In Brief

Faculty Promotions: Michael Boddy, Xiaohua Wu, William Ja, Shuji Kishi

As announced at a recent meeting of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) Board of Trustees, Associate Professors Michael Boddy and Xiaohau Wu have been awarded tenure, and William Ja and Shuji Kishi and have been promoted to the rank of associate professor.

Michael Boddy, of Scripps California’s Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, studies proteins that repair DNA and maintain the integrity of the genome and investigates how these repair mechanisms are relevant to diseases such as cancer.
Xiaohua Wu, of Scripps California’s Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, focuses on the molecular mechanisms that regulate DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoint control in mammalian cells, with an emphasis on how these activities contribute to the genome stability and the prevention of cancer.
William Ja, of Scripps Florida’s Department of Metabolism and Aging, uses behavioral, biochemical and genetic approaches in the fruit fly to dissect genetic pathways that are involved in aging, nutrition and disease.
Shuji Kishi, of Scripps Florida’s Department of Metabolism and Aging, uses zebrafish as a model system to develop a high-throughput processing system for gene identification and phenotype characterization, particularly associated with human age-related disorders.

Mark Herzik Named 2016 Whitney Fellow

Mark Herzik, research associate in the Lander lab, has been named a 2016 Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Fellow, a three-year award that supports early-career researchers in basic biomedical science.

In his research, Herzik employs high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy to solve the structures of the primary mitochondrial protein import gateways and to study how their deregulation contributes to the progression of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Established in 1947, the New York City-based Helen Hay Whitney Foundation’s mission is to increase the number of imaginative, well-trained and dedicated medical scientists. This year’s 22 Whitney Fellows were selected from nearly 450 applicants.

Local Neuroscientists Come Together at Scripps Florida

Scores of neuroscientists and those studying to be neuroscientists came together on the Scripps Florida campus recently for Synapse 2016, an annual neuroscience networking event that included students and research scientists from TSRI, the Palm Beach Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Max Planck Florida Institute. Nearby Nova Southeastern University, Torrey Pines Institute and Palm Beach State College took advantage of the opportunity as well.

More than 30 posters were displayed, covering topics from behavioral studies to neural computations and molecular neuroscience.

Ron L. Davis, chair of TSRI’s Department of Neuroscience, put it this way: “This is an opportunity for scientists from our campus, Max Planck, FAU and other local institutions to share their research, their ideas and their enthusiasm about the work they’re doing. For those of us who have chosen Palm Beach County to live and work, this is exactly what we hoped would happen—a growing spirit of collaboration that is rapidly becoming the hallmark of the Jupiter scientific community.”

Michael Farzan to Speak at February 10 CA Faculty Lecture Series

Michael Farzan, vice chairman and professor of the Department of Immunology and Microbial Science at Scripps Florida, will speak on “An Alternative Approach to an HIV Vaccine” at the next Scripps California Faculty Lecture Series presentation on Wednesday, February 10. The lecture will begin at 5 PM in the Timkin Amphitheater, Green Hospital. A reception will follow in the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Building, first floor.

For further information, see Farzan’s Faculty Lecture Series webpage: http://intranet.scripps.edu/california/facultylectureseries/2015_2016events/Farzan.html

The series is supported by an endowment from the Cochrane-Cartan families, established by TSRI Professor Emeritus Charles G. Cochrane.

TSRI Alumni Association Kick-Off Event February 11

The newly established TSRI Alumni Association will kick off its activities with a speakers panel on Thursday, February 11, from 5 to 8 PM, in the Keck Amphitheater, Beckman building, La Jolla, California.

The panel will feature TSRI Professor Phil Baran, (TSRI Class of 2001); John Hood, chief scientific officer at Samumed, a biotech developing therapeutics to address a range of degenerative diseases, regenerative medicine and oncology (TSRI postdoc 1998-2002); and Alan Ezekowitz, president and CEO of Abide Therapeutics, which he co-founded with TSRI Professors Dale Boger and Ben Cravatt.

Open to TSRI faculty, alumni, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, the event is sponsored by the Scripps California Society of Fellows. A cocktail reception will follow the panel presentation; RSVP at http://tsrialumnikickoff.eventbrite.com

CA Career Workshop: Recruiting and Team Building

“Team Recruitment and Development,” is the next presentation in the Scripps California “How to Set Up a Lab” series, to be held Wednesday, February 24, from 1 to 2:30 PM.

Damien Wilpitz, a former lab research manager at Harvard University and the Salk Institute and founder of Experimental Designs Consulting, will conduct the workshop for senior postdoctoral fellows interested in an academic position, junior faculty and grant applicants, focusing on:

Best approaches to finding and screening candidates
Key strategies in recruiting and hiring

Sponsored by TSRI Career and Postdoctoral Services, the session will be held in the Graduate Office dining room, first floor, Hazen Theory building. The workshop requires advance registration.

Registration Open for Florida Biomedical Career Symposium

Registration is now open for the Florida Biomedical Career Symposium, offering an introduction to a broad array of career opportunities. The day-long event, sponsored by Scripps Florida and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is scheduled for Friday, March 18.

The symposium will cover career paths in such areas as scientific operations, management consulting, tech transfer, science communication, research in academia and government, patent law and science policy.

Keynote lecturer Joel Shulman, former associate director of corporate research at Proctor and Gamble and adjunct professor at the University of Cleveland, will speak on “You’ve Completed Your Training at Scripps: Now What?”

Registration is free and open to postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and research assistants/technicians. The event will be held on the Scripps Florida campus; program details and registration information is available at http://www.asbmb.org/floridabiomedical/.

CA Financial Planning Workshop: Investing 101

Investing 101, the first in a three-part financial planning workshop series for Scripps California postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, will be held Thursday, February 18, from 4 to 5:30 PM.

Representatives from MetLife will conduct the session, a basic overview of investing versus saving. Specific topics will include:

Asset call and investment styles
Bonds, stock, bull and bear markets
Mutual funds
Potential investment income

Registration is required for the workshop, which will be held in the Graduate Office dining room, first floor, Hazen Theory building.

Other upcoming workshops in the series include “Insurance Income,” on Thursday, March 17 and “Employment Transition,” on Thursday, April 21.

ScrippsAssists Project: Walk for San Diego’s Animals

Scripps California’s ScrippsAssists is recruiting volunteers and participants—including family and friends over age 16—to support the San Diego Humane Society’s (SDHS) “Walk for the Animals,” to be held on Saturday, February 20, at Kit Carson Park in Escondido.

Volunteers will set up and staff water stations along the walk route and cheer on participants from 7:30 to 11:30 AM. Volunteers will receive a complimentary T-shirt, plus a pancake breakfast and snacks. For volunteer sign-up and additional information, contact project lead Tanya Gresham at gresham@scripps.edu or x4-2433.

Walk participants and their pets can sign up on the SDHS Walk for Animals website. Event proceeds will help fund the society’s animal shelter and rescue activities, pet ownership classes, community educational programs and animal cruelty and neglect prevention efforts.

Scripps Florida Biosafety Meeting Scheduled for February 16

The next meeting of the Scripps Florida Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) will be held on February 16, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, in room B316. RSVP required to Galina Judge, gjudge@scripps.edu.

Onsite Clinic Scheduled February 24 on CA Campus

The next onsite immunization clinic on the California campus will be held Wednesday, February 24, 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.

CA Biosafety Committee Meeting Materials Due February 26

To receive consideration at the next Scripps California Institutional Biosafety Committee, registration documents must be submitted to Environmental Health and Safety by Friday, February 26, via email to rachellv@scripps.edu. The meeting will be held Wednesday, March 9, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM, in the P2 conference room, Building 3301.

At the Auditorium: Award-Winning Violinist Ning Feng

The La Jolla Music Society’s Discovery Series presents Chinese violinist Ning Feng, a first-prize winner at the International Paganini Competition, on Sunday, February 21, 3 PM. Feng will perform works by Mozart, Beethoven, Falla and Korngold, as well as Waxman’s Carmen Fantasie. Visit the society’s website for additional program and ticket information.

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

News&Views Salutes the Presidents

News&Views will take a break in observance of the Presidents’ Day holiday, Monday, February 15. Regular publication will resume with the February 22 issue.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

boddy_wu
Michael Boddy (left) and Xiaohua Wu have received tenure.

William Ja (left) and Shuji Kishi have been promoted to associate professor.

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