The complex set of molecular and fluid dynamics that comprise the glymphatic system – the brain’s unique process of waste removal – are synchronized with the master internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.  These new research findings suggest that people who rely on sleeping during daytime hours are at greater risk for developing neurological disorders.

“These findings show that glymphatic system function is not solely based on sleep or wakefulness, but by the daily rhythms dictated by our biological clock,” says neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the Medical Center and senior author of the study, which appears in the journal Nature Communications.

The findings add to a growing understanding of the operation and function of the glymphatic system, the brain’s self-contained waste removal process which was first discovered in 2012 by researchers in the Nedergaard lab.  The system consists of a network of plumbing that follows the path of blood vessels and pumps cerebrospinal fluid through brain tissue, washing away waste.  Research later showed that the glymphatic system primarily functions while we sleep.

“Circadian rhythms in humans are tuned to a day-wake, night-sleep cycle,” said Lauren Hablitz, first author of the new study and a research assistant professor in the Center for Translational Neuromedicine.  “Because this timing also influences the glymphatic system, these findings suggest that people who rely on cat naps during the day to catch up on sleep or work the night shift may be at risk for developing neurological disorders.   In fact, clinical research shows that individuals who rely on sleeping during daytime hours are at much greater risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia along with other health problems.” Read more here.

For years, Medical Center researchers have studied the fundamental processes in human lung growth and maturation as part of the NIH-sponsored Lung Development Molecular Atlas Program (LungMAP) and the Human BioMolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP) collaboratives. These efforts include many Medical Center researchers and has been led by Gloria Pryhuber, professor in the Department of Pediatrics.

Now, with the onset of COVID-19, these efforts continue to provide an even more invaluable resource, as the LungMAP and HuBMAP programs pivot to study the effects of the COVID-19 virus on the human lung. The LungMAP program was recently awarded $1.36 million from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to provide, by mass cytometry, RNA sequencing and in vitro primary cell culture models, single cell level transcriptomic and protein analyses of parenchymal and resident immune cells in pediatric (1d-  21y) as compared to adult (22-60+y) human lungs with and without COVID-19 infection.

Pryhuber’s lab has already been providing data on lung development and will provide unique cells and tissues for the study of COVID-19 lung injury. This new funding will help understand COVID’s effects on children’s lungs.

Pryhuber and her team also will be looking at differences in the inflammatory response between adults and children.

“With COVID, the concern is not so much the presence of infection, but the body’s response to infection. Humans try to get rid of the virus, but in the process we injure ourselves with the inflammation. We’re studying how children clear the virus with less inflammation, with the goal of seeing if we can modify the adult inflammatory response to get the same results.” Read more here.

More inclusive science learning activities are essential to increasing the participation of youth with learning disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. But little is known about the learning experiences of this student population in informal learning environments, such as science centers and museums.

A $980,000 Advancing Informal STEM Learning grant from the National Science Foundation, awarded to the Warner School of Education, will allow researchers to team up with the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) and Museum of Science, Boston (MOS) to study the motivational experiences of science museum visitors with learning disabilities. The three-year research project will generate new insights into the ways in which informal STEM education practitioners can facilitate the inclusion of adolescents with disabilities and design exhibits and programs to be inclusive of all people.

The project will be led by principal investigator Samantha Daley, assistant professor of education at the Warner School, and co-principal investigators Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann, founder, executive director and chief scientist at EdTogether, a non-profit that uses the science of emotion to empower youth with disabilities; and Katie Todd, a senior research and evaluation associate at MOS.

Read more here.

Pengfei Frank Huo, professor of chemistry, who has received a Cottrell Scholar Award from the Research Corporation for Scientific Achievement, for “Enabling New Chemical Reactivities through Polariton Photochemistry.” The Cottrell Scholar Award honors and helps to develop outstanding teacher-scholars who are recognized by their scientific communities for the quality and innovation of their research programs and their academic leadership skills.

The University of Rochester and the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) announce the initial rollout of the Integrated Online Research Administration (IORA) module for unfunded agreements (i.e. material transfer agreements, data use agreements, and confidentiality agreements).

These agreements will be managed exclusively in the IORA system beginning September 25. ORPA will negotiate these agreements on your behalf after they have been entered in the IORA system and assigned correctly.

Those who were initially identified as frequent initiators of unfunded agreements received training on the system. However, if you were not able to attend training or if you plan to submit or participate in unfunded agreements in the future, please email the iora@rochester.edu mailbox as additional sessions will be held over the next several weeks. Please visit the IORA Agreements page for more information.

The IORA project is a University-wide implementation of an industry leading electronic research administration platform. Built in conjunction with the Huron Research Suite, IORA will eventually be a single online platform to manage most research administration related activity, including grants, agreements/contracts, and RSRB (Research Subjects Review Board), which is already part of the IORA platform.

The IORA grants module is currently scheduled to launch in January 2021 and the IORA team continues to move forward with activities in support of its go-live.  Over 100 senior department administrators and 30+ department super users are participating to help ensure the grants module meets the needs of our research community. Check the IORA website for the latest information. For questions, contact iora@rochester.edu.

The Office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs in Arts, Sciences and Engineering is hosting a virtual National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) information session and panel discussion from 2-3 p.m. today, September 18.  The program will be led by AS&E staff, current NSF GRFP fellows, and faculty who have served as reviewers on GRFP applications.

Register here to access Zoom information for the program.   

The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines.

Awarded fellows receive a $34,000 annual stipend for 3 years and a $12,000/year cost of education benefit that is applied towards tuition, health insurance and mandatory health fees. The GRFP application is open with submission deadlines beginning on October 19.

How your research is evaluated can have significant implications for your career trajectory, but the process of research assessment is often unclear and flawed. Navigating A Flawed System: Demystifying Research Assessment, 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, September 22, will introduce you to a team of librarians dedicated to helping you:

• navigate the publication and research assessment landscape,
• dive into the most common metrics being used today to assess research impact,
• discuss the growing movement to change how scholarship is shared and evaluated.

Join us to discuss how the “economies of prestige” in academia influence your career and what you can do about it. Register here!

Want to learn more? Check DORA (Declaration on Research Assessment).

The event is a NPAW (National Postdoc Appreciation Week) event sponsored by UR Libraries and the UR Postdoctoral Association.

Click here for the full list of UR NPAW events. For accommodations, please contact Jen_Prosceo@urmc.rochester.edu at least three business days prior to the event.

The University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) offers two years of support for early-stage scientists to conduct mentored research and build toward independent careers as clinical and translational investigators.

The KL2 Career Development Award program provides 75% salary support (up to $70,000 per year) and up to $20,000 per year in non-salary support.

View the request for applications and submit letters of intent by Friday, October 2, 2020.

Anyone who receives support from a University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) grant must describe that support when reporting for other funding – on both new and existing grants.

To help with that reporting, the UR CTSI has developed guidance and language that can be used in biosketches and “other support” sections of grant applications. The UR CTSI also provides language to help individuals cite appropriate UR CTSI grants in any publications or other academic work that benefits from UR CTSI support.

The National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) Data Enclave is now open to University of Rochester and all other scientists looking for evidence-based answers to COVID-19 research questions.

The N3C systematically collects data derived from the electronic health records of people who were tested for COVID-19 or who have had related symptoms.

This centralized and secure national data analytics platform is for COVID-19 research, including studying potential risk factors, protective factors and long-term health consequences as the pandemic continues to evolve.

Here are important links for researchers:

• University’s COVID-19 website for important updates and guidance on working, teaching, and learning remotely
• University of Rochester Medical Center website for restrictions, resources, and news
• Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) site on Coronavirus 2019 resources related to sponsored programs
• University’s COVID-19 “Restart and Recovery” web page.

What would happen during a ‘pause’? The University has developed a plan for a “pause” in on-campus activities that would go into effect if there were to be 100 or more cases of COVID-19 among students, faculty, and staff on the River Campus or at the Eastman School of Music over a two-week period.

The Temporary Cessation of On-Campus Activities plan, developed at the direction of New York State, is intended to be temporary—only a few weeks within the semester—with all in-person classes shifting to an online format. Implementing a pause on the Medical Center campus will likely look different because of the essential nature of much of the Medical Center’s health care work and activity.

Get details about what a pause would look like.

Find and share digital ideas: In collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, the River Campus Libraries outreach team launched a new website for its Digital Ideas for Teaching and Learning (DigITaL) project. The website adds to and helps support the increase in remote teaching by providing access to case studies related to bringing new technologies into the classroom.

Community Conversation series—Partnering with schools during the pandemic: Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness Services​ is hosting monthly webinars focusing on youth mental health as part of the Community Conversation Series. The next webinar, “Partnering With Schools During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency,” will take place Thursday, September 24, at 5:30 p.m. EDT and will focus on effective ways to communicate with schools in order to promote student success. Register online for the September session.

Producers of ‘Six Feet Saves’ campaign honored: The University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) and Center for Community Health and Prevention (CCHP) were among 13 community organizations honored by Causewave Community Partners for producing the “Six Feet Saves” community outreach campaign. The UR CTSI and CCHP played pivotal roles in developing the campaign, which emphasized the importance of social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19. Read more here.