October 13, 2025

A scientist in a lab coat uses a pipette to prepare microchips with human tissue.

University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster

In lieu of animal experiments, researchers from the Department of Biomedical Engineering are using state-of-the-art microchips with human tissue to better understand how the brain operates under healthy conditions and is damaged through neurodegenerative diseases or conditions like sepsis.

Jim McGrath, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Biomedical Engineering and director of the Translational Center for Barrier Microphysiological Systems (TraCe-bMPS), leads a team that develops and leverages tissue chips to study diseases where two different types of tissue meet, including at the blood-brain barrier. A pair of recent studies published in Advanced Science and Materials Today Bio used the chips to identify how the blood-brain barrier breaks down under serious threats, which could lead to new treatments to keep brains healthy.

DISCOUNTS FOR SOUNDTRAX PERFORMANCES

An orchestra on the stage of Eastman Theatre with text overlaid that says "Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester presents Soundtrax Film Music Festival October 16-18, 2025."

The inaugural Soundtrax Film Music Festival is this week! I highly encourage all Hajim School students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and families to attend this unique festival that is the first of its kind in North America. There are generous free or heavily discounted opportunities for University of Rochester community members to take advantage of:

All daytime conversation and presentation events: FREE with presentation of UR ID.
Red Violin: FREE for Eastman and River Campus students, faculty and staff, with presentation of UR ID; can be picked up at any time. Available for in-person pick-up at the Eastman Box Office only.
Terrence Blanchard: $5 student tickets which can be purchased at any time with presentation of UR ID; available for in-person pick-up at the Eastman Box Office only.
The Music from Interstellar: $5 student tickets which can be purchased at any time with presentation of UR ID; available for in-person pick-up at the Eastman Box Office only.
John Williams Reimagined: $5 student tickets which can be purchased at any time with presentation of UR ID; available for in-person pick-up at the Eastman Box Office only.

Throughout the day on Friday, there will also be special interactive demos on Apple’s Vision Pro, which promises a new era of personal, spatial computing—where movies, music, and interactive experiences envelop the viewer in a seamless fusion of sight and sound. In one demonstration, The Spatialists present Sessions, a groundbreaking multi-sensory performance created for the Vision Pro.

To register for free events and purchase tickets to individual Soundtrax concerts, visit Eastman’s Box Office online, in person (433 East Main Street), or by calling (585) 274-3000. Read a terrific behind-the-scenes interview with festival organizers Mark Bocko and Mark Watters in City Magazine.

HUSSEIN ALUIE ELECTED FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY

A graphic with dark blue hexagonal shapes, a headshot, and text that says "Hussein Aluie, professor of mechanical engineering and mathematics and senior scientist at LLE, American Physical Society Fellow."

Congratulations to Hussein Aluie, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Mathematics and senior scientist at the University’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics, who was selected to become an American Physical Society Fellow. This is a is a prestigious recognition by his peers for his outstanding contributions to physics.

Hussein was nominated “for developing a coarse-graining framework to analyze multiscale and inhomogeneous turbulent flows and generalizing this framework to the sphere to unravel coupled-scale processes within the ocean and Earth’s climate system, and for service to APS, particularly in bridging the Topical Group on the Physics of Climate and the Division of Fluid Dynamics.”

Read about his work to understand how the atmosphere affects ocean weather.

HAJIM STUDENTS NAMED GARNISH SCHOLARS

A composite of posed shots featuring Max McClung, Ashton Prescott, and Cece Vassallo.

Every year, the University of Rochester Department of Athletics and Recreation honors some of the University’s top student-athletes with Lysle ‘Spike’ Garnish Scholar Athlete awards. This year, three outstanding Hajim School students were selected by the Garnish Committee and were honored on campus at halftime of the Rochester-Ithaca football game on October 4. Hajim students among the honorees included Max McClung ’26 (electrical and computer engineering) from the swimming and diving team, and soccer players Ashton Junnosuke Prescott ’26 (computer science) and Cece Vassallo ’26 (mechanical engineering).

MARK AIN BUSINESS MODEL COMPETITION

Do you have a bold idea but don’t know how to bring it to life? The Mark Ain Business Model Competition gives University of Rochester students exactly that chance.

Pitch your startup concept (in any industry)
Compete for $13,500 in cash prizes
Receive coaching, visibility, and real-time feedback
Open to undergraduate and graduate students (no prior experience required)

Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, November 1. Submit your executive summary, business model canvas, video pitch, and customer discovery insights. Finalists will present in person at Hoyt Auditorium at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 8. First place wins $10,000 — it could be your breakthrough.

Apply now via the Ain Center.

SCIENCE COALITION STUDENT VIDEO CHALLENGE

The Science Coalition, of which the University is a member, is once again hosting the Alyse Gray Parker Memorial Student Video Challenge. From October 1 through November 15, undergraduate and graduate students at member institutions are invited to submit short videos about why science—and scientific research—matter to them and the nation’s future. Find details on the challenge.

TECH UP TALK: QUANTUM EXPLAINED

A graphic with blue and green gear shapes, a headshot, and text that says "Tech Up Talk, Quantum Explained, John Nichol, Associate Professor, physics and astronomy, University of Rochester."

The organization Tech Up for Women will host a primer on quantum computing featuring John Nichol, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and co-lead of the Center for Coherence and Quantum Science. The virtual talk takes place from 3-3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14 on Zoom. Register on LinkedIn.

FOR FACULTY: BLACKBOARD ULTRA INFORMATION DAY

Faculty are invited to a Blackboard Ultra Information Day on Thursday, October 30, a special event designed to help you get the most out of Ultra Courses. Whether you’re new to Ultra or looking to deepen your expertise, this day will offer practical sessions and insights into using Ultra effectively. It will also include the Online Teaching Symposium session where faculty will share their experience with Ultra courses. See the schedule and RSVP.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman