Kilean Lucas has been to several conferences to share his research.

But nothing like what he encountered during four days in Berlin last November as the University’s representative to the international Falling Walls conference. The conference, which commemorates the fall of the Berlin Wall, gives researchers, entrepreneurs, and inventors from around the world a forum to express ideas about how to “break down walls” to deal with big challenges confronting science and society.

“There were some really, really big names there,” says Lucas. He was especially impressed to hear a talk by Dennis Lo of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, “who basically grand-fathered the field that I’m in.

“It was a great way to do networking,” he adds. “And by talking to people from around the world, and not just in a university setting, you have a better sense of global needs.”

Lucas qualified for the all-expenses paid trip by winning the University’s preliminary Falling Walls competition. (The deadline to apply for this year’s competition is September 17; see more below.) This entitled the biomedical engineering PhD student to compete against 99 other young scholars from around the world in the Fall Walls Lab portion of the conference. The competitors were each allowed three minutes and three slides to summarize their groundbreaking ideas.

Lucas described how the silicon nanomembranes developed in the lab of his advisor, James McGrath, professor of biomedical engineering, could be used to filter out telltale exosomes (small, cell-derived vesicles) from the blood to provide early detection of cancer.

It was “a little bit intimidating,” Lucas admits, to stand before a 13-member panel of judges that included a Nobel laureate in physics, the chair of the Nobel Foundation, vice presidents from Bosch and from DAAD (the German academic exchange service). And even a woman astronaut who advises the European Space Agency.

“But I felt I did very well,” says Lucas, who worked with a speech coach provided by the University, benefited from the feedback of his lab mates and faculty mentors, and received additional coaching after arriving in Berlin.

He urges other students to consider entering the competition.

“It’s definitely worth giving it a shot,” Lucas says. “Even if you don’t win, in all honesty, the preparation for the competition is incredibly beneficial. Trying to summarize your research in three minutes, improving your communication that way — that’s really, really beneficial. No matter what field you’re in.”

HOW TO REGISTER

The deadline to apply for this year’s competition is Monday, Sept. 17. The qualifying round will be held October 2 in the Feldman Ballroom. The winner will receive $500 and a trip to the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin, November 7 to 9. Presenters will each have three minutes and three slides to summarize their groundbreaking ideas. Click here to register. Contact Adele Coelho, faculty outreach coordinator, at adele.coelho@rochester.edu for additional information.

The results of a clinical trial, which involved researchers from the Medical Center, showed that the drug ibudilast slowed the brain shrinkage associated with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and could herald a new treatment approach for individuals if the findings are confirmed in future studies.

“These results indicate that ibudilast may be effective in protecting the central nervous system and slowing the damage to the brain that is caused by MS,” said neurologist Andrew Goodman, a co-author of the study, which appears in the New England Journal of Medicine. Goodman served on the national steering committee for the Phase II clinical trial, dubbed SPRINT-MS. “While more clinical research is necessary, the trial’s results are encouraging and point towards a potential new type of therapy to help people with progressive MS.”

MS is a neurological disorder in which the body’s own immune system attacks myelin, the fatty tissue that insulates the nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.  These attacks are caused by inflammation which damages myelin, disrupting communication between nerve cells and leading to cognitive impairment, muscle weakness, and problems with movement, balance, sensation, and vision. MS usually presents with a relapsing-remitting course, in which symptoms occur then disappear for weeks or months and then may reappear, or primary and secondary progressive courses, which are marked by a gradual decline in function.

While there are more than a dozen approved therapies for relapsing forms of MS, treatment options for progressive MS are very limited and it is unclear whether any of the existing treatments can slow the gradually worsening symptoms of the disease process.

Ibudilast has been available in Japan and other Asian countries for more than two decades as a treatment for asthma and post-stroke symptoms. The drug is a small molecule taken orally that acts to suppress proteins called cytokines that promote inflammation and it is speculated that it may help limit the brain damage that occurs in MS.

The study involved 255 individuals specifically selected with progressive MS who were randomized into groups who either took ibudilast or placebo pills every day for 96 weeks. Every six months, the participants underwent MRI brain scans.  The researchers found that the drug slowed overall brain atrophy – or shrinkage – that is associated with MS by 48 percent compared to those that took the placebo.

Michael Tanenhaus, the Beverly Petterson Bishop and Charles W. Bishop Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, who was awarded the David E. Rumelhart Prize from the Cognitive Science Society and the Robert J. Glushko and Pamela Samuelson Foundation. The prize is the highest honor given by the Cognitive Science Society to recognize a “significant contribution to the theoretical foundations of human cognition.” Over the course of his 40-year career, Tanenhaus has focused his research on the mechanisms underlying language comprehension. He is best known as the creator of the Visual World Paradigm, which uses eye movements to study the mechanisms behind speech and language comprehension. According to the society, the paradigm has been widely adopted for studying language development and disorders. Read more here.

Natalie LeBlanc, who joined the School of Nursing in 2016 as a postdoctoral research associate, is now a tenure-track assistant professor and has been named the Dean’s Endowed Fellow in Health Disparities. The overarching goal of Leblanc’s research is to develop new, innovative ways to address health inequities among vulnerable individuals. Her recent focus has been in the area of sexual health, specifically HIV prevention among populations of color and non-hetero-normative behavior, as well as the influence of healthcare providers and healthcare systems on the health of these populations. She is particularly interested in interpersonal factors among couples, as well as between patients and providers, that influence couple-centered HIV prevention and sexual health. In addition, she has studied the context of vulnerability among men of color who have sex with men (MSM) and male couples in order to enhance and tailor services in the United States. She completed her PhD in 2016 at the School of Nursing at the University of Miami. Read more here.

(This is part of a monthly series to help principal investigators understand their role in ensuring that human subject protection requirements are met in their studies.)

Principal investigators (PIs) are responsible for implementing and conducting research in compliance with multiple regulations, guidelines, and policies.  Minimally, this includes federal and state regulations, institutional policies, reviewing Institutional Review Board (IRB) determinations, and ethical principles and standards commensurate with the PI’s discipline.  One important, yet challenging, facet of research conduct is remaining abreast of changes related to these regulations, guidelines, and policies.

Here are two important examples of upcoming changes that will affect all human subject research conducted at the University:

• Electronic Research Administration (eRA) Modernization Project – The goal of this project is to implement integrated research administration software across the institution. The Office for Human Subject Protection (OHSP) has been working diligently with the software vendor to implement the IRB review module.  Demonstrations of the software were held in August and the new software is on track to “go live” in October or November. (Recordings of the demonstrations are available via OHSP’s Seminar Materials in Blackboard.)  Prior to “go live” the current RSRB Online Submission System (ROSS) will enter a 2-3 week “freeze” where no new studies, amendments, continuing reviews or reportable events can be submitted for RSRB review.  The exact dates of this “freeze” have not yet been determined but they will be communicated to the research community as soon as they are finalized.  Additional background information on the project is available here.
• Common Rule Revisions – Revisions to the Common Rule were released by the Department of Health and Human Services in January 2017. These revisions are the first substantial update to the human subject protection regulations in well over three decades and will go into effect January 21, 2019.  Key changes include:  expanded and clarified categories of research that qualify for exemption; expanded informed consent requirements; modifications to continuing review requirements; and new requirements concerning single IRB review for cooperative research.  A more thorough review of revisions is available here.

These changes will have widespread effects across all types of research conducted within the institution, so “staying in the loop” as these changes progress is more important than ever.  One simple avenue to do this is via the Office for Human Subject Protection’s (OHSP) email distribution list.  OHSP provides salient regulatory, institutional, and training updates and announcements via their email distribution list on an as needed basis (about once or twice a month).  Not sure if you’re on the list?  Contact Kelly Unsworth.

Extended reality (XR) is an umbrella term for augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). The River Campus Libraries and AS&E would like to create a dedicated space for XR creation and exploration.

To learn more about faculty and student XR needs the library is facilitating a series of hands-on brainstorming sessions called design charrettes.

All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to participate; no prior knowledge or experience with XR is required. Feel free to sign up for one or both charrette sessions.

To register visit: https://www.library.rochester.edu/xr

For more information please contact Lauren Di Monte at lauren.dimonte@rochester.edu or 585-276-3274.

The NSF I-Corps Upstate New York (UNY) Node is offering a short course program for researchers interested in exploring the market potential of their work and learning entrepreneurial skills.

 Short courses—geared toward faculty, doctoral candidates, and postdocs—are offered at no cost to participants and consist of both in-person and remote meetings over a two-week period.

Short course graduates receive National Science Foundation (NSF) lineage and are able to apply to other NSF grant awards, including the National I-Corps Teams program, which carries a grant award up to $50,000.

Previous NSF funding is not required to apply. The Ain Center for Entrepreneurship will host its next short course starting Friday, October 26. Meals are provided to participants. The program is limited to eight teams. Apply online. Contact Matthew Spielmann with questions or to learn more.

The Office for Global Engagement in conjunction with the Warner School of Education is offering a noncredit-bearing English Language Program for newly admitted or matriculated international students as well as for English speakers who have a connection to the University (staff member or family of a staff member or student).

Free and low-cost program modules run for 10 weeks, starting September 10, and will cover topics ranging from general English to academic speaking and listening to academic reading and writing.

Sept. 14:  Workshop on basic components of writing successful proposals for humanities grants and fellowships, plus a writing session so that you can kick-start your proposals. 10 to 11:30 a.m., Rush Rhees Library Instruction Room B.  The session will end with an opportunity for immediate feedback on your proposal drafts and ideas. Geared toward graduate students in the humanities, but open to all interested grad students. Bring a laptop, and RSVP here.

Sept. 17: Deadline to apply for the Falling Walls competition. Winner of the Rochester competition, to be held October 2 in the Feldman Ballroom, will receive $500 and a trip to the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin, November 7 to 9. Presenters will each have three minutes and three slides to summarize their groundbreaking ideas. Click here to register. Contact Adele Coelho, faculty outreach coordinator, at adele.coelho@rochester.edu for additional information.

Sept. 20: Department of Surgery Research Symposium. Justin Dimick, the George D. Zuidema Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan, will present “Innovative Approaches for Improving Surgical Quality” from 7 to 8 a.m. in the Class of ’62 Auditorium. Following the grand rounds will be an abstract competition (8 to 9:15 a.m.), a poster competition (9:30 to 10:30 a.m.), and research fair (9:30 a.m. to noon).

Sept. 24: Deadline to apply for Novel Biostatistical and Epidemiologic Methods awards to overcome specific analytic limitations and significantly enhance the validity and accuracy, scope, or speed of clinical or translational research. A maximum of $35,000 will be awarded for a one-year period. View the request for applications (RFA).

Sept. 27: Workshop on Developmental Programming of Disease, focusing on current understanding of mechanisms that underlie early life programming. 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Class of ’62 Auditorium. Offered by the Department of Environmental Medicine and the University’s Environmental Health Science Center. Free and open to all. Registration is requested for ordering refreshments. Read more here.

Sept. 27: 8th annual Dr. Bernard Guyer Lecture in Public Health: “A Vaccine Meets a Strategy: Eliminating Epidemic Meningitis From Sub-Saharan Africa.” Presented by Marc LaForce, who directed the Meningitis Vaccine Project from 2001 to 2012. Noon. Helen Wood Hall Auditorium.

Sept. 30: Deadline for Medical Center tenure track faculty and their chairpersons to apply for up to $75,000 in bridge funding during a hiatus in research support. All questions and applications should be directed to Anne Reed. For more information, click here.

Oct. 1: Letters of intent due by 5 p.m. to apply for the KL2 Career Development program of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, designed to support the early research career development of clinical and translational scientists via two years of funding. Click here to view the full RFA.

Oct. 11: Pediatric Research Celebration Day. Lecture by Paul A. Offit, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases; an expert on vaccines, immunology, and virology; and co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine. Noon to 1 p.m., Class of ’62 Auditorium. Scientific poster session 11 a.m.  to noon and 1 to 2 p.m., Flaum Atrium.

Oct. 15: Deadline to apply for AS&E PumpPrimer II awards for innovative and high-risk research projects. Click here for guidelines. Faculty in Arts & Sciences should refer questions to debra.haring@rochester.edu and those in engineering to cindy.gary@rochester.edu. PumpPrimer I and Research Mobility funds are also available and applications are accepted any time.

Oct. 29: “The Future is Today: Transforming the Care of Childhood Onset Chronic Health Conditions.” UR Complex Care Center’s Second Annual Conference, co-sponsored by UR CTSI’s UNYTE Translational Research Network. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Class of ’62 Auditorium. Click here to register.