Nicholas Bigelow, the Lee A. DuBridge Professor of Physics and a professor of optics, and Michael Scott, the Arthur Gould Yates Professor of Engineering and also a professor in and chair of the computer science department, are among 564 members of the American Association for the Advancement recognized this year as fellows for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications.

Bigelow has helped advance the understanding of quantum physics and quantum optics through his pioneering research on the interactions between light and matter. His lab uses laser light to cool atoms to nearly absolute zero temperatures to better manipulate and study them.

Scott’s widely cited research focuses primarily on systems software for parallel and distributed computing, including developing new ways to share data among concurrent activities, to automate its movement and placement, and to protect it from accidental loss or corruption. Learn more.

John Thomas and, upper right, a NASA image of sunspots. At lower right, images of fluid flow in the brain’s glymphatic system by Jeff Tithof, from the lab of Doug Kelley, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

John (“Jack”) Thomas officially retired in 2014, but the honors keep coming.

Previously recognized as a fellow by the AAAS, the professor emeritus of astronomy, was recently named a fellow of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) as well. The award is not only for service and leadership, but five decades of groundbreaking contributions to solar and stellar physics.

Thomas, now 80, has started a new chapter in his illustrious career. Lured from retirement, he is pursuing an altogether different but equally groundbreaking area of research.

Thomas, also professor emeritus of mechanical and aerospace sciences, is helping Maiken Nedergaard, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the Medical Center, expand on her breakthrough discoveries about the brain’s glymphatic system.

“This whole thing has been absolutely amazing,” says Thomas. “I have been reborn as a neuroscientist. I am learning so many things about biology that I never knew about. It’s just been wonderful.” Learn more.

The old idiom about not being able to walk and chew gum has been turned on its head. Scientists with the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience show that the healthy brain is able to multitask while we are walking without sacrificing how either activity is accomplished.

“This research shows us that the brain is flexible and can take on additional burdens,” says David Richardson, an MD/PhD student in his fifth year in the Pathology & Cell Biology of Disease Program, and first author of a study recently published in the journal NeuroImage. “Our findings showed that the walking patterns of the participants improved when they performed a cognitive task at the same time, suggesting they were actually more stable while walking and performing the task than when they were solely focused on walking.”

During these experiments, researchers used a Mobile Brain/Body Imaging system, or MoBI, located in the Del Monte Institute’s Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab.  The platform combines virtual reality, brain monitoring, and motion capture technology. While participants walk on a treadmill or manipulate objects on a table, 16 high speed cameras record the position markers with millimeter precision, while simultaneously measuring their brain activity.

“The MoBI allows us to better understand how the brain functions in everyday life,” says Edward Freedman, associate professor of neuroscience and the lead author on the study. “Looking at these findings to understand how a young healthy brain is able to switch tasks will give us better insight to what’s going awry in a brain with a neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s disease.” Learn more.

A new study published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science finds that those who sheltered with their children or romantic partners reported better mental health during the pandemic than those who lived alone.

However, even people living with roommates, friends, or extended family struggled with the same mental health difficulties as those living alone.

Bonnie Le, an assistant professor of psychology, was a coauthor of the study, which was led by Natalie Sisson, a PhD student in social psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

The study also found that although parents experienced a higher spike in anxiety and depression at the onset of the pandemic, they also recovered more quickly. Learn more.

The UR CTSI’s Digital Health Seedling Award provides up to $25,000 to support research that advances the development, approval, adoption and use of innovative digital health tools, methods and approaches.

The one-year award is available to full-time faculty at the University who are studying digital health approaches, tools and data including using sensors and mobile technologies, electronic medical records, data from registries and other real world data and approaches to advance clinical research and address regulatory science needs. Apply by 5 p.m. Monday, February 7, 2022.

Wilmot Cancer Institute is accepting applications for both its predoctoral and postdoctoral cancer research fellowships.

The goal of the postdoctoral fellowship is to provide research training to prepare physicians for independent careers in cancer research and training.

The predoctoral fellowship is aimed at helping enable emerging scientists to build an independent career in the investigation of the causes, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or management of cancer or its side effects.

The deadline for both opportunities is Friday, Feb. 11.  Learn more or download application materials.

Masters and doctoral students from Arts, Sciences & Engineering are invited to submit abstracts to participate in a graduate student research symposium from 3 to 5 p.m. March 23 in the Douglass Ballroom.

The symposium, sponsored by the Office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA), will include a poster session and several $300 cash prizes, including best poster in the Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Engineering.

Submit your abstract by 5 p.m., Monday, February 14. Submissions will be reviewed and applicants notified no later than February 21.  There is limited funding for poster printing support available through GEPA on a first come, first served basis. If you have any questions about the event or abstract submission process, please do not hesitate to contact Katie Ferruzza at k.ferruzza@rochester.edu

Co-Directors Martin Zand and Nancy Bennett of the University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) urge all faculty members to complete an online survey on research collaborations.

The survey takes 10 minutes or less and will help focus efforts to foster collaborative science and support emerging investigators and networks.

Participants can request their results by contacting the Research Help Desk. Surveys need to be submitted by Tuesday, March 1, 2022.