In Brief

Wriggers Awarded Sloan Foundation Fellowship
Willy Wriggers, assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), has been awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship in computational and evolutionary molecular biology from The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The fellowships are awarded annually to recognize and support young scientists and scholars in seven fields: chemistry, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, and physics.

Wriggers directs the Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics, which models and simulates 3D structures of large sub-cellular biological machines. Using modern information processing techniques, in concert with physics-based simulation methods, the team combines structural data of biological machines from a variety of biophysical sources. In particular, they investigate the architecture, dynamics, and function of large-scale macromolecular assemblies with low-resolution density data from electron microscopy.

Wriggers states that their work was made possible by the highly collaborative environment at TSRI. "We appreciate the support of the nominating Molecular Biology Department and of our friends and collaborators [Professors] Charles Brooks and Ronald Milligan," Wriggers says. "[They] all have provided much encouragement throughout the years to bridge scientific disciplines and departmental boundaries."

Zuniga Wins PEW Fellowship and Belgian Government Prize
TSRI Research Associate Elina Zuniga, who received her Ph.D. from the University of Cordoba, Argentina, has been named recipient of two prizes. First, she obtained a competitive PEW Latin American Fellowship to receive postdoctoral training in the laboratory of TSRI Professor Michael Oldstone. This award provides two years of postdoctoral support and a third year of faculty support upon her return to Argentina. Second, she will receive the Development Co-operation Prize from the Belgian government. The award is given to a young researcher who contributes significantly to knowledge that can be applied to alleviate disease and poverty in developing countries. Zuniga, who will receive the award in Belgium on May 11, was named for her work on the immunobiology of Trypasnosoma infection. At TSRI, she is working on understanding the molecular mechanism(s) involved in virus-induced immunosuppression.

Security Guard Karl Thorpe: Faster and Faster
Sixty-four-year-old Security Guard Karl Thorpe is now one of the nation's top-ten 100-meter and 200-meter sprinters in his age group. On February 22, Thorpe competed in the Palm Desert Senior Games in Palm Springs, California. There, he won gold medals in the 50-meter and 100-meter sprints and a silver medal in the 200-meter. Thorpe plans to begin competing about once a month to stay on top of his game. "I'm amazing myself," says Thorpe, "I'm going to ride this thing as long as I can."

Deuel to Speak in Faculty Lecture Series
TSRI Professor Thomas F. Deuel will speak on "Cytokine Cascades: Pathways to Functional Diversity in Growth Differentiation and Neoplastic Transformation", as part of the Faculty Lecture Series on Wednesday, March 12. The lecture will be held at 5 PM in the Timken Amphitheater, Scripps Clinic, 10666 North Torrey Pines Road.

Personal Skills for Life and Work: "Boundaries, Part 2"
Jan Hill and Jeff Jones of the Employee and Graduate Student Counseling Department will present "Boundaries: Part 2" on Wednesday, March 19, from noon to 1 PM. Topics will include respectful communication, how to balance needs (yours and others), and challenges in boundary setting. The seminar will be held in Suite 205, Second Floor Training Room, 3377 North Torrey Pines Court Building. For additional information, contact Hill at x4-2950.

Gluck Child Care Center Is Accepting Kindergarten Applications
The Maxwell H. & Muriel Gluck Child Care Center, an institution affiliated with TSRI and located at 10660 John Jay Hopkins Drive, is accepting applications for the 2003-04 school year kindergarten program. Features of the program include: o A small class size of 12 children; o Individualized instruction; o A stimulating learning environment; o A weekly Spanish program; o Strong programs in math, science, language arts, and reading; o Creative arts, music, drama, and physical education; o A teacher who has a degree and 10 years of teaching experience; o Care from 6:45 AM to 6:45 PM; o Limited holiday closings.

Call (858) 455-5220 for details on fall enrollment.

Benefits at a Glance: Mental Health Plan
Benefits Administration would like to remind all Medical Plan Participants of the mental health benefit through United Behavioral Health (UBH). Participants are covered for up to 40 outpatient visits per year. Outpatient visits to an in-network provider require a pre-authorization through UBH. Once the authorization is obtained, employees and covered dependents only pay a $20 co-payment per visit. Authorized in-network visits for TSRI Graduate Students and their dependents are covered in full. Outpatient visits to a non-network provider do not require pre-authorization and are covered at 50 percent of the usual and customary rate. Inpatient services including psychiatric and chemical dependency treatment are also covered and require a pre-authorization through UBH. For further details or for help with a claims issue, you may contact UBH at (800) 888-2998, Human Resources at 784-8487 or benefits@scripps.edu, or Employee and Graduate Student Counseling Services at 784-2950.

Rescheduled: How to Save for College 101
Have you ever wondered how you will save enough for the cost of a college education for your children or even yourself? While the costs of college may seem overwhelming, GoldenState Scholarshare—California's 529 College Savings Program—is an easy, flexible way to save for higher education while enjoying tax advantages. The information session with a TIAA-CREF Scholarshare representative has been rescheduled to Tuesday, March 11 in the Keck Amphitheater, Beckman Center from 1 to 2 PM. For more information, contact Benefits Administration, x4-8487.

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