New research has identified the culprit behind the wiring problems in the brains of people with schizophrenia.  When researchers transplanted human brain cells generated from individuals diagnosed with childhood-onset schizophrenia into mice, the animal’s nerve cell networks did not mature properly and the mice exhibited the same anti-social and anxious behaviors seen in people with the disease.

“The findings of this study argue that glial cell dysfunction may be the basis of childhood-onset schizophrenia,” said neurologist Steve Goldman, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine and lead author of a study in the journal Cell.  “The inability of these cells to do their job, which is to help nerve cells build and maintain healthy and effective communication networks, appears to be a primary contributor to the disease.”

Glia are an important family of support cells found in the brain and play a critical role in the development and maintenance of the brain’s complex interconnected network of neurons. Glia include two major types: astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.

Astrocytes are the brain’s principal support cells, while oligodendrocytes are responsible for producing myelin, the fatty tissue that, like the insulation on electrical wires, wraps the axons that connect different nerve cells. The source of both these cells is another cell type called the glial progenitor cell (GPC).

During development, astrocytes colonize areas of the brain and establish domains in which these cells help direct and organize the network of connections between nerve cells.  Individual astrocytes also send out hundreds of long fibers that interact with synapses – the junction where one neuron’s axon meets another’s dendrite.  The astrocytes help facilitate the communication between neurons at the synapses by regulating the flow of glutamate and potassium, which enable neurons to “fire” when they are communicating with each other.

The researchers observed that human glial cells derived from schizophrenic patients were highly dysfunctional. The development of oligodendrocytes was delayed and the cells did not create enough myelin-producing cells, meaning signal transmission between the neurons was impaired.

The development of astrocytes was similarly tardy so that the cells were not present when needed and were thus ineffective in guiding the formation of connections between neurons. The astrocytes also did not mature properly, resulting in misshapen cells (see illustration above) that could not fully support the signaling functions of the neurons around them.

The study’s authors say the new research provides scientists with a foundation to explore new treatments for the disease. Because schizophrenia is unique to humans, scientists until now have been limited in their ability to study the disease. The new animal model developed by the researchers can be used to accelerate the process of testing drugs and other therapies in schizophrenia. The study also identifies glial gene expression flaws that appear to create chemical imbalances that disrupt communication between neurons. These abnormalities could represent targets for new therapies.

Read more here.

Nina F. Schor, chair and William H. Eilinger Professor of Pediatrics, who was recently added to the list of “Master Mentors” by the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN). As part of the National Institutes of Health Diversity Program Consortium, NRMN connects trainees under-represented in biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences to biomedical professionals who can offer mentorship and professional guidance. Schor, who has mentored more than 80 trainees over the past several decades, joined NRMN as a mentor less than two years ago. In that time she has developed long-distance mentoring relationships with four trainees that run the gamut of career stages. From doling out advice on preparing for medical school, to offering guidance on accepting a first faculty position, Schor says she has thoroughly enjoyed being able to offer a helping hand to her NRMN mentees. Read more here.

Adam Sefkow, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and senior scientist at the University’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics, who is  being recognized with two awards for his research in high-energy density physics and inertial confinement fusion. He has received a prestigious Early Career Research Program award from the US Department of Energy to develop a hybrid fluid-kinetic multi-physics simulation code to help interpret data acquired from high-energy-density physics and inertial confinement fusion experiments. Sefkow will also receive the Fusion Power Associates 2017 Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award in recognition of his scientific contributions on a range of topics, including magneto-inertial fusion, short-pulse and long-pulse laser-plasma interaction physics, and intense charged-particle beam transport. Sefkow, who received his PhD from Princeton University in 2007, was a principal member of the technical staff in the Pulsed Power Sciences Center at Sandia National Laboratories before joining the University of Rochester in 2016. Read more here.

Environmental Health and Safety offers guidelines for photographing research in clinical, student, and research laboratories in a safe and effective manner.

Quanzeng You, Computer Science, “Sentiment and Emotion Analysis for Visual and Multimedia Content: Methodologies and Applications.” 10 a.m. August 29, 2017. Wegmans Hall 2506. Advisor: Jiebo Luo.

Daniel Marnell, Biomedical Engineering, “Investigating the Mechanics of the Mammalian Cochlear Partition Using a Novel Microfluidic Device.” 1 p.m., August 30, 2017. Hopeman 224. Advisor: Jong-Hoon Nam.

Chongshu Chen, Statistics, “Finite Mixtures of Nonlinear Mixed-Effects Models for Longitudinal Data.” 2:30 p.m., September 5, 2017. Saunders Research Building, Room 1.416. Advisors: Sally Thurston and Ollivier Hyrien.

Kelli Connolly, Microbiology & Immunology, “Targeting the radiotherapy-induced immune response leads to increased efficacy and survival in preclinical tumor models.” 10:30 a.m., September 14, 2017. Lower Adolph Auditorium (1-7619 Medical Center). Advisor: Scott Gerber.

Corey Hoffman, Pharmacology, “The Bone Microenvironment in the Setting of Acute Injury and Aging.” 11 a.m., September 14, 2017. Case Method Room (1-9576 Medical Center). Advisor: Laura Calvi.

Aug. 28: Deadline to apply for Clinical and Translational Science Institute pilot study and ‘super-pilot’ Incubator awards. Click here for the request for pilot study applications, and here for the RFA for Incubator Program awards.

Aug. 29: Registration deadline for a Department of Public Health Sciences three-credit course on participant recruitment and retention for health research studies. For more information, contact Pattie Kolomic, graduate programs administrator, 275-7882.  Contact the Graduate Education Office for instructions on how to register.

Sept. 1: Deadline to apply for pilot funding from The Rochester Aging Research Center for projects in basic or geriatric aging research. Contact Dirk Bohmann or Anne Reed for more information.

Sept. 1: Deadline to submit initial applications for Environmental Health Sciences Center pilot project awards. For more information, contact Michael O’Reilly  or Pat Noonan-Sullivan, or go to the EHSC website.

Sept. 4: Series of talks by leading computer science theoreticians honoring Joel Seiferas, professor emeritus of computer science. Click here for more details.

September 13:  Humanities Center Welcome Back reception.  Enjoy refreshments, greet colleagues, and learn about programming for the coming year.  5 p.m. Humanities Center Lounge.

Sept. 12-14: Light and Sound Interactive conference, trade show, career fair, and presentations focusing on eight emerging technologies: virtual and augmented reality, games and interactive media, cinema, music and audio engineering, imaging, displays and lighting, health care, and optics and photonics. Riverside Convention Center. Click here for updates as new keynote speakers and events are added.

Sept. 17: Celebrating a Community of Diverse Students and Trainees at URMC. 1 to 4 p.m., Canalside Shelter, Genesee Valley Park. The event, for students, trainees and their families, is sponsored by the Medical Center, and includes food, fun, and games. Click here to RSVP by September 8.

Sept. 25: Conference: The Road from Nanomedicine to Precision Medicine. Networking opportunities for physicians, scientists, engineers, lawyers, business professionals, technology transfer specialists, policy makers and venture capitalists from government, academia, and industry. Albany College of Pharmacy. Free. No registration. The University’s UNYTE Translational Research Network is partnering with Albany to produce the event. Click here for more information

Sept. 25: 5 p.m. deadline to submit initial abstracts for Novel Biostatistical and Epidemiologic Methods awards from the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Click here to view the RFA.

Sept. 25 to 29: Early Stage Faculty Boot Camp to help senior instructors and assistant professors identify the skills they need for successful career advancement. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the CTSI website for more details. Registration deadline is September 1.

Oct. 1: Deadline for applications for AS&E PumpPrimer II awards to stimulate extramural funding for projects otherwise difficult to launch. Click here for more information.