NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the 30-year-old Hubble Space Telescope, has produced the deepest and sharpest infrared images of the distant universe to date. A full suite of images was released by NASA on July 12.

“Thousands of galaxies—including the faintest objects ever observed in the infrared—have appeared in Webb’s view for the first time,” reports NASA. “This slice of the vast universe is approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground.”

Helping to make this moment a reality were dozens of University faculty and alumni who were involved in a series of optical, thermal, and functional tests of the telescope’s key elements. Faculty members who contributed to the project include William Forrest, Judith Pipher, James Fienup, and Duncan Moore, who cochaired a group of national experts in optics and space science that advised NASA on the telescope.

“This is the first lightweight, segmented telescope NASA has ever built. There was no road map. We had to invent almost everything, from how we modeled it, to how we tested it,” Lee Feinberg ’87 told Rochester Review last year.  Feinberg, an Institute of Optics graduate, began working for NASA in 1991 and contributed to the Webb project as the optical telescope element manager.

Two new innovations could make it easier for doctors to decipher when cancers that impact women are present and need urgent attention:

• A system to detect circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream earlier and less invasively was recently granted FDA approval, with Wilmot Cancer Institute researchers and Wilmot patients playing a major role in the groundbreaking studies. The new technology is for “liquid biopsies” to track metastatic breast cancer but could be applied in the future to other cancers.
• Additional research led by a radiologist at the Medical Center confirms that ultrasounds are an effective predictor of ovarian cancer in women of average risk who develop a mass in the pelvic region. The Radiology journal study generated buzz recently because sorting out which women may need surgery or further follow-up care is full of nuances and challenges in the real world of busy medical clinics.

“As part of a leading translational research team, it is gratifying and exciting to see the movement of science toward innovations with actionable information that can guide treatment decisions,” says Richard Moore, chief of the division of Gynecological Oncology and director of the Targeted Therapeutics Laboratory at Wilmot. Read more.

Brian E. McGarry and Meghan Underhill-Blazey.

The Valerie and Frank Furth Fund provides awards to help foster the development of promising University scientists in the natural and biological sciences.

This year’s recipients are:

BRIAN E. McGARRY, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Geriatrics and Aging.

McGarry’s research is at the intersection of public policy and the delivery of health care and long-term services to older adults. His research focuses on the effects of Medicare payment policies on the health care received by older adults, the ability of older adults to navigate the complex Medicare program, and, most recently, the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes.

His Furth award will support his research examining Medicare coverage choices for older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and estimating the effect of impaired decision making due to ADRD on health outcomes and household finances.

MEGHAN UNDERHILL-BLAZEY, assistant professor at the School of Nursing.

A member of Cancer Control and Prevention and a nurse practitioner at the Wilmot Cancer Institute, Underhill-Blazey has dedicated her career to understanding the experiences of and improving care for individuals and families living with inherited cancer risk. Her program of research focuses on building and implementing clinical innovations that transform the focus of cancer genetics from an illness model to a wellness-focused model that directly responds to the needs of individuals and families.

The Furth award will support her work to develop and assess a psychoeducational intervention delivered virtually and through remote technology to promote social and emotional health for those with high risk for pancreatic cancer.

The Fund was created to provide early career scientists with up to $12,500 in research funds. These funds are used to promote the research activities of the faculty member, which may include the purchase of new equipment or support for graduate students or postdocs. Learn more.

Sarah Yablonski, neuroscience, July 19, 2022.
The role of MKK4 and MKK7 glaucomatous neurodegeneration.
Advisor: Rick Libby.

The River Campus Libraries is accepting applications for grants that support the development and implementation of open educational resources and open pedagogy on the River Campus.

Anyone who is teaching or supporting student learning can apply, and applications will be accepted until funding is exhausted.

Examples of qualifying projects include creating open education texts and (re)licensing existing teaching content to be openly accessible. You can access a recording of an informational session here.

Are you a PhD student interested in gaining extra training in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR)? The deadline to apply for paid fellowships, offered to US citizens and permanent residents only, is Monday, July 25.  Apply here. The deadline for the general trainee program, open to all, is Aug. 15. Apply here. Questions? Contact Kathleen DeFazio, program coordinator.

Participants will receive instruction and hands-on experience with high-tech equipment used across industries today. They also will have the opportunity to participate in industrial internships at companies such as Meta (formerly FaceBook), Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vuzix, which support this program. Learn more.

The University is providing an opportunity for grant writing/consulting assistance to its researchers who are planning to partner with a small business to develop and submit a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) proposal.  Please visit: https://redcap.link/UR_SBIR_STTR

The initial application deadline is August 1 (followed by open/rolling review of applications, while funding is available).

The Graduate Student Association’s deadline for AS&E master’s and PhD students to apply for Conference Travel Awards for Fall 2022 is 11:59 p.m. August 12.  Interested applicants can apply here.

This year, awards will be need-based. Need can be verified through a signed letter from your advisor. 

All travel awards will be released in accordance with the University Travel Policy for National and International travel at that time.

Read the rules for the travel grant application before applying. For any questions, queries, or suggestions contact gsatravelgrants@ur.rochester.edu

A free, seven-month program, sponsored by the University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI) and Center for Community Health & Prevention, educates University researchers (faculty, trainees, and students) and community members (typically from community-based organizations) in community-engaged research.

Register by August 17 to make a change in our community through research. Learn more.