In Brief

Image Created by Page Lab Selected ‘Biomedical Picture of the Day’

A scientific image created by The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) Page lab has been featured by Biomedical Picture of the Day, a nonprofit website showcasing contemporary biomedical research. The image, created by Scripps Florida Research Associate Youjun Chen and Assistant Professor Damon Page, illustrates research on the autism risk gene PTEN published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience.

The Biomedical Picture of the Day website, which is managed by Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, United Kingdom, features images from research around the world. A brief description accompanies each image to connect the lay audience with the science behind medical practice.

For additional information on Page see his faculty webpage and lab website.

page image
This image from the Page lab, recently featured on Biomedical Picture of the Day, illustrates findings on the autism risk gene PTEN. Scripps Florida’s Research Associate Youjun Chen and Assistant Professor Damon Page used a red fluorescent reporter to visualize the structure of the cerebral cortex, a brain area implicated in autism.

TSRI Celebrates National Postdoc Appreciation Week

Five days of events honoring the contributions TSRI postdoctoral fellows to research at the institute will be held on both California and Florida campuses during National Postdoc Appreciation Week, September 21 to 25.

The activities are sponsored by TSRI, the Society of Fellows (SoF), Scripps Florida Society of Research Fellows (SRF), Career and Postdoctoral Services, Graduate Studies Office and Outreach Education.

CALIFORNIA

Monday, September 21, 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM: Seated Chair Massage
Free 10-minute massages are available. Contact Whitney Wagner to reserve a spot. Appointments are first-come, first-served at the Hazen Theory building, first floor.

Tuesday, September 22, 9 to 11 AM: Social Media Photo Lab
Complimentary professional photos for LinkedIn profiles are offered to the first 30 postdocs who register online, Hazen Theory building, first floor.

Wednesday, September 23, 1:30 to 5 PM: Second Annual SoF Lightning Talk Competition
Experience a whirlwind of science in three-minute bursts by faculty and postdocs. The 2015 Outstanding Mentor Award will be announced at the meet-and-greet social mixer, from 5 to 6 PM, at the Keck Amphitheater, Beckman building.

Thursday, September 24, 1 to 3 PM: Open House, Ice Cream Social and Raffle
The Career & Postdoctoral Services Office will hold an open house/ice cream social in the Resource Center, Hazen Theory building, first floor. Raffle prizes will be offered.

Thursday, September 24, 6 to 7:30 PM: “PhD Movie 2” Screening
SoF will host a screening of “The PhD Movie 2,” with light refreshments at the Keck Amphitheater, Beckman building.

Friday, September 25, noon: SoF General Meeting
Join SoF for lunch and news of the group’s resources and programs at the Keck Amphitheater, Beckman building.

Friday, September 25, 5 PM: SoF-SSI Joint Happy Hour
SoF will host a happy hour with the Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI) at the Faculty Club; refreshments will be provided.

Saturday, September 26, 5-8 PM: SoF End of Summer Bash
Join SoF for beers by Intergalactic Brewing Company and music by the Dark Matter Turtles at Bella Vista Social Club and Caffé. The $5 registration includes food and drink tickets.

FLORIDA

Monday, September 21, 11 AM to 3 PM: Social Media Photo Lab
Compliments of SRF, professional photos for LinkedIn profiles will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis in classroom B158. Register online. Professional attire is recommended.

Tuesday, September 22, 11 AM to 3 PM: Seated Chair Massage
Free 10-minute massages will be available in conference room B387. Contact Briana Konnick for an appointment.

Wednesday, September 23, 1 to 5 PM: “Art of Negotiation” Workshop
A complimentary, half-day workshop on the “Art of Negotiation” with Pushpalatha Murthy, professor at Michigan Tech University, and co-facilitator Yvette Huet, professor at University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Register online for the event, to be held in classroom B159.

Thursday, September 24, 6 to 7:30 PM: “PhD Movie 2” Screening
SRF and the graduate program will host a screening of “The PhD Movie 2” from PhD Comics in classroom A116. Refreshments will be provided.

Friday, September 25, 1 to 3 PM: Ice Cream Social and Raffle
Join the Career & Postdoctoral Services Office and Education Outreach in the Scripps Café, Building B, for an ice cream social and the chance to win raffle prizes.

SRF ResearchFest to Be Held September 18

Scripps Florida’s The Society of Research Fellows (SRF) will host its sixth annual ResearchFest: Scientific Symposium and Vendor Show on Friday, September 18, from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, in Building B on the Florida campus.

Drawing attendees from South Florida research institutes and universities, the event will feature more than 40 postdoctoral fellow and graduate student presentations on research advances in the TSRI Departments of Cancer Biology, Chemistry, Metabolism and Aging, Infectious Disease, Molecular Therapeutics and Neuroscience. In addition, some 40 scientific vendors will showcase and demonstrate their products and technologies in Scripps Café and classrooms.

Another highlight of the event is the announcement of the 2015 Faculty Mentorship Award, recognizing principal investigators for accessibility, supportiveness, propensity for providing constructive criticism and concern for mentees’ future careers. Previous winners include Associate Professors Laura Niedernhofer, Christoph Rader and Joseph Kissil.

For additional ResearchFest details, visit the SRF website or contact Scientific Symposium Chair Stephanie Sillivan, mssilliva@scripps.edu, or Vendor Show Chair Sherri Brigg, shammond@scripps.edu.

CA NWiS Coffee Hour to Explore ‘The Curie Complex’

Declaring September the unofficial “Female Scientist History Month” on the TSRI campus, the Scripps California Network for Women in Science (NWiS) will explore how established expectations shape views of the roles of women and men in science today at its Coffee Hour on Monday, September 14, 3 to 4 PM, in the graduate office dining room, Hazen Theory building, first floor.

The afternoon’s discussion will focus on The Madame Curie Complex: The Hidden History of Women in Science by Julie des Jardins. According to one review, the book, “reveals how women scientists have often asked different questions, used different methods, come up with different explanations for phenomena in the natural world and how they have forever transformed a scientist's role.”

In conjunction with the Coffee Hour topic, the NWiS Facebook page features profiles of prominent female scientists, including nuclear physicist Chien-Shiung Wu, anthropologist Margaret Mead, electrical engineer and astronaut Judith Resnick and medical physicist Rosalyn Sussman Yalow.

NWiS Coffee Hours are open to all. Light refreshments will be served. Details on other CA NWiS activities are available on the group’s website or Facebook page.

Meet the Alumni: Anna Juncker-Jensen of NantBioScience

Anna Juncker-Jensen, senior scientist at NantBioScience, will be the featured guest at the next Scripps California Meet the Alumni event, scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, from 4 to 5 PM.

Juncker-Jensen was a postdoctoral fellow in the Quigley lab at TSRI from September 2011 to October 2014, working in the field of cancer metastasis and proteolytic enzymes.

Each Meet the Alumni event features a different guest speaker from the growing TSRI alumni network, presented in a relaxed, informal discussion setting and open to postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Speakers discuss career options and career-influencing decisions and offer advice on career transitions.

The event will be held in the graduate office dining room, first floor of the Hazen Theory building. Light refreshments will be served. Reservations are required.

SOF Travel Award Applications Due October 16

Applications for the Society of Research Fellows (SoF) Travel Award fall cycle are due Friday, October 16 at midnight Pacific Time. The awards, open to full-time Scripps California postdoctoral fellows, provide recipients the opportunity to present scholarly work at a national or international conference.

Up to three grants of $1,000 each will be awarded for scientific conference-related costs, including travel, housing and conference registration. A selection committee will review applications based on scientific merit, quality of scientific communication, financial need and overall qualification of applicant.

Award eligibility and criteria and the application form are available online. For additional information, contact David Guimond, SoF treasurer, at dquimond@scripps.edu or x4-9062.

ScrippsAssists Supports Coastal Cleanup Day

ScrippsAssists invites the California campus to help give the Del Mar San Dieguito Lagoon an autumn cleaning as part of this year’s I Love A Clean San Diego's Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 19, 9 AM to noon. Some 8,000 volunteers are expected to beautify 100 locations throughout the region, including beaches, bays, trails, parks and neighborhoods.

ScrippsAssists volunteers will meet at the Birdwing Open Air Classroom, 15662 San Andres Dr., Del Mar 92014, before helping with litter pickup, invasive plant removal and trail-building. Seed balls and nature art projects will be offered for youth volunteers. On-the-water cleanup will be available to volunteers who bring their own kayaks.

Participants are advised to wear comfortable closed-toed shoes and sun protection (hat, sunscreen, long sleeves and pants). Volunteers can bring their own reusable alternatives to cleanup supplies, including buckets, work gloves, and reusable water bottles to reduce waste at the event.

Volunteers must sign a waiver prior to the event; minors must have a waiver signed by a parent. To register, contact Jess Sheu-Gruttadauria at jgruttad@scripps.edu/.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

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