In Brief

Brandon Rosen, Jian He to Present at Reaxys Prize Symposium

Brandon Rosen and Jian He, graduate students at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) will present their research at 2015 Reaxys PhD Prize Symposium this September in Hong Kong as finalists in the Reaxys global competition.

The competition is held by science information provider Elsevier to recognize original and innovative research by young chemists in organic, organometallic and inorganic chemistry. Three Reaxys PhD Prize winners will be announced at the symposium. Just 45 finalists were selected from more than 450 submissions worldwide.

Rosen is a fifth-year graduate student in the Baran lab. His research is focused on the development of new chemical methods to synthesize architecturally complex and biologically relevant natural products to ultimately expedite drug discovery.

A fifth-year graduate student in the Yu lab, He’s research is centered on designing novel transition-metal catalysts to provide access to complex molecules and to develop libraries of unnatural amino acids with the goal of facilitating peptide synthesis and drug discovery.

Katrin Karbstein to Speak at SRF Faculty Lecture

Associate Professor Katrin Karbstein will speak on “Quality Control and Regulation of 40S Ribosome Assembly” at the next Scripps Florida Society of Research Fellows (SF-SRF) Faculty Lecture, scheduled for Friday, July 10, 4 PM in the Fink Auditorium.

The Karbstein lab studies the mechanisms that cells use to regulate and quality control the assembly of ribosomes, with the goals of understanding the molecular basis for cancer when ribosomes are defective and of developing novel drug targets for cancer therapy.

The SF-SRF lecture series is intended to highlight the quality of research conducted at Scripps Florida and foster community relationships, both professional and personal. A reception will follow at 5 PM in the Scripps Café.

CA Career Workshop: Social Media for Scientists

A hands-on workshop and overview of social media outlets will be offered to Scripps California faculty and students at “LinkedIn and Social Media for Scientists,” on Wednesday, July 1, from 2 to 3:30 PM, in the Graduate Office seminar room, Hazen Theory building, first floor.

Jean Branan, Career and Postdoctoral Services program coordinator, will lead the session, which will cover creating a professional social networking identity, including an effective LinkedIn profile; building and maintaining professional relationships via social media; and constructing a professional presence on social networking sites. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops to the session.

RSVP is required. For additional career development resources, visit the Career and Postdoctoral Services website.

Industry Bridge Program to Visit Eli Lilly

If you are a postdoctoral fellow or graduate student interested in a visit to Eli Lilly’s San Diego facility on Friday, July 10, from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM, the deadline to register for the event is Wednesday, July 1. Twenty participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The popular Industry Bridge Program (IBP), sponsored by Scripps California’s Society of Fellows, offers overviews of careers in biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields, onsite facility visits and networking opportunities with industry scientists.

Eligibility, specific application procedures and guidelines are available on the IBP webpage. For more information on Eli Lilly, visit the company’s website.

CA Academic Careers Roundtable: Teaching at a Community College

The benefits and challenges of a faculty position at an institution of higher learning granting two-year degrees is the topic of the next Scripps California Academic Careers Roundtable, scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, from 4 to 5 PM, in the Graduate Office seminar room, Hazen Theory building, first floor.

Featured speaker will be David Hecht, professor of chemistry at Southwestern College in Chula Vista and an adjunct faculty member at San Diego State University. An associate editor of the journal Biosystems and senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Hecht holds a BS in biochemistry from Rutgers University, an MS in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in macromolecular structural biology and chemistry from TSRI.

RSVP is required. Sponsored by TSRI Career and Postdoctoral Services, the bimonthly Academic Careers Roundtable is a professional development series for postdoctoral fellows and graduate students featuring guest faculty discussion leaders on a variety of topics.

FL Academic Careers Roundtable: NIH Grant Process – Date Change

The date has been changed for the Scripps Florida Academic Careers Roundtable on navigating the grant and review process for the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00). The event is now scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, noon to 1 PM, in the Board Room.

TSRI Associate Professor Courtney Miller will facilitate the informal session, which will include strategies on using the NIH award. Lunch will be provided. Reservations are required.

Lunch & Learn: Developing Emotional Responsiveness

The next Lunch & Learn presentation, “Tuning In: How Emotional Responsiveness Creates a Lifetime of Love,” is scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, at noon.

Lisa Ruderman, licensed marriage and family therapist and cofounder of the San Diego Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy, will conduct the session. Topics will include:

Developing empathy during a conflict with a life partner
Observing one’s own emotional reactions while focusing on the present moment
Reaching out when a partner exhibits nonverbal signs of emotional pain

The event, sponsored by the Counseling and Psychological Services department, will be held in the Beckman building’s Keck Amphitheater. For additional information on this Lunch & Learn session and other resources from Counseling and Psychological Services, visit the office website.

TSRI Healthcare, Dependent Care Spending Account 2014 Claims Deadline: June 30

Eligible TSRI employees who participated in the Healthcare Spending Account (HCSA) or Dependent Care Spending Account (DCSA) during the 2014 plan year must submit claims for reimbursement by Tuesday, June 30.

Claims for the 2014 plan year should be submitted to United Medical Resources (UMR), TSRI’s former spending account provider. 2015-plan-year claims should be submitted to Tri-Ad, TSRI’s current spending account provider.

UMR claim forms are available on the TSRI benefits website. Contact Benefits Administration at (858) 784-8487 or via email at benefits@scripps.edu with questions or for additional information.

CA ScrippsAssists Wee Companions Project Date: July 1

ScrippsAssists will hold its next monthly volunteer event for the nonprofit animal rescue agency Wee Companions on Wednesday, July 1, from 6 to 8 PM. The agency cares for rescued guinea pigs, rats and other small exotic animals.

Volunteers help clean and set up guinea pig cages at the Wee Companions Adoption Center, 3368 Governor Dr., Suite F, San Diego, 92122, near University Town Center. No animals are handled during this activity.

Wee Companions volunteers can also serve as animal foster-home guardians, provide adoption counseling or help with clerical and staff work. Founded in 1998, Wee Companions provides pet adoption services, a foster-care network, holiday pet-sitting for small animals and pet care education.

To sign-up for the July event or for more information, contact ScrippsAssists project lead Sasha Moola, graduate student in the Wilson lab, at smoola@scripps.edu.

Onsite Clinic Scheduled for July 1 on CA Campus

The next onsite immunization clinic on the California campus will be held Wednesday, July 1, from 9:30 to 11:30 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.

At the Auditorium: Summer of Schubert

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library’s 17^thannual Summer Festival, a four-part concert series featuring the works of Franz Schubert, begins Sunday, July 5, at 4 PM. Pianist Gustavo Romero will present an in-depth exploration of Schubert compositions, including Impromptus, D. 899 C Minor, E-flat Major, G-flat Major, A-flat Major.

The Athenaeum festival series with continues on Sundays, July 12 and July 19, 4 PM, with Romero performing an extensive selection of Shubert works, including Moments Musicaux, D. 780 and Sonata in G Major, D. 894. Summer festival ticket information is available on the Athenaeum website.

The Auditorium at TSRI is located at 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego 92121.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

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