Ideally, the onslaught of 60 converging, pulsed laser beams would cause a tiny fuel pellet to implode uniformly during fusion experiments at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), causing deuterium and tritium isotopes to fuse and ignite into a controlled burn.

Instead, execution of this carefully orchestrated scheme is hindered by several complications, including instabilities and mixing between the capsule and the fuel plasmas, which are at very different temperatures and densities, interfering with the laser’s ability to achieve the compression needed for ignition.

Viscosity can be critically important in the implosion. With support of a $590,000 grant from the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, a team of University of Rochester researchers led by principal investigator Jessica Shang, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, hope to demonstrate ways to measure—and thereby better understand—how viscosity dissipates energy in these plasmas.

The findings could lead to improvements in the design of experiments aimed at achieving fusion and a better understanding of the dynamics of warm dense matter in the formation and evolution of planets, including Earth, Shang says. Learn more.

Research security has emerged as a priority for US research institutions receiving sponsored project funds from federal agencies. Research security is a broad term that refers primarily to national security concerns surrounding research involving certain types of sensitive data, intellectual property, export-controlled information, and other risks.

In effort to start to establish more secure, uniform, and transparent processes for funding and conducting federally sponsored research, the White House issued the National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33) in January 2021, which was followed up in January 2022 with Guidance for Implementing National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) on National Security Strategy for United States Government-Supported Research and Development, issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

OSTP’s guidance specifies how high research activity institutions like Rochester need to establish a research security program. As an original requirement of NSPM-33, any research institution receiving $50 million or more in federal research funding for the previous two fiscal years must establish such a program touching on four main areas of focus: research security training, cybersecurity, foreign travel security, and (as appropriate) export control training.

As one of the nation’s leading research universities, the University of Rochester is expanding its research security program to align with these requirements. The effort is aimed at upholding safety and security in our research endeavors while continuing to foster the open global exchange of ideas.

In the coming months, the University’s Office of the Vice President of Research will be fully developing the components of a robust research security program in collaboration with several other campus units, including the Office for Global Engagement, the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA), University IT, and Finance and University Audit.

Find additional information here on steps the University is taking to expand its research security program.

Building off a long history as a leader in research and education in environmental health and toxicology, the University-wide Institute for Human Health and the Environment (IHHE) will serve as a local and national hub to catalyze new scientific discoveries related to environmental impacts on health.

Led by B. Paige Lawrence, a professor of environmental medicine who also holds the Wright Family Research Professorship, the institute will transform this information into actions that will promote healthier lives, particularly for communities of color that are disproportionately affected by environmental risks.

With an emphasis on research, education, and engagement, the IHHE will focus on:

• climate change and health
• environmental justice
• how water and air pollution impact health
• how environmental factors shape health across our whole lifetime

Visit the IHHE web site to learn more and reach out to IHHE leadership if you are interested in getting involved.

Felicia Gilels, pathology, January 24, 2023.
“The Role of JAG1-Notch Signaling in the Maturation and Function of the Inner Ear.”
Advisor: Amy Kiernan.

Jeremiah Jones, statistics, 1 p.m. today, January 27, 2023, 1W-502 Helen Wood Hall.
The Partial Linear Model in Causal Inference: Estimation, Selection, and Inference Leveraging Machine Learning.
Host: Ashkan Ertefaie.

Berke Karaahmet, neuroscience, noon, February 1, 2023, 1-7619 (Lower Adolph Auditorium) Medical Center.
Immunomodulatory approaches to Alzheimer’s Disease.
Advisor: Kerry O’Banion.

Josh Bridges, earth and environmental sciences, 9 a.m. February 3, 2023, Gavett 202.
Diving Deep into the Dust: Paleo- and Environmental Magnetic Studies of North Pacific Ocean Sediments and their Implications for Shifts in Paleoclimate over the Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene.
Advisor: John Tarduno.

University of Rochester Libraries have scheduled events throughout February—and one in January—to appreciate data and help the community use and manage it better.

• Today, Friday, January 27: Make sure your results are reproducible in this virtual workshop
• Thursday, February 2: Drop in to Lam Square to learn how to find data for your research
• Monday, February 6: Get metadata basics from Maggie Dull, director of metadata strategies for River Campus Libraries, at “Introduction to Metadata and Documentation”
• Thursday, February 9: Join a discussion on environmental data
• Tuesday, February 14: Do some speed data-ing to learn how to plan, find, manage, analyze, and share your data
• Wednesday, February 15: Attend a roundtable discussion on AI art
• Wednesday, February 22: Get an overview of simple data tools for humanities-focused research
• Friday, February 24: Become a master of creating NIH data management and sharing plans
• Monday, February 27: Get the most out of Excel in a virtual workshop to help you brush up on and hone your skills
• Tuesday, February 28: Attend a beginner-level workshop to learn how to tell data-based stories with Tableau Public

The Center for Integrated Research Computing (CIRC) will be hosting workshop training sessions for a 5 week period starting on January 31. Known as the “CIRC Winter Bootcamp,” these workshops will be divided into 8 topics. Each week will feature 2 topics, and each topic will span over 3 days of instruction, with the exception of weeks 4 and 5 that will each feature a single topic.

Topics will include basic training in Linux, programming languages, data analytics tools, and visualization. The courses are designed for beginners and extra emphasis will be placed on using these languages, libraries, applications, etc. specifically on BlueHive. The classes will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings and afternoons and will be conducted as Zoom webinars. 

Register here. Please note that the registration site is only accessible from a UR/URMC trusted network or VPN if connecting from off-campus. If you have any questions, please contact circ@rochester.edu.

Masters and doctoral students from Arts, Sciences & Engineering are invited to submit abstracts to participate in a graduate student research symposium from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23 in the Feldman Ballroom of Douglass Commons.

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 posters in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering. It will also feature a networking/awards reception.

If you have something of your own to share with your colleagues—a thesis proposal, new research finding, or independent study—please consider submitting an abstract. Submissions should include a title, list of authors, and a brief abstract (250 words or less) of your research. Presenters should be willing to provide a 2-5 minute “talk-through” of their poster at the symposium.

Submit your abstract by Friday, February 3, 2023. Submissions will be reviewed and applicants notified by February 8. There is limited funding for poster printing support available through GEPA on a first come, first served basis. Questions? Contact Katie Ferruzza at k.ferruzza@rochester.edu

Can you describe your thesis to a stranger in three minutes?

The Three Minute Thesis competition is an opportunity for doctoral students to sharpen their research focus, improve their presentation skills, and perfect their elevator pitches. Explore this page for more details about the competition, including eligibility, prizes, and presentation rules and guidance. Register by Monday, February 13, to compete in this year’s contest. The sub-heat schedule is as follows:

• Social sciences: Tuesday, March 14, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Meliora Hall, Room 203
• Humanities and music: Wednesday, March 15, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Humanities Center D
• Natural sciences: Monday, March 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Landers Auditorium, Hutchison Hall
• Engineering: Tuesday, March 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Computer Science Building, Room 209
• Life sciences: Wednesday, March 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Lower Adolph Auditorium (1-7619), Medical Center

Competition finalists will present on Tuesday, April 4, from 3:45 to 6 p.m. Location details will be shared online once they are available.

Interested in population health research? Take your career to the next level with the UR CTSI’s Population Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship.

With an individual development plan, our program is customized to your goals. Over the course of one year, you will develop and complete a population health research project with the guidance of an interdisciplinary team of mentors.

Apply by Wednesday, February 15.

Learn more here.