A new study reveals an elevated risk of self-reported chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — the third leading cause of death associated with smoking — among people using e-cigarettes.

People who vaped were at increased risk even if they had never smoked tobacco, which casts doubt on e-cigarette companies’ claims that vaping is a safe alternative to smoking.

According to the study, which was funded in part by the University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI), people who vaped were at a 47-percent greater risk of self-reported COPD diagnosis as compared to people in the study who did not use tobacco products. Compared to ex-smokers, people who had quit smoking and switched to e-cigarettes were 27 percent more likely to report a COPD diagnosis.

“This study provides further evidence that vaping simply isn’t safe,” says Deborah Ossip, a tobacco research expert and professor of public health sciences at the Medical Center. “We hope that people begin to heed this message, especially young people who think vaping is cool and who are enticed by the thousands of available flavors.”

Read more here.

Tiffany Panko, postdoctoral researcher in the Rochester Postdoc Partnership, was named one of 125 IF/THEN® ambassadors by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

IF/THEN® seeks to further women in STEM by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers.

As the only Deaf IF/THEN® ambassador, Panko looks forward to being a role model for the next generation of women and deaf researchers. Read more on the UR CTSI Stories Blog.

James Rosenow joins the faculty as an assistant professor of English. She studies early film history and the development of cinematic languages.

Rosenow received a PhD in cinema and media studies at the University of Chicago, where she also was a postdoctoral fellow in the humanities. At Chicago, she taught courses on film and the moving image, introductory film, and the relationship of comics to art-making practices and contemporary cinema.

Her publications include essays in the volumes A Global History of Amateur Film Cultures (Indiana University Press, forthcoming 2020) and I Am Already Dead: Essays on The CW’s and Vertigo’s iZombie (McFarland Publishers, forthcoming 2020).

Rosenow held a predoctoral fellowship at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and received a Mellon Humanities Dissertation Completion Fellowship. While a graduate student at Williams College, she curated exhibitions and produced film and video work.

She will teach courses in early and classic cinema. She will also be affiliated with and contribute to the Graduate Program in Visual and Cultural Studies as well as the Film and Media Studies program and the Selznick Graduate Program in Film Conservation and Criticism.

World-renowned communications expert Jean-luc Doumont will give a talk titled “Making the most of your presentation” at 10 a.m. Monday in the Gowen Room (Wilson Commons Room 213).

This talk, which is free and open to the public, is especially relevant for anyone in a technical field. The SPIE Student Chapter and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics are sponsoring this event.

Please RSVP so we can make sure to have space for everyone.

Here are videos of Doumont discussing effective slide presentations, teaching beyond the lecture, and communicating with non-scientists.

Zachary Piontkowski, chemistry, “Excited State Torsions and Electron Transfer in Dye-Sensitizers for Light Harvesting and Photodynamic Therapy.” 11:50 a.m., January 27, 2020. 109 Goergen. Advisor: David McCamant, Chemistry

CONFERENCES & SYMPOSIUMS

WORKSHOPS

Feb. 5: “Managing Your Scholarly Identity,” Future Faculty workshop sponsored by the Office of the Provost. 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons. Register online.  Email Adele Coelho with questions. Lunch is provided.

LECTURES AND TALKS

Jan. 27: “Making the most of your presentation,” by Jean-luc Doumont, communications expert. Sponsored by the SPIE Student Chapter and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. 10 a.m., Gowen Room (Wilson Commons Room 213). This talk is especially relevant for anyone in a technical field. RSVP here.

Jan. 30: Phelps Colloquium. “A Vision for the Future: How to Recruit Neural Plasticity for Sight Restoration,” by Krystel Huxlin, professor in the Department of Ophthalmology. “Making Stars and Planets in the Laboratory and Pushing the Frontiers of Physics with Lasers,” by E. Michael Campbell, director of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. 4-5:30 p.m. Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, River Campus. Register here.

Feb. 6: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Tom Fleischman  (History) (internal fellow). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

Feb. 19: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Sue Uselmann (ESM Humanities) . 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

Feb. 26: Phelps Colloquium. “Surgery of the Future: 3D-Printed Patient-Specific Organs Guide the Way for Complex Cancer Surgery,” by Ahmed Ghazi, associate professor, Department of Urology. “Structural Engineering to the Rescue of Cultural Heritage,” by Renato Perucchio, professor and chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and director of the Program in Archaeology, Technology, and Historical Structures. 4-5:30 p.m. Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, River Campus. Register here.

March 4: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Eduardo Herrera (Musicology, Rutgers) (external fellow). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

March 18: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Elena Bellina (ESM Humanities). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

March 26: Phelps Colloquium. “Harnessing Immunity to Fight Cancer: Clues from the Tumor Microenvironment,” by David Linehan, professor and chair, Department of Surgery. “Preparing for the Worst: Portrayal of Downside Risk in Professional Investment Advice,” by Joanna Wu, professor of business administration,  Simon Business School. 4–5:30 p.m. Eisenberg Rotunda, Schlegel Hall, River Campus. Register here.

April 2: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Alexandra Lindgren-Gibson (History, Univ. of Mississippi) external fellow). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

April 16: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Ash Arder (Studio Art) (visiting artist). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

April 22: Phelps Colloquium. “Making Fuel and Fertilizer from Sun, Air, and Water,” by Kara Bren, professor in the Department of Chemistry. “A Black Musician in the Court of Henry VIII. You’re Kidding, Right?” by 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.  Register here.

April 30:  Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Khan and Sullivan (Public Humanities fellows). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

GRANT DEADLINES

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. 1: Applications due for River Campus Libraries Data Grants,  available for independent studies and unique data needs to current students from Arts, Sciences & Engineering, the Warner School of Education, and the Simon Business School. Spring 2020 semester applications must be submitted to the River Campus Libraries Data Grant Review Boar. For questions, contact Kathy Wu at kathyw@library.rochester.edu

Feb. 3: Deadline to apply for 2020 University Research Awards. The Request for Proposal and application are available here. Questions and completed applications should be directed to Adele Coelho at adele.coelho@rochester.edu.

Feb. 17: Applications due for NY Public Humanities Fellowships. Interested Rochester graduate students can contact Joan Shelley Rubin, Ani & Mark Gabrellian Director of the Humanities Center, for more information. The Fellows Application is currently open, read the call for 2020-2021 applicants.

Feb. 28: Deadline for new investigators to submit proposals for pilot project funding ($25,000 maximum for one year) from the Resource-Based Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine for research relevant to musculoskeletal diseases. Proposals must be submitted by email to Kristin Smith (585-275-1397). Learn more.

FELLOWSHIPS, TRAINING PROGRAMS

Feb. 1: Applications due for clinical and translational research training in cancer control and preventive research. Helps postdoctoral MD or PhD researchers establish careers as independent investigators. For more information, contact  Michelle Janelsins, Ph.D., or Gary Morrow, Ph.D., program directors of the UR Cancer Control Research Training Program,  or Kate Kessler, program coordinator. Learn more.

Feb. 14: Applications due for the 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 MD or MD/PhD 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.

Feb. 14: Applications due for Wilmot Cancer Institute Predoctoral Cancer Research Fellowship Program. Contact Thom Fogg with questions.