In Brief

Brock Grill Promoted to Associate Professor

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has promoted Brock Grill to associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience, as announced at a recent meeting of the TSRI Board of Trustees.

Grill and his team on the Florida campus study neuron development, in particular, the molecular mechanisms involved in synapse formation and axon termination with the goal of harnessing developmental mechanisms for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease and traumatic injury. Further information on Grill’s research is available on his faculty page and laboratory website.

EM Conference Draws Participants from around World

The “Workshop in Advanced Topics in EM Structure Determination” was held at TSRI November 9 to 14 to many rave reviews from the participants. Organized by TSRI faculty members and electron microscopy (EM) experts Bridget Carragher, Clint Potter and Ron Milligan, the workshop elicited comments including:

“This is one of the best meetings I have attended. It provided a clear overview of recent advances in the field and where the field is headed. I learned something new, with direct relevance to my own work, with nearly every talk.”

“Outstanding event—covering everything from specimen prep to the latest new technologies that can push the field forward. The workshop content also helped to broaden my understanding of the fundamental principles in EM structure determination...beautifully organized!”

“Fantastic. This is an exciting time in the EM field. Great mix of biology, method development and emerging technologies in the field.”

To learn more about TSRI’s National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, see http://nramm.scripps.edu

emm group
About 150 participants from around the word attended the recent conference on electron microscopy at TSRI. Click to enlarge.

Society of Fellows Elects New Executive Committee

The Scripps California Society of Fellows (SoF) has elected a 2014-2015 Executive Committee, led by new president Arryn Craney, research associate in the Romesberg lab.

Craney will continue to foster the collaborative research environment within TSRI and with neighboring research institutes. “We invite all postdoctoral fellows and graduate students to network at our social activities—monthly happy hours, yearly ski trip, Halloween party, etc.—and professional gatherings, such as the Industry Bridge Program, research symposiums and the Distinguished Lecturer Series,” she said.

Others elected to the Executive Committee are:

Vice president: Emi Casas of the Felding lab.
Treasurer: Dave Guimond of the Mowen lab.
Career development co-chairs: Jessica Mayeux of the Pollard lab and Elena Federzoni of the Torbett lab.
Distinguished Lecturer Series chair: Jose Olucha of the Cravatt lab.
Vendor show chair: Lynda Groocock of the Boddy lab.
Website manager: Shauna Bennett of the Nemerow lab.

Information on SoF activities and resources is available on the group’s website.

Career Workshop: Interviewing for Academic Positions

“Preparing for Your (Academic) Interview” is the topic of the next Academic Careers Roundtable, scheduled for Thursday, December 4, noon to 1 PM, in the graduate office dining room, Hazen Theory building.

Jeff Elman, Chancellor’s Associates Chair and Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego, will lead the roundtable. A founding member of the university’s Department of Cognitive Science, Elman’s work in the theoretical foundations of language and development has impacted fields as diverse as cognitive science, psycholinguistics, developmental psychology, evolutionary theory, computer science and linguistics.

Featuring a small group discussion format, Academic Careers Roundtable events are sponsored by TSRI Career and Postdoctoral Services and open to postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Lunch will be provided. Registration is required.

NWiS Upcoming Activities: Female Faculty Lecture Series, Coffee Hour

The Scripps California Network for Women in Science (NWiS) will hold two events, open to the campus community, in early December.

Female Faculty Lecture Features Linda Sherman

TSRI Professor Linda Sherman will speak at the group’s Female Faculty Lecture, scheduled for Friday, December 5, 3:30 PM, in the Committee Lecture Hall, Skaggs Institute/Molecular Biology Building. A PhD graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sherman also currently serves as president of the American Association of Immunologists, a 101-year-old international organization of scientists dedicated to advancing the knowledge of immunology and its related disciplines.

Postdoctoral fellows and graduate students are invited to a dinner with Sherman following the lecture; RSVP to acsmith@scripps.edu.

Coffee Hour Explores ‘Imposter Syndrome’

The next NWiS Coffee Hour, to be held on December 8, 3 PM, in the Faculty Club Tennis Court Room, will explore the psychological phenomenon “imposter syndrome.”

Diana Bull, licensed counselor with TSRI’s Counseling and Psychological Services center, will help lead a mini-workshop, “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome,” featuring student, postdoctoral, senior and junior faculty, male and female perspectives. The syndrome was first defined in a 1978 study by Georgia State University researchers Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes. High-achieving and entrepreneurial women often suffer from the syndrome, in which, despite external evidence to the contrary, they remain convinced they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved.

Additional information on these events and other NWiS activities is available on the group’s website and Facebook page.

Support TSRI with AmazonSmile this Holiday Season

Friends and supporters of TSRI can help the institute every time they make a purchase from Amazon—without paying more. Through AmazonSmile, customers can use their regular Amazon account at no cost to shop from smile.amazon.com, and Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of each purchase to TSRI. Sign in and help TSRI today.

Lunch & Learn: Relationships—Fact and Fiction

Daphne Lurie, director of the TSRI Counseling and Psychological Services center, will shed light on an often mystifying area of human interaction in the next Lunch & Learn presentation, “Relationship Mythbusters: Separating Fact from Fiction in Your Romantic Relationships,” scheduled for Wednesday, December 3, noon to 1 PM, in the Beckman building’s Keck Amphitheater on the California campus.

Lurie’s presentation will cover myths of romance and relationships and tips for healthy romantic partnerships. Additional information on the Lunch & Learn series and other Counseling and Psychological Services resources can be found on the center’s website.

ScrippsAssists Holiday Programs Support San Diego Community

ScrippsAssists offers California campus faculty, staff and family and friends several community service opportunities this holiday season.

San Diego Food Bank

Volunteers are needed to staff the San Diego Food Bank’s “Day at the Races” fundraiser, scheduled for Sunday, November 30, 10 AM to 2 PM, at the Del Mar Race Track. Helpers will assist with canned food and monetary donation collections, the food bank information booth, raffles in the VIP area and networking in a private suite.

The San Diego Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County. In the last fiscal year, the food bank distributed 22.3 million pounds of food and served, on average, more than 320,000 people per month. To volunteer for the event or for additional information, contact ScrippsAssists project lead Mishelle McClanahan-Shinn at mshinn@scripps.edu or x4-2738.

San Diego Blood Bank

The ScrippsAssists quarterly blood drive will be held on Thursday, December 4, from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB) bloodmobile will be parked adjacent to the Skaggs/MBB building, 10596 N. Torrey Pines Road. Appointments are available on the SDBB website; guidelines on donating also can be found on the site.

For additional details, contact project coordinator Leslie Madden, administrative assistant in the TSRI Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, at lmadden@scripps.edu.

ElderHelp

ScrippsAssists partners this year with ElderHelp to provide gifts and holiday cheer for San Diego senior citizens. The TSRI community is invited to donate gift cards to be delivered with festive holiday plants to 400 seniors living alone during the season. For many, this program provides the only visitor and gift they receive at this time of year. Visa and store gift cards of any denomination ($25 preferred) are accepted. Most helpful are cards from Vons, Albertsons, Target, Wal-Mart and CVS.

Donors are invited to an open house Saturday, December 6, 8 AM to 11 AM, to kick off the gift delivery. The gathering, complete with a Holiday Village setting, food, activities and entertainment, will be held at ElderHelp headquarters, 6150 Mission Gorge Rd., Suite 140, San Diego, CA 92120.

TSRI donations can be delivered to ScrippsAssists project lead Jess Sheu-Gruttadauria in MB-201 or through interdepartmental mail to MB-45. For further information contact her at jgruttad@scripps.edu or visit http://www.elderhelpofsandiego.org.

2014 Craft Fair and Raffle

Just in time for holiday shopping, the annual ScrippsAssists Craft Fair and Raffle offers unique, handcrafted gifts and the chance to support the organization’s many community projects and partners. Scheduled for Thursday, December 11, from 11 AM to 2 PM, the event is open to the public.

The fair’s raffle will feature a grand prize of a new 1128 Gb iPAd Air2, a special prize of a San Diego Brewery Tour for Two (through the Society of Fellows), plus a $50 Macy’s gift card, Scripps Shiley Fitness Center passes, jewelry, artwork and more. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $1 each at the fair and will be pre-sold on campus. Check the ScrippsAssists website for ticket pre-sale locations and an updated raffle prize list.

All proceeds from the fair’s exhibitor fees and raffle are used for ScrippsAssists donations to charitable organizations serving the San Diego community. For additional information, contact Committee Chair Mishelle McClanahan-Shinn at mshinn@scripps.edu or x4-2738.

Corks for Recycling

Help keep Mother Nature tidy with every bottle of wine you open during the holidays. Save those bottle stoppers for the ScrippsAssists “Corks for Recyling” program. Bring them to campus and send to Professor Brunie Felding at MEM 150 for donation to the Whole Foods market’s “Cork Reharvest” program. Over the past few years, this ScrippsAssists program has recycled more than 15,000 corks that would otherwise end up in landfills.

CA Blood Donors for Research Offered Cash Compensation

TSRI’s Normal Blood Donor Service (NBDS) seeks new donors to meet an urgent need for normal human blood products used by institute investigators on the California campus. Donors are immediately compensated $25 to $100 for a single blood draw.

The NBDS donor pool is open to all healthy individuals in the TSRI community who are readily available during working hours. Potential donors must meet the following criteria:

Age: 18 to 65 years.
Weight: at least 110 pounds (50 kg).
Blood pressure: between 90 to 180 mm Hg systolic and 50 to 100 mm Hg diastolic.
No major surgery within the past six months.
Adequate hemoglobin test scores.
Negative screening for HIV and Hepatitis B and C, upon entry to the program and every subsequent year.
No daily use of aspirin or anti-inflammatory medication.

Further details, including applications to become a paid donor, are available at the NBDS website. NBDS Coordinator Priscilla Crisler can be reached at (858) 784-5418; by fax, (858) 652-5556; or email, corelab@scripps.edu.

Human Resources and IT Services Relocate CA Offices

The TSRI Human Resources (HR) and IT Services departments and the International Office have relocated to the second floor of the 3050 building on the Scripps California campus: 3050 Science Park Road, La Jolla.

The main telephone line for the HR office, which includes benefits, employee relations, training and recruitment remains x4-8534; all department and individual phone extensions also remain the same. The HR department’s new mail drop is SP-211. Office hours are 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. A map with directions to the relocated offices is available on the HR website.

The International Office phone has not changed: x4-8120; however, the new office mail drop is SP-214.

The new IT Services and Telecommunications mail drop is SP-262. The main IT Services phone lines—internal, x4-HELP; external, (858) 784-9369—and individual extensions remain unchanged. The Telecommunications phone also has not changed: x4-9701.

CA Onsite Immunization Clinic Changes Location

Beginning Wednesday, December 3, the onsite immunization clinic on the Scripps California campus will be held in a new location: the Hazen Theory building, rooms 203/205. The clinics are held from 9:30 to 11:30 AM.

Conducted by Sharp Rees-Stealy staff, the clinic provides hepatitis B vaccination and titer free of charge to all TSRI employees. Environmental Health & Safety Occupational Medicine must pre-authorize other clinic procedures, including tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines. Hepatitis C titer is provided for lab personnel working with the virus. TB testing is offered to employees who, in the scope of their TSRI positions, provide human health care, such as registered nurses, or who work with human subjects.

For further information on the onsite clinics or the TSRI Occupational Medicine program, contact Rachel Longville, rachellv@scripps.edu or x4-8457.

CA Biosafety Committee to Meet in 3301 Building

The TSRI Institutional Biosafety Committee’s next meeting, Wednesday, December 10, from 3:30 to 4:30 PM, will now be held in the 3301 building, P2 conference room. To receive committee consideration, registration documents must be submitted to Environmental Health and Safety via email to rachellv@scripps.edu by Wednesday, November 26.

News&Views Takes a Holiday

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, News&Views will not be published Monday, December 1. Regular weekly publication will resume Monday, December 8.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

grill
Brock Grill has been promoted to associate professor.

Scripps CA Cheers On Komen 3-Day Walkers
komen
Members of Scripps California community cheered on participants in the 60-mile Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk supporting breast cancer research and breast health and education. Organized by TSRI’s Office of Philanthropy, volunteers staffed a booth illustrating TSRI cancer research efforts and handed walkers water, energy bars and pink TSRI wrist bands and shirts. (Photo by Dave Freeman.)

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