Given the strong probability of a government shutdown starting Oct. 1, the University Vice President for Research, Steve Dewhurst, encourages researchers to take certain actions before a possible shutdown, such as submitting proposals no later than Sept. 30 for the Oct. 5 deadline:

Dear colleagues,

I’m writing to alert you to the strong probability of a government shutdown, effective October 1st—as well as its likely effect on research, and what you can do to prepare.

If a shutdown occurs, we expect all federal agencies to be impacted—and that they will no longer be able to:

• engage in new rulemaking;
• look at proposals, although electronic submissions systems will likely be active to receive submissions;
• send proposals out for peer review;
• convene review panels or advisory committees;
• make new awards or contracts;
• or make manual payments to existing awards (letter of credit draws will likely still be available).

Most agency staff will be furloughed and will not be allowed to access their government email, meaning they will be unable to communicate about grant programs, active awards, or potential proposals. This will create a backlog, so further delays on announcements of awards or new grant programs is likely.

Given this, we are strongly encouraging all researchers take a series of actions.

(University of Rochester photo by J. Adam Fenster)

Scientists have developed computational simulations to help patients and surgeons see the best options for corrective lens implants years after LASIK eye surgery. 

As reported in a study in the Journal of Cataracts & Refractive Surgery, Rochester researchers created computational eye models that included the corneas of post-LASIK surgery patients and studied how standard intraocular lenses and lenses designed to increase depth of focus performed in operated eyes. 

“This new technology allows us to reconstruct the eye in three dimensions,” says Susana Marcos, the David R. Williams Director of the Center for Visual Science and the Nicholas George Professor of Optics and of Ophthalmology.

Find out more.

(Unsplash photo by Kelli McClintock)

A study in the Journal of Surgical Research, led by Rochester researchers, shows that the smartphone emergency medical identification (SEMID) tool is useful in the care of trauma patients who were unable to provide medical information.

In patients who used the SEMID feature on their phones, the information was useful and relevant to patient care in 75 percent of cases.

“We found it beneficial for us to access medical information on patients’ smartphones in real-time,” says Adam Oplinger, Injury Prevention and Outreach Coordinator for the Kessler Trauma Center.

Here’s how to set it up.

This year’s Steadman Family Postdoctoral Associate Prize in Interdisciplinary Research has been given to Christina Heil, who holds a joint postdoc position in the labs of John Lueck and Charles Thornton.

Heil uses “genetic engineering and molecular biology techniques combined with bioinformatics analysis” to investigate the neuromuscular disease myotonic dystrophy, for which there is no cure.

The $2,000 award honors postdocs whose research uses multiple perspectives and/or cross-disciplinary approaches to examine urgent issues. Competitors had only three minutes and two slides to convey their work in plain language during the event, which took place last Thursday during National Postdoc Appreciation Week.

In addition, the Award for Innovative Research of $750 was given to Fanju Meng, a postdoc in the biomedical genetics lab of Patrick Murphy. Meng investigates the effects of toxicants on gene expression in developing embryos by “bridging developmental biology, environmental toxicology, and epigenetics.”

The Award for Interdisciplinary Research of $750 went to Damian Sowinski, a postdoc in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, who considers “how agency emerges from the physical substrate of the world, a question of profound importance to humanity’s understanding of itself and the biosphere it is a part of.”

Two Rochester students have been named recipients of the Beckman Scholars Program, an institutional award that allows undergraduates in the fields of chemistry, biological sciences, and interdisciplinary combinations to work with faculty mentors for a 15-month research experience. This year’s Rochester recipients are:

Derek Chien ’25, a chemistry and bioethics double major from Reno, Nevada. He aspires to be an academic physician and is a recent recipient of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, awarded to high-achieving undergraduate science students who are US citizens.

Margaret (Maggie) Hoare ’24, a biochemistry major from Honeoye Falls, a suburb south of Rochester. She previously received the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Award for undergraduate students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Learn more about the award.

Monday, October 2, noon–1 p.m. EDT
Virtual

Nicole Wolfe, Mayra Rubio-Diaz, and Lindsay Slay of the University of Southern California CTSI will highlight effective strategies for investigators and others who work in and with diverse communities to develop greater capacity and success in engaging, recruiting, and retaining research participants from underrepresented populations. Learn more and sign up.

Monday, October 2, 9 a.m.–noon
415 Elmwood Ave., Class of ’62 Auditorium, G-9425

If you’d like structured support in taking the next step in your PhD career journey, join this three-part series to find out what jobs are out there for PhD scientists, test out possible career paths, form a professional pitch about yourself, and practice telling your story for future interviews. Join Thi Nguyen—a national trainer in PhD-level professional development, career coach, former associate dean of career development, and founder of InterSECTjobsims.com—as you reflect on professional skills and strengths for different fields, how they fit for you, and how to tell your scientific career story. Sign up to attend.

Friday, October 6, 2–3:15 p.m.
Strong Auditorium

The University of Rochester Democracy Center supports cutting-edge research on the challenges facing contemporary democracies around the world and creates engaging opportunities for students and the public to learn how to fortify civic life. Join a panel of experts as they share their insights on the sources of vulnerability and resilience in American democracy today. Register to attend.

Tuesday, October 10, 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m.
Combined Northeastern Room (I-9525 and 1-9535), 415 Elmwood Ave.

In this interactive informational session, participants will learn how to prepare and maximize involvement and networking opportunities at conferences. School of Medicine and Dentistry PhD trainee Julia Nicosia from biochemistry and molecular biology and Eric Vaughn from myHub will discuss and share personal experiences and engage participants in how conferences can assist in exploring career opportunities, strengthening networking connections, and furthering knowledge needed for future career exploration. Sign up.

Tuesday, October 17, 2–3:30 p.m. EDT for Mac users
Wednesday, October 18, 2–3:30 p.m. EDT for Windows users
Virtual

PivotTables and PivotCharts are two of the most useful features in Excel. River Campus Libraries instructors will teach you how to create interactive, powerful, and appealing data visualizations using tables and charts. Register for the Zoom link.

Wednesday, October 18, noon–1 p.m. EDT
Virtual

Tara Pittman and Jennifer Dahne from the Medical University of South Carolina will describe its adoption and implementation of an opt-out, cold-contact patient recruitment policy (referred to as Patient Outreach Recruitment) allowing researchers to reach out to potentially eligible study subjects identified via the electronic health record. The webinar will also showcase REDCap tools, developed at MUSC, to improve both the feasibility and rigor of remote trials. Learn more and sign up.

Monday, October 23, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Class of ’62 Auditorium, 601 Elmwood Ave.

The Office of the Vice President for Research is excited to announce Noni Byrnes, Director of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will share her expertise in the NIH peer-review process. If you attend in person, there is no need to register. If you plan to attend via Zoom, please register.