Schlossin, consumer safety officer. both with the FDA. They will describe:

• the general FDA inspection experience,
• identify characteristics and processes of successful inspection sites,
• discuss best practices for adhering to federal regulations.

The meeting is open to all UR staff, faculty and students, who are invited to attend in person or on Zoom. 

The Pediatrics Research Celebration Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  on October 30 will showcase pediatric research being conducted across the Medical Center, and will feature a lecture by this year’s Gilbert B. Forbes Scholar: Robert M. Blum, 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. The event is hosted by the Department of Pediatrics.

The fifth annual Immune Imaging Symposium on November 2 will provide a forum on the newest developments in understanding immune function through visualizing immunity “in action.”

The goal of the symposium, which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Saunders Research Building, is to foster lively scientific discussion, exchange of ideas and future collaborations.  The  program includes six international speakers, an interactive poster session and opportunities for oral presentations from students and postdoctoral fellows.

Registration is free, but preregistration is required. Learn more here.

Robert Hoff, pathology, “Signal dependent activation of CnC, the Drosophila homolog of mammalian Nrf1 and Nrf2 is repressed by age and neurodegenerative factors.” 1 p.m. October 2, 2019. 1-7619 Lower Adolph (Medical Center). Advisor: Dirk Bohmann.

Xi Cen, health services research and policy, “The Effect of Medicare Bundled Payments on Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Hospital Readmissions.” Noon, October 3, 2019. 1W-509 (Medical Center). Advisor: Yue Li.

Eric Schiesser, optics, “Design methods for two regimes of unobscured reflective optical systems.” 9 a.m. October 4, 2019. 109 Goergen Hall. Advisor: Jannick Rolland.

Yue Ren, biology, “Regulation of Mast Cell Sub-Phenotype and its Impact on Pulmonary Microvasculature Structure.” 12:45 p.m., October 4, 2019. 473 Hutchison Hall. Advisor: Tom Mariani.

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: Third annual Translational Biomedical Science Symposium Poster Session. Trainees from the UR CTSI PhD in Translational Biomedical Science program present their research. 1-2 p.m., Flaum Atrium.

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: “Best Practices for Being Prepared for an FDA Inspection,” presented by Karen Kosar, Public Health Service investigator,  and Joanne Schlossin, consumer safety officer, both with the FDA. Hosted by SCORE — the Study Coordinators Organization for Research and Education. 3-4:30 p.m., Upper Auditorium, Room 3-7619. Open to all UR staff, faculty and students, who are invited to attend in person or on Zoom. 

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. 2: Immune Imaging Symposium on newest developments in understanding immune function through visualizing immunity “in action.” International speakers, an interactive poster session and opportunities for oral presentations from students and postdoctoral fellows. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Saunders Research Building. Registration is free, but preregistration is required. Learn more here.

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.