University researchers, inspired by diving bell spiders and rafts of fire ants, have created a metallic structure that is so water repellent, it refuses to sink—no matter how often it is forced into water or how much it is damaged or punctured.

Could this lead to an unsinkable ship? A wearable flotation device that will still float after being punctured? Electronic monitoring devices that can survive long term in the ocean?

All of the above, says Chunlei Guo, professor of optics and physics, whose lab describes the structure in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

The structure uses a groundbreaking technique the lab developed for using femtosecond bursts of lasers to “etch” the surfaces of metals with intricate micro- and nanoscale patterns that trap air and make the surfaces superhydrophobic, or water repellent.

Read more and see a video here.

As lung injuries from vaping continue to rise across the United States, Rochester physicians and New York health leaders have developed a new tool to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI).

The diagnostic/treatment algorithm, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, complements and expands upon early guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for managing the condition.  It was created by pulmonary and toxicology experts at the University and the New York State Department of Health.

“This illness has been vexing for physicians across the country and we continue to see people suffering from the dangerous effects of vaping,” says Daniel Croft, pulmonologist at Strong Memorial Hospital. “We expect the guide will help minimize missed diagnoses as cold and flu season ramps up.”

Read more here.

Following surgery, such as hip replacement or fracture repair, up to 50 percent of patients experience cognitive disturbances like anxiety, irritability, hallucinations, or panic attacks, which can lead to more serious complications down the line. Currently, there are no FDA-approved therapies to treat these surgery-induced perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND).

A new study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation finds that prophylactic treatment with URMC-099 prevents surgery-induced cognitive impairment in a mouse model. The “broad spectrum” mixed-lineage kinase 3 inhibitor was developed at the Medical Center in the lab of Harris A. “Handy” Gelbard, director of the Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery.

“A major concern regarding the use of anti-inflammatory drugs for PND is whether they will affect fracture healing. We found that our preventive, time-limited treatment with URMC-099 didn’t influence bone healing or long-term bone repair,” says Gelbard and Niccolo Terrando, associate professor of anesthesiology at Duke University Medical Center. “These findings of improvement in cognition and normal fracture healing provide compelling evidence for the advancement of URMC-099 as a therapeutic option for PND.”

Read more here.

Molly McNulty joins the University faculty as an assistant professor of public health in the Multidisciplinary Studies Center. She returns to the University’s full-time faculty in the public health–related majors program, where she has been an adjunct since 2016. From 1996 to 2004, McNulty was a member of the faculty of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, where her research focused on access to medical care for low-income adolescents. She most recently worked as an editor for the nation’s largest legal publisher, Thomson Reuters Westlaw, winning awards for performance and innovation.

An attorney who specializes in health law and public policy with a focus on public health and vulnerable populations, such as poor children, McNulty is interested in the policymaking process, particularly the role played by advocates and other stakeholders outside of government.

In the fall semester, McNulty is teaching Healthcare and the Law, while developing a new course, Maternal Child Health Policy and Advocacy. Her particular teaching focus is on social justice and the right to health care. She shares her time between the River Campus and the medical school, where she contributes to the master’s in public health program.

She has a JD from New York University School of Law.

The University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) is issuing a second call for abstracts for Novel Biostatistical and Epidemiologic Methods (NBEM) awards.

Submissions will be due by 5 p.m. Monday, December 2.

The NBEM Awards Program supports the development of novel biostatistical and epidemiologic methods that help overcome specifically-identified limitations and significantly enhance the validity, accuracy, scope or speed of clinical or translational research.

Learn more and view the RFA.

The Department of Public Health Sciences is soliciting pilot proposal applications that have a substantial component of, or impact on, public health sciences, practices, or policies.

Proposals should support collaborative relationships between investigators who do not have a recent history (past 3 years) of joint funding, are looking to expand their current collaborative efforts in new directions, or for whom the pilot project would be catalytic in the effort to obtain extramural funding.

Applicants may request a maximum of $25,000 for one year and must hold a position of assistant professor or higher.

Submit initial proposal abstracts by Friday, January 31, 2020. Learn more.

The University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Research Centers in Minority Institutions Scholarly Exchange program offers research faculty, staff, trainees, and students who are underrepresented in biomedical research up to $3,000 to support collaborations with their counterparts at Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI).

The RCMI program, supported by the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, aims to foster the next generation of researchers from underrepresented populations.

For additional information, contact Timothy Dye, UR CTSI training grant director. View the request for applications. Submit application by Saturday, November 30.

The Wilmot Cancer Research Fellowship program funds physicians for up to three years allowing them to investigate the causes, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer.

The post-doctoral fellowship supports mentored research training for physicians with M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degrees who have completed their residency training and intend to pursue an academic career in clinical, translational, or basic cancer research.

Submit applications by Friday, February 14, 2020. Learn more. For questions and to submit applications, email Pam Iadarola.

Hong Zhu, biochemistry, “Use of Yeast Surface Display to Identify Variants of HIV Envelope Glycoprotein with Enhanced Affinity for Precursors to Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies.” 10 a.m. November 21, 2019. Neuman Room 1-6823 (Medical Center). Advisor: Mark Dumont.

Jonathan Strassfeld, history, “Phenomenology and American Philosophy.” 1:30 p.m. November 21, 2019. Humanities Center Conference Room D. Advisor: Robert Westbrook.

SYMPOSIUMS

Today: Center for Integrated Research Computing (CIRC) symposium.  Rajeev Ramchandran from the Department of Ophthalmology will describe how data science techniques applied to grocery store purchases may lead to insights in improving population health. Sixu Meng from the Department of Geriatric Oncology will examine the use of machine learning for predicting falls for elderly cancer patients. 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Wegmans 1400. Lunch will be served.

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.  Contact Laura Enders for more information.

LECTURES

Today: Public Health Grand Rounds: “Socio-Cultural, Economic, and Internal Drivers of HIV-Related Stigma among Female and Male Sex Workers in Niamey, Niger” presented by P. Amina Alio, an associate professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Center for Community Health and Prevention.  Lunch will be available as supplies last; bring your own beverage. Noon to 1 p.m., Helen Wood Hall Auditorium. Contact Carolyn Settle at 224-2061 with requests or questions.

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.

WORKSHOPS & TRAINING

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.

GRANT DEADLINES

Nov. 22: 5 p.m. deadline to apply for up to two awards, with a maximum funding of $25,000 each, through the joint School of Nursing/School of Medicine and Dentistry Program of Excellence in HIV/AIDS, administered by the Center for AIDS Research. This pilot program is intended to provide support for investigator teams to generate preliminary data that will facilitate the submission of subsequent competitive proposals for NIH-sponsored or other grants. Applications should be submitted as a single file attachment in PDF format. Click here for additional information. Contact Laura Enders at Laura_Enders@urmc.rochester.edu with any questions.

Nov. 29: Deadline to apply for a Medicines Discovery Award through the Empire Discovery Institute. a new partnership of the University of Rochester, the University at Buffalo and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to convert the institutions’ scientific breakthroughs into viable pharmaceuticals for commercialization and strengthen the region as a hub for life sciences research and development. The program provides up to $7.5 million in support for two opportunities annually. Learn more here.

Nov. 30: Applications due for up to $3,000 for underrepresented faculty, staff, trainees, and students in biomedical research to support collaborations with their counterparts at Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI). For additional information, contact Timothy Dye, UR CTSI training grant director. View the request for applications.

Dec. 2: Deadline to submit abstracts for Novel Biostatistical and Epidemiologic Methods (NBEM) awards from the University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI). The NBEM Awards Program supports the development of novel biostatistical and epidemiologic methods that help overcome specifically-identified limitations and significantly enhance the validity, accuracy, scope or speed of clinical or translational research. Learn more and view the RFA.

Dec. 6:  5 p.m. deadline for postdoctoral fellows and early-career faculty to file letters of intent for the UR CTSI Career Development Award (KL2). The award 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.

Dec. 30: Deadline for self-nominations, or nominations by peers or department chairs for the 2020 President’s Ferrari Humanities Research Award. The $25,000 award promotes and supports humanities research by a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in Arts, Sciences, and Engineering (AS&E) who is affiliated with the University’s Humanities Center. The recipient of this annual award must demonstrate a creative research approach that either builds on a previous record of published work in peer-reviewed journals or books, or charts a direction that promises a new publication stream. Read more here.

Jan. 31: Initial proposal abstracts due for Department of Public Health pilot proposal applications that have a substantial component of, or impact on, public health sciences, practices, or policies.  Applicants may request a maximum of $25,000 for one year and must hold a position of assistant professor or higher. Learn more.

Feb. 24: Applications due for Wilmot Cancer Research Fellowship program, which funds physicians for up to three years allowing them to investigate the causes, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of cancer. Mentored research training for physicians with M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degrees who have completed their residency training and intend to pursue an academic career in clinical, translational or basic cancer research. Learn more. For questions and to submit applications, email Pam Iadarola.