In Brief

Jeanne Loring to Join International Parkinson's Research Group

Jeanne Loring, professor at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), has been invited to join an elite collaborative group of researchers working toward development of cell replacement therapies for Parkinson’s disease. She will attend the next meeting of the group, called G-Force PD, this May in Kyoto, Japan.

G-Force PD was founded in 2006 to enable researchers worldwide to navigate the scientific and regulatory paths to clinical trials for dopamine neuron replacement therapy.

Loring joins the four other members of G-Force PD as a scientist leading a project funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The other members are Roger Barker of the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), Malin Parmar of Lund University (Sweden), Jun Takahashi of Kyoto University (Japan) and Lorenz Studer of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (United States). Research programs by G-Force PD members are funded by grants from Transeuro (EU), Neurostemcellrepair (EU), MSKCC/NYSTEM (NY, USA), CiRA (Japan) and CIRM (CA, USA).

CA "Smart Money" Workshop February 2

The TSRI Career and Postdoctoral Services Office (CPSO) invites all employees to attend “MetLife Plan Smart presents: Smart Money Moves in Your 20s and 30s,” to be held February 2, 2017 from 4 to 5:30 PM in the Graduate Office Large Conference Room, Hazen Theory Building, 1st floor.

Ciano Ordinola and James Lingelbach of MetLife will lead the session. They will share ten relevant tips for smart saving—from creating a budget, to establishing an emergency fund, to making the most of retirement savings.

To RSVP, please go to the CPSO site. For more information, contact Program Coordinator Jean Branan at jbranan@scripps.edu.

Next 'Meet the Alumni' February 2

Former TSRI research associate David Gokhin will be visiting the California campus on February 2, 2017 from 4 to 5 PM in the Graduate Office Dining room, Hazen Theory building, 1st floor to share what he’s learned in his career as a medical writer.

Gokhin holds a Ph.D. in bioengineering and served as a postdoctoral fellow in Velia Fowler’s group in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at TSRI from 2009 to 2015. After investigating a diverse array of cell types and clinical states in the Fowler lab, Gokhin leveraged this experience by accepting a position as a medical writer at Carling Communications, a marketing agency and professional services firm specializing in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Today, Gokhin’s primary focus is the development of educational, promotional, and peer-to-peer content for a broad portfolio of clients.

To RSVP, please go to http://intranet.scripps.edu/postdoctoral/professional_development/career-training-schedule.html#/?i=1. For more information, contact TSRI Career and Postdoctoral Services Program Coordinator Jean Branan at jbranan@scripps.edu.

Laura Bohn to Present Faculty Lecture on February 8

Laura Bohn, professor in the Department of Molecular Therapeutics & Neuroscience on the Florida campus of TSRI, will continue the Faculty Lecture Series on Wednesday, February 8, with a presentation titled “Refining Opioid Receptor Signaling to Improve the Therapeutic Index.”

The lecture will begin at 4 PM in the Committee Lecture Hall in the Skaggs/Molecular Biology Building (MBB2N), followed by a reception in the Beckman Building first-floor galleria.

For further information, see the Faculty Lecture Series webpage. The series is supported by an endowment from the Cochrane-Cartan families, established by TSRI Professor Emeritus Charles G. Cochrane.

TSRI to Host Blood Drive on February 16

The TSRI California campus and ScrippsAssists will host a blood drive, serving the San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB), on Thursday, February 16, from 9 AM to 2:30 PM.

The SDBB Blood Mobile will be located in the parking lot in front of the Skaggs/Molecular Biology Building (10596 N. Torrey Pines Road). While walk-ins are welcome, the SDBB asks that participants please make an appointment to help streamline the event’s activities. To reserve an appointment time, visit the SDBB online reservation system [https://www.mysdbb.org/appointment/location.html?did=87038]. All donors will be entered automatically in a drawing for prizes.

Donor eligibility guidelines and requirements are outlined on the SDBB website. For additional information on the blood drive, contact Leslie Madden, ScrippsAssists project organizer, at lmadden@scripps.edu.

Dixon Lecture Featuring Klaus Rajewsky Scheduled for February 23

The 2017 Frank J. Dixon Memorial Lecture, featuring a presentation by immunologist Klaus Rajewsky, will be held Thursday, February 23, 4 PM, at The Auditorium at TSRI.

Rajewsky is a research group leader at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, Germany. His studies focus on mechanisms of normal and malignant development in the immune system. Rajewsky is renowned for his work on B cells and has been honored with several awards, including the Robert Koch Prize and Ernst Jung Gold Medal for Medicine. He is a member of the National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, has served on various scientific advisory and editorial boards, and has authored more than 400 research articles. Rajewsky will speak on “Cellular competition, surveillance and fitness of normal, virus-infected and malignant B cells.”

The annual lecture honors Frank Dixon, a pioneering immunologist who for many years led the research division of the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation (predecessor organization to TSRI). He passed away in 2008 at the age of 87.

CA Onsite Clinic Scheduled February 15

The next onsite immunization clinic on the California campus will be held Wednesday, February 15, from 9:30 to 11 AM, in the Hazen Theory Building, rooms 203/205. Appointments are not needed.

Conducted by Sharp Rees-Stealy staff, the clinic will provide hepatitis B vaccination free of charge to all TSRI employees. Environmental Health & Safety Occupational Medicine must pre-authorize all other procedures based on the employee's working conditions. These procedures include tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines and other titers, immunizations and procedures.

Send comments to: press[at]scripps.edu

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TSRI Professor Jeanne Loring. (Photo by Cindy Brauer.)

TSRI Professor Laura Bohn will present her work on February 8. (Photo by James McEntee.)

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