The lab of Nick Vamivakas, professor of quantum optics and quantum physics, collaborating with researchers at Cornell University, have designed a nanoscale node made out of magnetic and semiconducting materials that could interact with other nodes, using laser light to emit and accept photons.

Photons are mass-less measures of light that are key elements of quantum computing and quantum communications systems.

The development of such a quantum network—designed to take advantage of the physical properties of light and matter characterized by quantum mechanics—promises faster, more efficient ways to communicate, compute, and detect objects and materials as compared to networks currently used for computing and communications.

Described in the journal Nature Communications, the project builds on work the Vamivakas Lab has conducted in recent years using tungsten diselenide (WSe2) in so-called Van der Waals heterostructures that use atomically thin materials on top of each other to create or capture single photons. Read more here.

Effective immediately, if you are assisting with the conduct of a clinical research study (industry-sponsored clinical trial or otherwise) and you learn that the sponsor intends to engage a third party to assist in any aspect of the trial (e.g., data entry), please communicate with your research administrator in the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) about the situation before the services begin.

Please do not sign any documents related to these kinds of arrangements prior to reviewing with ORPA. For questions, please contact Anthony Beckman, associate director of ORPA.

A decades-long collaboration between scientists and clinicians culminated in the award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development naming the University an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC).

John Foxe, director of the IDDRC and the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, and pediatric neurologist Jonathan Mink,  co-director of the IDDRC, have developed five focus areas of study within the center, plus four scientific cores to lend guidance and enhance the work brought in by investigators.

The focus areas are:

Rare and Orphaned Diseases of Neurodevelopment Coordinator: Heather Adams. Movement disorders like dystonia, chorea, tics, tremor, and the combinations of these symptoms that can occur in conditions like cerebral palsy and other intellectual or developmental disorders (IDDs).

Parental Stress and Early Life Exposure as Determinants of Brain Development and Behavior Coordinator: Tom O’Connor. Prenatal maternal inflammation, stress physiology, and exposure to environmental chemicals, such as lead and narcotics.

Neuroinflammatory Mechanisms in Pathological Brain Development and Behavior Coordinator: Ania Majewska. How glia – important and often overlooked support cells of the nervous system – contribute to IDD.

Autism Spectrum Disorders Coordinator: Susan Hyman. The comparative efficacy of behavioral and psychopharmacological interventions for children with autism in home and community settings, sensory processing, neurobiology, the genetic underpinnings of the condition, and related behavioral expression of autism into adulthood.

Sensory Motor and Multisensory Processing Coordinator: Edmund Lalor. How the brain processes sensory information and the impact of cognition, different environments, and how IDD can impact how the brain interprets sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

The scientific cores are:

Human Clinical Phenotyping and Recruitment Core Directors: Leona Oakes and Alexander Paciorkowski. High quality phenotyping and clinical assessment; research design consultation, subject recruitment, and investigator training. Advanced biostatistics support and neuroimaging capabilities.

Translational Neuroimaging and Neurophysiology Core Directors: Ed Freedman and Jianhui Zhong. Neuro-imaging with ultra-high-density electrophysiologic recording facilities, including novel mobile brain/body imaging (MoBI) capabilities, and high performance (3T) functional and structural MRI facilities for human and animal studies. A new small animal magnet (9.4T) will be available in 2021.

Cell and Molecular Imaging Core Directors: Ania Majewska, and Edward Brown. Advanced imaging, analysis, and viral vector-based transduction methods to support in vitro and in vivo study of the brain in humans and animal models.

Animal Behavior and Neurophysiology Core Directors: Deborah Cory-Slechta and Krishnan Padmanabhan. Resources and guidance to conduct, generate, and interpret data in both behavioral and neurophysiological assays in rodent models, to study the neural underpinnings of IDD.

Read more here.

The University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI), Goergen Institute for Data Science and the Health Science Center for Computational Innovation are hosting a virtual Medical Research Forum for the purpose of bringing together Goergen data science students with researchers who have data analytics needs.

The Goergen Institute for Data Science trains bachelor’s and master’s degree students who are interested in working on biomedical and/or clinical research projects.

Students can consider:

• Independent Research (unpaid, 3-6 credits, training oriented) or research trainee (unpaid, voluntary/no credit, training oriented)
• Capstone/Practicum (unpaid, team of 4 students for a semester-long project as a requirement of graduation; co-advised by data science instructor)
• Internship (paid, summer, deliverable oriented)
• Co-op (paid, 6 months, deliverable oriented)
• Post graduate employment (paid, short-term or long term)

Ideal projects can come from any area of research or discipline but should have a large data-intensive component.

Project descriptions are due Friday, January 15.

Questions about projects can be directed to Alex_Paciorkowski@urmc.rochester.edu and logistic/administrative questions to Tracie_Norman@urmc.rochester.edu

The Division of Geriatrics & Aging in the Department of Medicine has opened a call for applications for Geriatric Faculty Scholars.

This prestigious challenge grant is awarded to current junior Medical Center faculty with a specific interest in inter-professional geriatric education and practice. Throughout the calendar year, these faculty members will work with a mentor from their own division/department and a mentor in the  Division of Geriatrics & Aging to create and implement a geriatric education program for their own division or department.

For more information and application materials, please visit the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center website at: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/medicine/geriatrics/flgec/geriatric-faculty-scholars.aspx

The deadline for application submission is Monday February 8 at 5 p.m.

Please contact Laura Robinson, MPH, Program Coordinator, Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center,  with any questions.

UR Graduate Women in Science (GWIS) is challenging all full-time University graduate students (gender-inclusive) in the biomedical, biological, or chemical sciences to take charge of their futures–with help of mentors– in setting and achieving professional and personal goals for Spring 2021.

Resolutions of three professional and three personal goals (1000-word limit) are due to elizabeth_leverenz@urmc.rochester.edu by January 21 at noon. A panel of judges will select contestants for presentations at a GWIS seminar on May 20.

These contestants will compete for the chance to receive one of two $2000 technology-related prizes. All applicants must also attend four Spring 2021 GWIS meetings. To register and read more, click here.

The COVID-19 Biobank is a collection of thousands of stored samples from hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

University of Rochester research faculty and staff can now apply for access to COVID-19-positive and -negative serum, plasma or peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples and associated, de-identified clinical data. See what the Biobank has to offer and apply to use the Biobank by Friday, January 15 at 5 p.m.

The National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C), which aims to improve the efficiency of COVID-19 data sharing and analyses, is hosting an Open House for newcomers from Tuesday, January 19 through Monday, January 25.

A one-hour symposium will kick off a week of open Clinical Domain Team meetings where new collaborators can get help launching their research questions. View the week’s agenda and email data2health@gmail.com for invites to Domain Team meetings of interest.

Here are important links for researchers:

• The University’s COVID-19 Resource Center 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
• The University’s COVID-19 “Restart and Recovery” web page

Update on vaccine distribution: The Medical Center continues rolling out its COVID-19 vaccination plan, which has already provided vaccines to more than 14,000 UR Medicine faculty and staff in Rochester and the region. Additional clinical faculty, staff, and community providers are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccination per New York State guidance. Medical Center staff can find the latest information on the vaccination intranet site. In this brief video, Medical Center faculty and staff share why they made the decision to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Bring Roc Back: How Our Community Can End the Pandemic: The University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) is part of a group of community partners encouraging people to Bring Roc Back. The community outreach campaign encourages communities most impacted by COVID-19 to participate in Rochester-based vaccine studies and to take the vaccine when it becomes available. The campaign reminds us that we all have the power to do something to help Rochester get back to where we were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please note that the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily and dashboard numbers may reflect additional cases confirmed later in the day. When a new case is known, the contact-tracing process begins immediately with the Monroe County Health Department, with confirmed exposures being contacted and required to quarantine. Remember:

• A temperature of 100 °F (37.8 °C) or higher
• Chills
• Muscle or body aches
• Severe fatigue
• Headache
• Congestion or runny nose
• Sore throat
• Loss of taste, smell, or appetite
• Cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea