The University has received a $1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to increase undergraduates’ engagement with the humanities, a remarkable commitment to a historically important aspect of the liberal arts curriculum at a time when enrollments in the humanities are lagging.

Entitled “Humanities for Life,” the five-year initiative is designed to engage students early in their academic careers, to create opportunities for experiences outside the classroom, and to foster community engagement.

While the project is scheduled to begin in the fall, it’s designed to extend well beyond that timeframe. It has several components:

• support for undergraduate humanities research and mentorship by faculty
• development of new humanities curricula
• increased community engagement
• establishment of a shared reading program for incoming students

“Addressing societal and global issues hinges on having the intellectual background to engage with them, and that’s what study of the humanities provides,” says Gloria Culver,  dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, the academic unit that will oversee the project. Culver is a biologist who, as an undergraduate, was a C.P. Snow Scholar—a prize for students whose interests span science and the humanities. She calls the intersection of disciplines vital to the education of global citizens.

“Thinking broadly and collaboratively is our future,” she says. “And the collaborative nature of faculty and students at Rochester is part of what will make this project successful.”

Read more here.

A new Defense Department project will help researchers develop sensors that can be employed by photonics-based systems.  The sensors – which could be used in a wide range of applications, such as environmental monitoring, disease diagnosis, detection of chemical and biological weapons, and to ensure food safety – represent a key component of the AIM Photonics initiative.

The $900,000 U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) project, along with an additional $1.41 million in matching funds from AIM Photonics industrial members, will support a consortium of partners led by the University that includes the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy Research Lab, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Analog Photonics, the University of Tulsa, PhoeniX, the University of California-Santa Barbara, and OndaVia.

“Sensors represent the interface between the real world and data,” says Ben Miller,  the principal investigator of the project. “Developing a universal set of protocols to design, manufacture, modify, and integrate sensors into photonics systems will not only advance this technology, but also present a tremendous economic opportunity. Integrated photonics sensors represent a large and rapidly growing market, potentially reaching more than $15 billion globally by 2020.”

Miller is a professor in the Departments of Dermatology and of Biomedical Engineering and in the Institute of Optics. He is also the academic lead of the AIM Photonics Sensors Key Technology Manufacturing Area.

The project will focus on developing manufacturing blueprints for photonics-based transducers—the part of the sensor that interacts with what is being detected so that these components can be mixed and matched by manufacturers to build systems that identify a wide range of chemical or biological targets.

Individual photonics sensors can also be miniaturized and packed together in a small space, allowing for the creation of systems that can scan for multiple biological or chemical agents simultaneously. This approach could give rise to new technologies such as a “lab on a chip” that would allow researchers and clinicians to scan for several different proteins in a single blood sample, or enable municipalities to continuously monitor drinking water for dangerous toxins, for example.

Read more here.

A study led by Julie Fudge, associate professor of neuroscience, reveals the complex circuits involved in regulating the neurotransmitter dopamine in our brains.  Traditionally thought to be limited to reward seeking, the new study shows that parts of the ‘emotional’ brain may also manipulate dopamine to help us pay attention and react to new information in the environment.

The study, which appears in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, focuses on an area of the brain called the amygdala, which is known to be important for social and emotional development and behaviors.  The amygdala receives sensory information – sight, sound, and smells – and processes it by combining it with information stored in our memories.  It evaluates changes or new information to help determine whether it is worthy of our attention or if it can be ignored.  The new study shows that one way the amygdala can accomplish this is by communicating with the brain’s dopamine producing cells.

The findings suggest that the amygdala plays an important role in communicating information about ‘uncertain’ environmental change to dopamine neurons that cause the individual to pay attention and prepare to take action.

This study not only broadens understanding of how the brain interprets and responds to the world around us, but it could also shed light on diseases such as depression and bipolar and anxiety disorders.  In many instances, these conditions are treated with drugs that depress dopamine production.  The new findings may help researchers better target the specific dopamine cells that cause individuals to misinterpret sensory cues, particularly information that could be perceived as uncertain or ambiguous.

Read more here.

Nearly 80 percent of a large group of young men who survived testicular cancer reported having at least one health problem later due to treatment toxicity, says a new Journal of Clinical Oncology study co-authored by Wilmot Cancer Institute scientists.

Among 952 men studied, the vast majority reported at least one problem such as hearing impairment, cardiovascular disease, peripheral neuropathy (numbness and tingling in the limbs and feet), obesity, and diabetes—and 35 percent of the survivors said they experienced three or more of these adverse side effects. The outcomes were similar, whether they were treated with etoposide and cisplatin (EP) or bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP), the two most common therapies for testicular cancer.

Researchers also discovered that a healthy lifestyle might be the key to better outcomes.

“Doctors should promote a healthy lifestyle among testicular cancer survivors,” says co-author Chunkit Fung, a clinician and researcher at Wilmot Cancer Institute. “The next step of our research is to identify patients who are at higher risk of developing life-threatening complications as a result of their treatment. This will allow physicians to follow their patients closely and manage those conditions more effectively.” Read more here.

Alice Quillen and Andrew Jordan of the Department of Physics and Astronomy have been awarded prestigious Simons Foundation Faculty Fellowships in theoretical physics.

Simons Fellows take research leaves from classroom teaching and administrative obligations to pursue collaborative research ventures that enhance creativity and provide intellectual stimulation. Both faculty members will be on leave for the 2017-18 academic year.

Quillen will study galactic dynamics, planetary science, and celestial mechanics to better understand the stability and evolution of multiple-planet systems. She will further her research on the tidal evolution and elasticity of moons and planets using the new astro-elastodynamics model she developed.

Jordan will further his research in quantum information, thermodynamics, and foundations. He plans to spend most of his leave in California, working with colleagues at UC Berkeley and the Institute for Quantum Studies at Chapman University in Orange, California, as well as visiting colleagues at Parisian universities. At Berkeley, his projects include studying continuous quantum error correction in superconducting quantum computing; at Chapman, he will explore questions regarding time in quantum mechanics.

Read more here.

The deadline to register for the University’s preliminary Falling Walls competition has been extended to Sunday, April 2.

The competition, which will be held April 20 in Schlegel Hall’s Eisenberg Rotunda, will determine who will represent Rochester at the final competition in Berlin, Germany this November.

The contest consists of a series of rapid-fire presentations. Presenters have just three minutes and three slides to summarize their ground-breaking idea. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three finalists.

Register here. Contact Adele Coelho, Faculty Outreach Coordinator at adele.coelho@rochester.edu for additional information.

The May 12 Technology & Rare Neurological Diseases Symposium at the University aims to spark national discussion among patients, researchers, and policy experts on how to accelerate clinical trials for rare diseases that attack the nervous system. New technologies may ease the burden of traveling to research sites for patients and increase the flow of information about these diseases for researchers and healthcare providers.

The symposium, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. in Helen Wood Hall Auditorium, will bring together patients, patient advocates, clinical research policy and regulatory experts, and researchers from academia, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries to brainstorm ways to apply novel mobile health technologies to rare neurological diseases. Putting these key players together will hopefully foster new collaborations and new ideas.

At the symposium, organized by the Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry leaders will discuss:

• conducting virtual visits in site-less clinical trials
• building digital platforms to engage with patients and the Electronic Health Record
• developing wearable technologies to measure signs of disease

Register here; learn more on the TRNDS website.

“Anything that makes it hard for a committee member to pick up a clear understanding of the rationale of your research project, what it will discover, and why that is important, is a sin,” writes Andrew Derrington, a former psychology professor in England, now academic consultant.

“So is anything that makes it hard for a referee to get a clear picture of the detailed reasoning in your argument and the detailed description of your intended research activities. Referees and committee both work under time pressure, so anything that slows them down is also a sin.”

Click here to read Derrington’s tips for writing grant applications.

(This is part of a monthly series to help principal investigators understand their role in ensuring that human subject protection requirements are met in their studies.)

The National Institutes of Health Single IRB (Institutional Review Board) policy for multi-site research, effective Sept. 25, requires that all grant submissions with multi-site human subject research include a plan for using a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) to review and approve the research conducted at all sites. Plan ahead to account for the added nuances this policy introduces, such as:

• allowing adequate time, effort and resources to implement Reliance and/or lRB Authorization Agreements with each site
• including IRB review costs in the budget
• budget justification (see below for links to FAQs and scenarios documents)
• oversight of non-UR research sites (e.g., site training, communications, and monitoring)

To ensure adequate selection of a single IRB, budgeting, and planning, all study teams are required to meet with Tiffany Gommel, RSRB director, and Kelley O’Donoghue, associate VP for human subject research, prior to submission of any NIH grants involving multi-site human subject research. To aid study teams in planning, the Office for Human Subject Protection will present a seminar on preparing these submissions at noon April 20 in Helen Wood Hall Auditorium.

Additional resources include:

• Two NIH sets of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to the implementation of the policy. FAQs pertaining to the policy are available here. FAQs pertaining to costs are available here.
• Scenarios illustrating the use of direct and indirect costs for single IRB review under this policy, available here.
• Copies of the slides presented during the OHSP seminar on the policy (presented 10/4/2016) and a video recording of the presentation, available on the OHSP website.

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute is seeking candidates for its Population Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship.

The program’s goal is to produce a group of interdisciplinary researchers, trained in team science and competency-based skills, who can conceptualize research from basic research through population health.

Applications must be received by Monday, May 1. More information on training experiences through the CTSI can be found at ctsi.urmc.edu.

Goker Erdogan, Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Computer Science, “Shape Perception as Bayesian Inference of Modality – Independent Part-Based 3-D Object-Centered Shape Representations.” 1:30 p.m., April 3, 2017. 269 Meliora Hall. Advisors: Robert Jacobs, Jiebo Luo.

Andrew Durney, Chemical Engineering, “Exploiting Transport Phenomena to Synthesize Functional Materials within Template Nanomembranes.” 9:30 a.m., April 7, 2017. Gavett 208A. Advisor: Hitomi Mukaibo.

Benjamin Plog, Pathology, “Novel Insight into Regulation of Glymphatic Flow with Implications for Traumatic Brain Injury.” 9 a.m., April 14, 2017. Lower Adolph Auditorium (1-7619). Advisor: Maiken Nedergaard.

Today: Information session on Three-Minute Thesis Competition, 2 p.m., Sloan Auditorium (Room 101, Goergen Hall). For more information, visit cpd.urmc.edu/3MT.

April 7: “Innate Allergy?” Keynote address by Richard Locksley ’76, professor of infectious disease and director of the Strategic Asthma Basic Research Center at University of California, San Francisco. Medical Scientist Research Symposium. 3-4:30 p.m. Class of ’62 Auditorium. The Medical Scientist Research Symposium showcases the research and scientific accomplishments of the University’s Medical Scientist Training Program, and also includes luncheon and student oral presentations at noon in the auditorium, and poster sessions at 1:30 and 2:15 p.m. in the Flaum Atrium. Click here for more  information.

April 10: Deadline to apply for pilot and feasibility awards offered by the Schmitt Program in Integrative Neuroscience (SPIN), in conjunction with the Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. Click here for more information and to download the RFA.

April 10-14: Registration open for Three-Minute Thesis Competition. For more information, visit cpd.urmc.edu/3MT.

April 13: CEIS (Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences) Technology Showcase. Researchers share their work in optics, imaging and photonics, energy and materials, biomedical technology, and IP with industry professionals. 1 to 5 p.m., Doubletree Hotel, 1111 Jefferson Road. Free and open to the public. Register online.

April 19: Feng Zhang, the first scientist to successfully adapt CRISPR-Cas9 for genome editing in eukaryotic cells, will give two talks at the Medical Center. “Exploration of CRISPR Diversity: from Microbiology to Biotechnology,” 1 to 3 p.m., Class of ’62 Auditorium (G-9425), Graduate Student NIH T32 Retreat in Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences. “From the Beginning: How I Came to CRISPR,” 3:15 to 4:15 p.m., Class of ’62 Auditorium (G-9425), Graduate Women in Science seminar series.

April 20: Seminar on new NIH requirements that multi-site grant submissions with human subject research use a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB). Office for Human Subject Protection. Noon, Helen Wood Hall Auditorium.

April 24: One-day conference examining racial and ethnic disparities in health care and research, hosted by the Medical Center’s Office for Inclusion and Culture Development and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Flaum Atrium. Click here for the agenda and registration.

April 26: “Precision Medicine: Notre Dame’s Bold Initiative to Lead the 21st Century Revolution in Personalized Care.” Presented by Paul Bohn, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, University of Notre Dame. Hesburgh Lecture, sponsored by Notre Dame Club of Rochester and Department of Pharmacology and Physiology. 7 p.m., Adolph Auditorium, Medical Center.

May 1: Deadline to apply for Clinical and Translational Science Institute Population Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship.

May 12: Technology & Rare Neurological Diseases Symposium, 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Helen Wood Hall Auditorium. Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics. Patients, patient advocates, clinical research policy and regulatory experts, and researchers from academia, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries will brainstorm ways to apply novel mobile health technologies to rare neurological diseases. Register here; learn more on the TRNDS website.

May 15: Deadline for submitting applications for population health pilot projects supported by the Department of Public Health Science. Learn more…

May 22: Deadline to apply for research awards from the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences to collaborate with New York state companies on projects in ophthalmic and vision science, fiber optic communications, biomedical imaging, geospatial imaging, precision optics, consumer imaging and displays. Click here to learn more.