In a new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, two researchers from the University’s Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology and the Israeli-based Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya conclude that when the possibility of sex looms, people are more likely to change their attitudes and engage in deceptive self-presentation. In other words, they conform, embellish, and sometimes lie.

The duo of Gurit Birnbaum, a social psychologist and associate professor of psychology at the IDC Herzliya, and Harry Reis, a professor of clinical and social sciences in psychology and Dean’s Professor in Arts, Sciences & Engineering at Rochester, hypothesized that sexual thoughts—or, in the researchers’ more precise terms, the activation of an individual’s sexual system—would increase a person’s efforts to manage first impressions, bringing with it deceptive self-presentation.

The hypothesis held up during four studies involving 634 students—328 female and 306 male—with an average age of nearly 25, all identifying as heterosexual. For example, the researchers found that both men and women (all of whom were sexually primed) tended to decrease the reported number of past sexual partners when chatting with an attractive stranger. (By the way, around seven previous partners was the magic number that most people reported in their doctored answers).

Read more here.

Five graduate students from the Medical Center and one graduate student from the School of Arts and Sciences have been offered National Institutes of Health F31 fellowship grants. The grants are part of a federally sponsored program that provides three years of support for students pursuing doctoral or other research-based degrees in health-related areas.

John Bachman ’19M (MS) is a PhD candidate in the cell biology of disease (pathology) program at the Medical Center. Bachman’s research focuses on the consequences of radiation therapy on juvenile muscle stem cells.

Katherine Best ’18M (MS) is a PhD candidate in the cell biology of disease (pathology) program at the Medical Center.  Best’s research focuses on understanding the functions of tendon cells during the healing of acute tendon injuries.

Felicia Gilels ’19M (MS) is a PhD candidate in the cell biology of disease (pathology) program. She studies the molecular pathways involved in sensory development.

Courtney Kellogg ’19M (MS) is a PhD candidate in the cell biology of disease (pathology) program. Kellogg’s project explores the role of the JAG1 gene during cochlear development.

Marcus Kilwein ’18 (MS) is a PhD candidate in the biology program in the School of Arts and Sciences. Kilwein’s research focuses on lipid droplets, which are transported within cells and linked to fat metabolism and a multitude of human diseases, including obesity.

Daphne Pariser ’17M (MS) is a PhD candidate in the immunology, microbiology, and virology (IMV) program at the Medical Center. Pariser’s project focuses on lung megakaryocytes (Mks) as an antigen-presenting cell that coordinates certain aspects of the immune response.

Read more here.

A Wilmot Cancer Institute-led study in JAMA Oncology shows that when physicians fully appreciate the concerns of older adults with cancer, such as function and forgetfulness, it elevates patient care and satisfaction.

The study is believed to be the first to assess in a randomized clinical trial whether a tool known as geriatric assessment (GA) can meaningfully influence cancer care for vulnerable older people.

Many oncologists in community practices are not aware of, or do not ask their patients who are 70 or older, about living conditions, functional ability, cognition, and family support, for example.

But impairments in these areas are linked to chemotherapy toxicity, an inability to complete treatment, and an overall decline in health or risk of early death, says Supriya Mohile, corresponding author and the Philip and Marilyn Wehrheim Professor of Hematology/Oncology at the Medical Center.

A geriatric assessment can personalize care and prompt better conversations between physicians, patients, and their families, the study found.

Read more here.

Oral mucositis, which causes sores and ulcers, is often reported by patients to be one of the worst side effects of cancer treatment. Pain from the condition can slow or delay cancer treatment, and in severe cases requires parenteral feeding and hospitalization. In immunosuppressed patients, oral mucositis is associated with a higher risk for systemic infections.

Now a study team led by Sharon Elad, professor at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, recommends photobiomodulation therapy, a form of low-dose light therapy, as one of the most effective interventions for preventing oral mucositis.

Light therapies have existed for decades, but improvements in the technology have made the treatment more evidence-based and affordable for wider use. Low-level laser therapy was proved to relieve pain or inflammation and promote healing. Read more here.

Fatemeh Nargesian has joined the Department of Computer Science as an assistant professor after completing her PhD at the University of Toronto, where she was a member of the Data Curation Group.

Her primary research explores some of the key challenges of data management: how to manage extremely large data repositories—a concept known as a “data lake”—so that information can be searched for more efficiently and can be better integrated. She has also researched ways of making Open Data accessible and usable for data scientists.

The author or coauthor of more than a dozen journal and conference papers, she was recognized by the 43rd International Conference on Very Large Data Bases in 2017. She has one US patent pending.

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., in recognition of World AIDS Day.

Keynote addresses will be presented in the Class of ’62 Auditorium (G-9425), Medical Center starting at 11 a.m. and will include Susana Valente, Scripps Research Institute, “Silencing the HIV Reservoir, the ‘Block and Lock’ approach,”  and Thomas Sullivan, State Department of Health, AIDS Institute, “Molecular Epidemiology Informed HIV Programming in NYS.”

Posters from faculty, undergraduate students, medical students, graduate students, and post-doctoral associates will be featured from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Flaum Atrium. Contact Laura Enders for more information about World AIDS Day events.

Justin Niziol, chemistry, “Part I. A Scalable Synthesis of (−)-Rasfonin Enabled by a Convergent Enantioselective α-Hydroxymethylation Strategy Part II. Studies towards the Total Synthesis of FK-506.” 1 p.m. today, November 22, 2019. 473 Hutchison Hall. Advisor: Robert Boeckman.

Kaitlin Wozniak, optics, “Material and Biological Response of Femtosecond Photo-modification in Hydrogel and Cornea.” Noon, November 25, 2019. 224 Hopeman Hall. Advisor: Jonathan Ellis.

Sahar Hashemgeloogerd, electrical and computer engineering, “Acoustically Inspired Adaptive Algorithms for Modeling and Audio Enhancement via Orthonormal Basis Functions.” 10:30 a.m. November 25, 2019. Computer Studies Building 426. Advisor: Mark Bocko.

Scott Ames, computer science, “Theoretical and Practical Efficiency of Cryptographic Primitives.” 1 p.m. December 5, 2019. 3201 Wegmans Hall. Advisor: Muthuramakrishnan Venkitasubramaniam.

Joshua Hinkle, neuroscience, “Cranial irradiation causes dendritic spine loss that is microglial complement receptor 3-dependent and associated with cognitive impairment.” 10 a.m. December 6, 2019. Class of ’62 Auditorium (Medical Center). Advisor: Kerry O’Banion.

Due to Thanksgiving, the next Research Connections will be December 6.

SYMPOSIUMS

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.

GRANT DEADLINES

Today: 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.