Download 45052-ImprintNL09Summer.pdf

Contents : The Summer 2009 A publication of the BSD Graduate Programs IN THIS ISSUE Dean's Corner . . . . . . . . . .1 Divisional Academic Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 DAC Photo Highlights . . . . .3 Award for Best Dissertation 4 DAC Awards & Honors . . . .4 New Alumni News . . . . . . . .5 Faculty News . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Rowley wins Gruber . . . . . .6 WICR PostGrad Panel . . . . .7 Motherhood & Science . . . .8 Events of Interest . . . . . . . .9 Student Accolades . . . . . .10 Alumni Spotlight . . . . . . . .11 John Mislow Obituary . . . .13 New Graduates . . . . . . . . .14 Alumni News . . . . . . . . . .16 IMPRINT Dean's Corner Nancy B. Schwartz PhD Congratulations to all our graduates this past year! During the academic year 2008-2009 63 students completed their doctorate work of which a record number (40) received their hoods at the Divisional Academic Ceremony held on June 12. We are immensely proud of the work of all those who graduated. This issue of The Imprint focuses on the recent graduates and the Divisional Academic Ceremony. We were extremely fortunate to have Dr. Kathie Olsen Senior Advisor for the National Science Foundation Office of Information and Resource Management and the Former Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation as speaker at the Divisional ceremony as the guest of the graduate students. Dr. Olsen also joined the graduates their families and friends for the dinner at the Drake Hotel the night before the ceremony. In addition she gave a wellattended talk on "The Ph.D. Now What (Grants and Careers)" for postdocs and graduate students before the dinner on Thursday and had lunch with a group of interested and enthusiastic graduate students immediately following the ceremony on Friday. Her remarks at all events were enormously interesting and we appreciated her visit tremendously. More information on Dr. Olsen's visit can be found in this issue. Atul A. Gawande MD MPH surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Associate Professor at both Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health was the guest of the Pritzker medical students. He is well-known for his articles on medicine and public health for The New Yorker and Slate some of which have been collected in his books Complications and Better. As noted in the article on "Honors and Awards " the 2008-2009 graduates performed outstanding research which is evident from the number of awards and citations they received. I wish to highlight Susan Lott of the Committee on Genetics who won the Award for Best Dissertation in the Biological Sciences Division. Susan was a Summer 2008 graduate and went on to a postdoctoral position at the University of California Berkeley. As cited in the "Alumni News Recent Graduates" section many of our newly minted PhDs moved on to postdoctoral positions but some have ventured into other areas including a congressional fellowship naval research academic administration and medical school. We wish them all the best as their careers progress and look forward to learning about their future successes. Keep in touch! Newsletter Mission and Contact Information: The mission of the The Imprint is to provide a bridge between the University community and alumni highlighting the achievements of alumni while keeping them informed of the developments and issues in the University of Chicago's Biological Sciences Division. To contact us: Theimprint@bsd.uchicago.edu This newsletter was written by current graduate students Ryan Gilbreth Stephen Green Lauren Kolodziej Chinonye Nnakwe Joanna Rowell and Maria Sutanto with alumnae Darlene Douglas and Latishya Steele and assisted by Melissa Lindberg of the BSD Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs. Divisional Academic Ceremony Keynote Address: Dr. Kathie Olsen Dr. Kathie Olsen Senior Advisor for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Information and Resource Management was a guest speaker at the Divisional Academic Ceremony held on June 12 2009 on the University of Chicago Midway Plaisance. Dr. Olsen former Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the National Science Foundation was chosen by the Division of the Biological Sciences graduate students to give the commencement address for their graduating class. Dr. Olsen received her PhD in neuroscience DAC Keynote Speakers Drs. Atul A. Gawande and Kathie from the University of California Irvine. She Olsen was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston. She joined the NSF following a Senior Executive position in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President in which she oversaw national and international science and education policy development and federal agency programs. She also served as Chief Scientist Acting Associate Administrator for Biological and Physical Research for NASA. Dr. Olsen has been the recipient of numerous awards including NASA's Outstanding Leadership Medal NSF Director's Award of Excellence and the Barry Goldwater Educator Award in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In her address to the graduates Dr. Olsen remarked that 2009 is thirtieth anniversary of her PhD. She wore for the occasion the traditional gems of this anniversary - pearls. Dr. Olsen said that pearls are beautiful because they have layers upon layers of calcium carbonate that reflect and refract light to produce that characteristic luster and sparkle. Pearls get larger and more beautiful and more valuable as they add layers. "So " explained Dr. Olsen "a pearl in the making is already beautiful but gets more beautiful with time." Using this as a metaphor she reminded the students that not every oyster produces a pearl. "Pearls in the wild are actually very rare " she said. "The PhD and MD are also quite rare. According to the US Census 2008 Educational Attainment Report fewer than 2.5% of adults have achieved the highest degree in their profession." Dr. Olsen noted that conditions to produce pearls require a response to irritation. "It takes a bit of grit and response from the oyster to overcome irritation to get the whole process started. Graduate and medical school can be classified as a bit of irritation that each of you overcame " she said with a smile. "You have formed the pearl accomplished the first layer and you have already learned that to accomplish anything you have to get out of your comfort zone. Experience and getting your degree provides you with the best way to turn challenges into opportunities into successes to add beautiful layers to the pearl." Dr. Olsen gave the graduates three pieces of advice to guide them as they embark on their new careers. First she told them to always be able to laugh at oneself. She recalled her first days at NASA when she didn't understand that the acronym HST stood for Hubble Space Telescope and had to laugh at herself to overcome the embarrassment. Second she said to always keep the high moral ground when making life decisions and to follow one's heart and gut instinct. Dr. Olsen said "There is no substitute for being able to face yourself squarely in the mirror everyday knowing that you are holding up yourself your values and integrity." She told the graduates to stand up for what they believe even if it is unpopular. Dr. Olsen gave the example of her research findings in the 1980's that indicated behavior could induce new neurons in the spinal cord of rats. Her peers voiced extreme doubt and skepticism however she stood by her data and to this day it remains valid in the current paradigm that adult central nervous systems can make new neurons. The last piece of advice was to always be flexible and open to change. Dr. Olsen told the graduates that if they are willing to accept new experiences they will "continue to add splendor and value to the pearls that are our lives for many layers to come." At the conclusion of the ceremony Dr. Olsen joined a group of graduate students for lunch where the discussion centered around a diverse range of topics including family issues for women in science the checks and balances implemented for federal agencies that are the funding source for academic research and programs that the NSF sponsors for women and underrepresented groups in science. Dr. Olsen remarked that there is currently an unconscious bias that tends to favor men over women for academic positions in science although the percentage of men and women holding advanced degrees in biology is evenly split. She discussed ADVANCE an NSF program that aims to increase the representation of female scientists and engineers in academia in order to form a more diverse workforce of researchers. In addition she explained the bridge programs supported by the NSF that allow high school minority students to transition to college programs in science and engineering. Finally Dr. Olsen talked about her new position at the NSF advising senior management on issues such as interdisciplinary research and improving workforce management. -- Lauren Kolodziej From left to right: Dean Nancy Schwartz Forrest Gulden Dr. Kathie Olsen Oni Mapp Lauren Kolodziej Stephen Green Nicholas Block and Natasha Bloch 2 Divisional Academic Ceremony: Photos Lto R Top: Audrea Burns (IMMU) Isam Qawash (MGCB) Jennifer Lanning (PATH) Suparna Mallik (CPHY) and Sogyong Auh (PATH) Melissa Mefford (GENE) and Suparna Mallik (CPHY) Jennifer Lanning (PATH) Evelyn Shih (NURB) Sarah Powers (Student Marshall IMMU) Catherine Sawai (IMMU) Bernard Liu (CABI) Melissa Mefford (GENE) and Isam Qawash (MGCB) Lower: Alison Anastasio (ECEV) Kimberly Aldinger (NURB) and Emily Ahmed (IMMU) Jennifer Dugas-Ford (OBA) Gina Elsen (NURB) Susan Ferrari (CABI) Kyrie Felio (PATH) Sunday Francis (CPNS) Jacqueline Gravier (EVBI) and Erin Grey (ECEV) Stephanie Levi (MGCB) and Dean Madara Julie Collens (ECEV) hooded by Dr. Joy Bergelson. Greg Darnell (BMB) with Dean Madara Cara Rabik (MGCB) hooded by Dr. Kenan Onel Jacqueline Gravier (EVBI) hooded by her husband Dr. Sean Sheridan (GENE 2008) From Upper Right: Jennifer McPartland (MICR) Stephanie McGregor (CABI) and Suparna Mallik (CPHY) Audra Burns (IMMU) and her aunt Susie Troutman Top Row: Latishya Steele (GENE) and her aunt Dr. Maxine Howell Ronald Carnemolla (MOMN) and his advisor Dr. Godfrey Getz Erin Grey (ECEV) Sunday Francis (CPNS) and Dennis Tkach (CPNS) Lower Row Gina Elsen (NURB) and her advisor Dr. Victoria Prince Jonathan Budzik (MICR) with Dr. Jose Quintans Susan Ferrari (CABI) with her husband Dr. Edward Cohn. Photos at the Drake and DAC by: Jo Beaudreau Carolyn Johnson Kristin Reepmeyer Melissa Lindberg and Maureen Okonski. 3 Award for Best Dissertation in the Biological Sciences Division Susan E. Lott Committee on Genetics Thesis Title: Robustness and Evolution of Segmentation in Drosophila Susan Lott was the recipient of the award for Best Dissertation in the Biological Sciences Division at this year's Divisional Academic Ceremony. Lott a graduate of the Committee on Genetics conducted her graduate research in the laboratory of Dr. Martin Kreitman. She was also advised by Dr. Michael Ludwig. Her thesis project focused on understanding the robustness of segmentation in Drosophila as it relates to genetic variation in embryo length. Lott started by examining expression patterns of genes involved in forming the head-tail axis. In particular she used embryos fluorescently stained for various genes and looked for any variation in their positioning among different D. melanogaster lines as well as among distinct Drosophila species. Lott found that there was no variation in the spatial expression of these genes in different D. melanogaster lines even in progeny of crosses between lines with very different embryo sizes. This lack of difference in expression boundary placement suggests phenotypic robustness despite genetic variation that impacts embryo size. Interestingly Lott observed that the localization of expression patterns differs between the closely-related species D. simulans and D. sechellia. In addition multigenerational crosses between these two species demonstrated segregation of embryo length and patterns localization creating novel patterning allometries (relationship between the size of an organism's parts relative to the size of the organism itself). These findings indicate that despite the robustness of the placement of these patterns within a species they have the capability to evolve over a relatively short period of time. Lott followed these preliminary studies with a broad scale genetic mapping experiment by crossing and back-crossing the two species of Drosophila to identify the underlying mechanism responsible for the differences in expression boundary placement. She also explored some factors of embryo morphology that might play a role in the biophysical dynamics of these gene expression gradients. In her crosses between D. simulans and D. sechellia Lott found novel positioning of expression boundaries without indication of an increase in positional variation leading her to conclude that the developmental mechanism that assures robust scaling within a species does not prevent rapid evolution between species. Having graduated in summer 2008 Lott was not aware that she won the Best Dissertation award until she received the certificate in the mail. In addition to the Best Dissertation Award she also won the Committee Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Genetics. "My advisor told me he was nominating me but I was quite surprised to win " Lott said. She characterized her graduate school experience as being "lots of work punctuated with occasional rest or fun." She immensely enjoyed her time with the friends she made and the colleagues she worked with in graduate school as well as the long hours spent in a dark room with the fluorescent microscope. Right after graduation Lott pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California at Berkeley where she is currently continuing her work with Drosophila in the same and related developmental systems. As a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Eisen of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Berkeley she is learning about next generation sequencing technologies and applying them to answer questions about genetic variation in developmental processes. Lott also had her first field work experience when she visited Lassen Volcanic National Park to camp and collect Drosophila. When asked about the academic environment at Berkeley Lott mentioned that she noticed that there are fewer people working in lab late at night or on the weekend. In addition the departments at Berkeley are much larger which translates to many more seminars labs and people and she finds the increased size has both advantages and disadvantages. However due to the lack of harsh Chicago winters and summers Lott has been taking advantage of her proximity to national parks and the city of San Francisco to go hiking or exploring when time allows. "There is also the whole laid-back West Coast thing which I am really not too sure about " Lott jokes. -- Maria Sutanto Honors and Awards at the 2009 Divisional Academic Ceremony At each Divisional Academic Ceremony BSD Departments and Committees identify graduating students whose work deserves particular honors. These graduating students were recognized for their efforts: The Departmental Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology went to Devin Lloyd 4 Strickland. His dissertation New approaches to the design of allosteric proteins was the culmination of work done in the laboratory of Dr. Tobin Sosnick. Kimberly Aldinger earned the Committee Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Neurobiology for her dissertation Identification of Chromosome 6P25 Genes Involved in Dandy-Walker Malformation: The Role of FOXC1 in Cerebellar Development and Implications for Cerebellar Genes in Autism. Her advisor for this work was Dr. Kathleen Millen. The Departmental Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Human Genetics went to Megan J. Roy-Puckelwartz. Her research in Dr. Elizabeth McNally's laboratory led to her dissertation Nesprins in Neuromuscular and Cardiac Disease. Bernard Liu earned the Committee Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Cancer Biology for his dissertation A Systems Analysis of Phosphotyrosine Signaling through SRC Homology 2 Domains. His advisor for this work was Dr. Piers Nash. Parisha Shah won the Award for Outstanding Performance in the Field of Cell and Molecular Biology for her work in Dr. Doug Bishop's laboratory. She graduated in spring 2008 with the dissertation Characterization of in vivo Recombinase Dynamics in S. cerevisiae and E. coli. The Harry Ginsburg Memorial Prize for Physiology was given to Mazen Kheirbek for his work in Dr. Xiaoxi Zhuang's laboratory. His efforts lead to the dissertation Adenylyl Cyclase Type 5 as an Essential Component of Striatum Dependent Learning. He graduated in spring 2008. Markus Boos received the Committee Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Immunology for his dissertation An Analysis of the Requirements for Id Proteins in Natural Killer Cell Differentiation. He was a student of Dr. Barbara Kee and graduated in spring 2008. Finally Susan Lott won Best Dissertation in the Division of Biological Sciences as well as the Committee Award for outstanding performance in the general field of Genetics for her work in Dr. Martin Kreitman's laboratory. See the accompanying article for further details of her work. Congratulations to these students and to all those who have graduated this past year! We commend your dedication enthusiasm and hard work. We wish all graduating students the best of luck in their future work. -- Stephen Green Alumni News Recent Graduates Of our 2008-2009 graduates some have elected to stay here at the University of Chicago: Emily Ahmed has gone into a residency in General Surgery nine are currently medical students at the Pritzker School of Medicine (Sogyong Auh Jonathan Budzik Jennifer Lanning Atul Mallik Stephanie McGregor Cara Rabik Evelyn Kim Shih Benjamin Thompson and Geoffrey Wool) and ten have gone on to postdoctoral studies (James Baugh Pamela Bergson Alexis Demonbreun Darlene Staines Douglas Edward Sean Foxley Jin Huang Sanaz Jansen William Lin Megan Roy-Puckelwartz Devin Lloyd Strickland). Other graduates are studying and working elsewhere: two have moved into faculty positions: Matthew Keirle is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Manatee Community College in Bradenton Florida while Kara Nuss is an instructor in the Department of Biology at Northeastern Illinois University. Stephanie Levi is now the coordinator for the Student Center for Science Engagement at Northeastern Illinois University Emily Updegraff is a research coordinator at Northwestern University Latishya Steele is a Curriculum Fellow in Cell Biology at Harvard University Jennifer McPartland is a Congressional Science Fellow for the United States Congress Claire Cornelius is the Deputy Head of the Virology and Zoonotic Diseases Research Program for the Naval Medical Research Unit two are working in industry: Sridhar Kudaravalli is a director at Kekule Pharma while Isam Qahwash is a principal scientist for Thermofisher/Lancaster Labs/Eli Lilly. Other graduates have gone on to postdoctoral positions in a variety of institutions: Kimberly Aldinger at the University of Southern California Jacob Arguello at Cornell University Michalis Aristophanous at Brigham and Women's Hospital Celine Becquet and Susan Lott at the University of California Berkeley Audrea Burns at Baylor College of Medicine Ronald Carnemolla at the University of Pennsylvania's Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Laure Case to the University of Vermont Carmen Varela Castro at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Gregory Darnell and Kyrie Felio at Northwestern University Michael Fitzsimons at Los Alamos National Laboratory Gina Elsen at the Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute Erin Grey at Tulane University Thomas Hummer at Indiana University Bernard Liu at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute Mount Sinai Hospital University of Toronto 5

INFO HASH : 331387682cd6d4b6a150fc3d57a41738b6febe45

Download now

File Size: 1.4 mb