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Biochemistry

Meet this year’s Baylor Faculty-in-Residence – Baylor University

A distinguishing part of the Baylor experience is the caring community on campus. One way we do that? Faculty-in-Residence!

These Baylor professors (many of them also BU alumni) dont just work on campus; they live on campus, too, in designated apartment-style homes inside most residence halls, along with their families. The goal: Fostering students social, cultural, educational and spiritual growth by encouraging community involvement and student interaction. That can mean everything from hosting fun events and socials, to group Bible study classes, to meeting one-on-one with students (even at odd hours).

Meet this years Faculty-in-Residence (FIR):

Alexander/Memorial Halls: Dr. Jason Whitt (BA 96, PhD 08). Whitt is a senior lecturer in the Honors Program whose research interests are in theology of disability, the intersection of faith and medicine, ecclesiology, and political theology. (Family: wife Maggie, MSED 06, and two children)

Allen/Dawson Halls: Dr. Beth Allison Barr (BA 96). The graduate program director in the Department of History, Barr teaches undergraduate courses on subjects such as medieval history and European womens history. (Family: husband Jeb, BA 97, and two children)

Brooks Flats Apartments: Dr. Lee Grumbles. Grumbles is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Cooperate Innovation. After 17 years as a VP of commercial banking, Grumbles brings extensive experience working with entrepreneurial ventures. (Family: wife Lauren, and two children)

Brooks Residential College: Dr. Rishi Sriram (BA 01, MSED 03). A FIR since 2013, Sriram spent eight years in higher education administration, helping launch and develop Baylors living-learning programs, before becoming a professor in the School of Education. (Family:wife Amanda, BS 02, and three school-aged children)

Earle Hall: Dr. Karenna Malavanti (BS 10, MA 12, PhD 14). A senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Malavantis primary research interest is in applied cognition and human memory. (Family: husband Matthew, and daughter Mila)

Kokernot Hall: Dr. Maricel Demesa. Demesa is a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry with more than 25 years of teaching experience in various fields of chemistry at the university level. (Family: husband Fernadel, and a grown daughter)

Martin Hall: Dr. Clay Butler (BA 88). A FIR since 2015, Butler serves as a senior lecturer in the English department, teaching linguistics courses such as Language in Society, Cross-Cultural Linguistics, and Modern English Grammar. (Family: wife Susan, BA 89, and four grown children)

North Russell Hall: Dr. Joe Coker. Coker is a senior lecturer in the Religion Department, regularly teaching the core religion courses. He is interested in researching the way that religion both shapes the culture around it and is also shaped by the surrounding culture. (Family: wife Amy, and four children, including two current BU students)

North Village, Heritage House: Steven Pounders. Pounders is a professor in the Department of Theatre Arts. Along with teaching at Baylor, he has continued to work as a professional actor and director with theater productions in Texas, New York and other regions. (Family: wife Hope)

North Village, Texana House: Dr. Lesley McAllister. McAllister teaches piano and serves as director of piano pedagogy in the School of Music. She advocates to help musicians of every age reach peak performance using yoga, sport psychology research, and mind/body relaxation techniques. (Family: husband Dr. Scott McAllister, also a professor in the School of Music, and two school-aged children)

North Village, University House: Brent Philips. Philips has taught trombone in the School of Music since 2004. He is currently principal trombone in the Waco Symphony and Abilene Philharmonic, continues to perform regularly with the Houston Symphony, and serves as guest principal with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. (Family: wife Meredith (BA 94), and two sons, including one current BU student)

Penland Hall: Dr. Kelli McMahan (BSED 93). A FIR since 2016, McMahan is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation and one of the creators of Baylors Outdoor Adventure Line Camp and Outdoor Adventure Living-Learning Center.

South Russell Hall: Dr. Mona Choucair (BA 86, PhD 00). A FIR since 2014, Choucair is a senior lecturer in both the English department and School of Education, teaching such subjects as American literature and advanced grammar.

Teal Residential College: Brian Thomas. A FIR since 2016, Thomas is a senior lecturer in engineering and faculty sponsor of the Engineers with a Mission student organization. (Family: wife Martha (BSED 81, MSED 88) and two sons)

University Parks: Dr. Bob Kane. A FIR since 2015, Kane is an associate chemistry professor and director of Baylors Institute of Biomedical Studies, researching applications of synthetic chemistry in areas such as vaccine development. (Family: wife Deb and five children)

Sic em, Faculty-in-Residence!

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Meet this year's Baylor Faculty-in-Residence - Baylor University

Biochemistry

Lasting leadership – The Source – Washington University in St. Louis – Washington University in St. Louis

Physician turned internationally renowned biochemist and pharmaceutical executive P. Roy Vagelos, MD, never planned his career path. Each step led to the next, he says. Recognition was never my motivation. I wanted to work where I could be productive and make important things happen.

Following a decade at the National Institutes of Health, Vagelos joined the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine in 1966 as head of the Department of Biological Chemistry, now called the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. During his nine years at WashU, he founded two pioneering programs: the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), combining elements of the MD and PhD programs into a rigorous curriculum for future physician-scientists; and the Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences (DBBS), a transformative model for interdisciplinary education and research across the life sciences that united WashUs main and medical campuses. He also was instrumental in recruiting a cohort of Black medical students from historically Black colleges and universities to diversify thestudent body and advance racial equity in health care.

Vagelos left WashU in 1975 to direct research at Merck & Co., where he eventually became CEO and chairman. Since then, both MSTP and DBBS have risen to top ranks nationwide. Graduates of these lauded programs are advancing medicine and improving health across the globe.

In 2021, Vagelos and his wife, Diana, contributed $15 million to DBBS to fund graduate fellowships and bolster undergraduate programs. Theirgift honors the late Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth, who recruited Vagelos to WashU, supported his visionary ideas and became a longtime friend. The university renamed DBBS the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences in recognition of the couples generosity.

After I graduated from medical school in 1954, I was assigned to the National Institutes of Health to complete two years of required service to the federal government. There, I met Earl Stadtman, a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, who was one of the outstanding biochemists of the world. Although he had never worked with an MD and I had never worked in a laboratory, he agreed to take me on. For two years, he led me through biochemistry. With his encouragement, I stayed at the NIH eight more years, conducting research independently and starting my career as a scientist.

Every successful scientist has had a mentor like Earl, who turned him or her on to science. Colleagues at the medical school and I introduced the idea of giving training and research opportunities to undergraduates through DBBS for this reason. Getting these students into laboratories so that they can participate in real experiments, not just learn from a textbook, is so important. This access sparks an interest in the sciences early on in a young persons life and helps build the pipeline of future scientists.

Nearly every improvement in health care in the last 50 years began with a basic science breakthrough. When a scientist makes a discovery at a molecular level, others leverage that knowledge to learn even more, as we recently saw with messenger RNA and the development of COVID vaccines. Answering fundamental questions about the body and disease is key to identifying therapeutic approaches.

The critical importance of basic science to medicine underlies the role of the physician-scientist, who is both investigator and clinician. Physician-scientists are aware of the potential applications of the science. At the same time, clues from studying disease can open new avenues for research. The two realms are stronger together than alone, which was the impetus for establishing the Medical Scientist Training Program.

We had the worlds greatest faculty people who were terrific scientists themselves and worked well with students.

In the case of MSTP, WashU was not the first to offer the combined degree program. But we were able to take the lead very quickly because few medical schools had the level of basic science expertise in their clinical departments that we did.

When I arrived at WashU, the six basic science departments recruited their own graduate students with varying degrees of success and did their own teaching. I was confident that we would be more effective together and that undergraduates would benefit greatly from taking courses led by basic science faculty from the med school. Within one year of its creation, DBBS greatly enhanced the quality of the undergraduate and graduate programs in the life sciences. The division also gave grad students the chance to complete their first year before choosing a discipline. To my astonishment, this structure became known as the WashU model, and it remains the standard for biomedical education today.

I come from a very humble background. My parents were immigrants from the small Greek island of Lesbos who only completed sixth grade. I learned everything along the way, beginning with English as a second language so I could go to elementary school.

At WashU, I gained the confidence to implement new ideas and lead an organization. I was able to continue building the strong biochemistry department and to start several programs that were new and different. Although I didnt know it then, what I learned and accomplished at WashU prepared me for leadership

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Lasting leadership - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis - Washington University in St. Louis

Biochemistry

Amy Keating named head of the Department of Biology – MIT News

Amy E. Keating, the Jay A. Stein Professor of Biology and a professor of biological engineering, has been named head of the Department of Biology, effective today. She succeeds Alan Grossman, the Praecis Professor of Biology at MIT, who led the department since 2014.

Professor Keating is a leading researcher in her field, employing computational techniques to understand how malfunction of proteins leads to disease, says Nergis Mavalvala, the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics and the dean of the MIT School of Science.

In addition to leadership in her research among other roles, she was recently the President of the Protein Society she has served in key department leadership roles, including her most recent positions as associate department head and graduate officer. In addition to her world-class research, Amy's teaching and service to the department, MIT, and the broader scientific community are exemplary, Mavalvala says.

Keating served on the search committee for the director of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research as well as the selection committee for the dean of the School of Science. With Associate Professor Mary Gehring, Keating is co-director of the biology graduate program, and since 2012 she has been the co-PI with Professor Stephen Bell on the departments National Institutes of General Medical Sciences doctoral training grant.

I look forward to continuing to work with the members of our department students, faculty, and staff to create a rich and diverse environment in which all our community members feel they belong and can thrive, says Keating, who is also a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. I hope to create additional opportunities for MIT biology to maintain and grow our excellence in research, teaching, mentorship, and service.

Keatings research focuses on interaction properties of proteins encoded in their sequences and structures. She investigates proteinprotein interactions by integrating data from high throughput assays, structural modeling, and bioinformatics with biochemical and biophysical experiments.

Her research group studies proteins that regulate critical processes, such as cell death regulated by the Bcl-2 family of proteins. Keating has developed methods to reprogram the interaction between proteins, and applying these methods to Bcl-2 proteins has generated peptides that inhibit processes that keep cancer cells alive. Other areas of research include -helical coiled-coil proteins and protein domains that bind to short linear motifs. For her research, Keating received a NIH Transformative R01 grant designed to support innovative, high-risk and unconventional research projects with the potential to transform a field of science.

Amys research has opened the door to using computational biology to address fundamental questions in proteinprotein interactions, and to design peptide inhibitors with therapeutic impact, says Grossman. Amy's interests and research fit well with the growing area of computational biology and are at the interface of several areas, including computation, biophysics, biochemistry, biological engineering, synthetic biology, and of course the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. This is an area of strength that continues to increase in the department and at MIT.

Keating helped institute the departments professional development requirement for graduate students and she is deeply committed to providing opportunities for MIT graduate students outside of the Institute.

The brainchild of two bioengineering students, the graduate course7.930J (Research Experience in Biopharma) exposes graduate students to industrial science and helps them develop the skills required to succeed in industry. In this subject, sponsored by Keating and Doug Lauffenburger, the Ford Professor of Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Biology and co-taught by Keating and Sean Clarke, a communications instructor and manager of biotech outreach within the Department of Biological Engineering, students participate in on-site research at local biopharmaceutical companies, where they both observe and participate in industrial science.

Its really designed to demystify doing research in industry, says Keating. The feedback we get suggests its quite eye-opening in terms of changing some assumptions about what that life is like.

Keating has also played a significant role in the Department of Biologys diversity and outreach initiatives for graduate students, including providing research opportunities in her own lab through the Bernard S. and Sophie G. Gould MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP) in Biology.

She is a terrific teacher and mentor, and works tirelessly to recruit and support diverse and outstanding graduate students in the department, says Grossman.

Keating earned her doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles and was introduced to protein biochemistry as a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow working with Professors Peter S. Kim of the Department of Biology and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Bruce Tidor of MITs Department of Biological Engineering. She joined the MIT Department of Biology as an assistant professor in 2002. Among her various awards, Keating received the NIH Transformative R01 grant designed to support innovative, high-risk and unconventional research projects with the potential to transform a field of science. She recently received the Georgina Sweet Award for Women in Quantitative Biomedical Science as part of the Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship program.

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Amy Keating named head of the Department of Biology - MIT News

Biochemistry

$1 million is music to the ears of Wake Forest’s Chamber Choir | Wake Forest News – Wake Forest News

During the pandemic, practicing in-person as a group and traveling to perform were on hold. Junior communication major Elsa Maurizi joined the choir her first year at Wake Forest and participated in the May Southeastern tour.

We were all familiar with one another as singers, but not really as friends until we went on tour. We bonded through the music, through the jokes and bus rides and conversations and just all the different personalities being put together for a week, Maurizi said. Going on tour was a big step for us, and I now feel very connected to the music and the people and the beauty of what we are trying to accomplish as a group.

Students accepted to the Chamber Choir enroll in a semester-long, one-credit course that meets four days a week. From the moment they step foot in the class, they are listening, creating synergy, and engaging with new ideas and perspectives. If these sound like skills necessary for classrooms and careers, that is because they are.

A big thing we learn in our communication classes is how to understand the ways people express themselves. We learn to listen, said Maurizi. In choir, we have to listen closely to the voices around us in order to blend and lean into dissonance and harmony. The choir is very group-oriented, but each minor detail is created by individuals,

Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music Chris Gilliam describes choir as engaging with words and language, poetry, and concepts and ideas that must be processed by the brain and expressed in music. It is a whole body experience where singers step outside their comfort zones.

Kgosi (pronounced Kho-see) Hughes began singing at the age of 10 when he joined the Drakensberg Boys Choir School in South Africa. As a biochemistry and molecular biology major and music minor, he plans to pursue a career in medicine after graduation in 2023. Like Maurizi, he joined the Chamber Choir during his first year at Wake Forest.

Music has undoubtedly shaped who I am as a person and offers a break away from the intense academic workload that comes with being a pre-med student, said Hughes. I have been able to learn many new techniques and life perspectives from other students. Singing with the choir has also helped me confront criticism by learning how to process constructive feedback.

Gilliam describes the choir singers work as more than reading the note and singing it in key.

In studying the music and its place in time, students learn empathy and sensitivity to other cultures, and how to work together. They learn how to communicate transparently, honestly and without pretext skills that will serve them a lifetime.

Thane McDonald Wake Forest Choir Tour Fund The gift from Frank and Kathy Bragg initiates the Thane McDonald choir tour fund. The fund grows as alumni and friends come together to make it possible for choir singers to travel together without concern for cost. More information on how to support the endowment is available here.

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$1 million is music to the ears of Wake Forest's Chamber Choir | Wake Forest News - Wake Forest News

Biochemistry

Inaugural program with Fresno State, Rowan and Valdosta State universities spurs unforgettable summer of research – Princeton University

How can we create a diverse network of colleagues? That deceptively simple question sparked an "unforgettable" initiative from the Department of Chemistry:the inaugural Visiting Faculty Research Partnership (VFRP), which wrapped recently with a symposium and poster session that celebrated visiting professors and their undergraduates from Fresno State, Rowan and Valdosta State universities.

The two-month summer program draws faculty from moderate to small research institutions that serve historically underrepresented groups. This inaugural year provided research and stipend funding to three visiting faculty who each brought two undergraduates with them.

Visiting faculty in Princeton Chemistrys two-month Visiting Faculty Research Partnership, at Frick Laboratory. From left: Qiao-Hong Chen, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University, Fresno; Tolulope Salami, professor in the Department of Chemistry at Valdosta State University; Rashanique Quarels, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Rowan University; and Princeton Chemistry Department Chair Gregory Scholes, the William S. Tod Professor of Chemistry.

Photo by

C. Todd Reichart, Department of Chemistry

The visitors paired up with Princeton faculty and embedded in labs, group meetings and workshops to complete research collaborations.

I am thrilled to see the positive impact Princeton Chemistrys VFRP had for all participating faculty and students, said Shawn Maxam, associate provost for diversity and inclusion. The relationships and collaborations developed seem to be exceptional. We know that talent exists everywhere, and our pursuit of academic excellence requires a robust engagement with diverse groups of scientists and scholars.

My gratitude to the department for launching this program. I am excited by the future opportunities for science and collaboration catalyzed by VFRP, he said.

The three visiting professors were Qiao-Hong Chen, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University, Fresno; Rashanique Quarels, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Rowan University; and Tolulope Salami, professor in the Department of Chemistry at Valdosta State University.

VFRP is part of department chair Greg Scholes goal to open Princeton Chemistry to non-traditional routes of collaboration.

What a great response we got for this program. It says a lot that we could make three top-quality appointments that spanned three different labs in our department, said Scholes, the William S. Tod Professor of Chemistry. We imagine that the experience will enhance the visiting students applications for graduate school or employment, and that we have seeded productive, long-term connections with them.

Chen and her two students partnered with Erik Sorensen, the Arthur Allan Patchett Professor in Organic Chemistry, and his research group. After two months, Chen declared the program an exciting, unforgettable summer of research. Its been a great chance for me, for my two students who came with me, and my entire group at Fresno State. We were all so happy to do this.

A first-generation college student herself, Chen chose two undergraduates to accompany her whom she felt would most benefit from the opportunity: Jasmine Hang and first-generation college student Khamyl Cooksey, both of whom traveled to the East Coast for the first time.

Coming here pushed me a little bit more towards doing a Ph.D., said Hang. Im actually a biology major, so chemistry wasnt ever anything I was going to touch other than the classes I need to take. But I really enjoyed the hands-on part of the lab. So now, Im thinking maybe I can do research on campus.

Tolulope Salami (center) and his undergraduates Jayden Thomas (left) and Jodeci Mitchell (right) from Valdosta State University atttend the Summer Symposium Poster Session at Frick Laboratory.

Photo by

C. Todd Reichart, Department of Chemistry

I have loved every moment of it, she added. Being able to work here and be a part of the whole environment where everyone is so research-driven, it just makes it so much more impactful.

Said Cooksey: The Sorensen Lab was very welcoming. We got to talk to the postdocs and graduate students and hear a lot about the paths theyve taken. Its definitely given me the opportunity to explore my options.

Jodeci Mitchell, who visited with Salami from Valdosta, embedded with the Bocarsly Lab, the research group of Professor Andrew Bocarsly. This program has given me access to more diverse experimentation and different equipment. Using that knowledge is definitely going to be useful to my career, no matter what I decide to do, she said. The hands-on activity in the lab is definitely beneficial in that aspect. Just getting used to the lab environment in general has been wonderful.

Salami said he feels its important to continue learning throughout ones professional career, and he found the opportunity to do that with the Bocarsly Lab.

The students too, theyve been encouraged that they can do this, he said. They had some trepidation about coming to Princeton, but when they got here, it was like, Hmmm, I actually can do this. Were all just chemists. I think it has done a lot to build their confidence.

Quarels and her two students from Rowan University partnered with Rob Knowles, a professor of chemistry, and his research group. Quarles noted that the Knowles Lab has a piece of equipment integral to her research a cryocooler, a refrigerator designed to reach cryogenic temperatures that is not available at Rowan. Just being able to utilize some of the resources here at Princeton was a big check for me.

She added that one of the students who accompanied her, Jonathan Santoro, was up until this point a chemical engineering major at Rowan. Following this summers fellowship, he plans to change his major to chemistry full time and continue on the path to graduate school.

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Inaugural program with Fresno State, Rowan and Valdosta State universities spurs unforgettable summer of research - Princeton University

Biochemistry

The CHIPS and Science Act becomes law – ASBMB Today

President Joe Biden today signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which authorizes funding and policies to bolster American research and development and increase national science and technology competitiveness.

The act contains several provisions endorsed previously by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology:

The Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2021 will help to unify and strengthen bioengineering efforts across U.S. agencies.

The Restore and Modernize Our National Labs Act originally proposed $6.1 billion to repair and modernize U.S. national laboratories. The final legislation authorizes $4 billion across fiscal years 2023 to 2027.

The STEM Opportunities Actwill facilitate participation of historically marginalized groups in science, technology, engineering and math. Notably, the legislation contains language, for which the ASBMB advocated, to extend caregiving flexibilities to trainees, not only investigators awarded federal grants.

The Rural STEM Education Research Act supports rural communities access to STEM education and research through several mechanisms. The legislation includes the ASBMBs preferred language expanding investments in the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. This means that the National Science Foundation will increase the percentage of funds (to 20% from 13%) that go to emerging research institutions, many of which are in rural communities.

The majority of the MSI STEM Achievement Actwas included in the legislation. It will increase capacity and infrastructure at minority-serving institutions of higher education, including historically Black colleges and universities and tribal colleges and universities.

The Combatting Sexual Harassment in STEM Act has funding for executing preventative measures and response frameworks for addressing sexual and gender harassment in STEM.

The ASBMB-endorsed language in the NSF for the Future Actwill increase the number of graduate research fellowships and improve the NSFs training policies by instating mentorship plans, career exploration and increased inclusivity.

It has taken a lot of effort to get the CHIPS and Science Act over the finish line.

In June 2021, as the U.S. experienced increasing inflation and supply-chain deficiencies and fell behind in R&D globally, the U.S. Senate responded by passing the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, also known as USICA.

This bipartisan bill combined multiple legislative efforts to strengthenthe nations leadership in R&D by protecting American intellectual property with enhanced research security policies, robust scientific funding authorizations and investments in the STEM workforce.

In February, the U.S. House passed its version of the bill, the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act of 2022, calledCOMPETES for short.

COMPETES expanded on the science provisions in USICA with strong bipartisan input and engagement with stakeholders from the science, education and industrial sectors. It also significantly differed from USICA by including provisions related to clean energy and trade provisions.

At the time, U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., the ranking member of the House Science Committee, said in a statement how much he opposed the COMPETES Act but called for consensus between Democrats and Republicans: While there are many flaws in USICA, I believe that we had a good opportunity to find a consensus agreement through a formal House and Senate Conference.

In March, the ASBMB published a statement detailing its position on the two versions and endorsed several provisions that remain largely intact in the CHIPS and Science Act.

In April, the bill entered a bicameral conferencing process, during which a conferencing committee of 107 lawmakers would negotiate the more than 1,000 differences between USICA and COMPETES. The ASBMB shared its statement with the offices of those members.

During the ASBMBs annual Capitol Hill Day in May, the societys Public Affairs Advisory Committee strongly advocated for provisions in USICA and COMPETES that would modernizethe infrastructure of national labs, strengthen the bioeconomy, and support the next generation of scientists.

Over the summer, the legislation faced many negotiation hurdles and political attacks. Yet more pressure stemmed from looming deadlines to pass incentives for semiconductor manufacturing before companies set up shop internationally. Communication began to break down among congressional and conferencing leaders.

Once concerns emerged that Congress would strip the pro-science provisions in the U.S. competitiveness legislation to meet the semiconductor deadlines, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., agreed to a test vote on July 19 to assess support for a bill that had semiconductor manufacturing incentives and the pro-science provisions that had been successfully negotiated. That version of the legislation was called CHIPS+.

After a successful test vote, the ASBMB called for passage in the Senate on July 25. Notably, the ASBMB was one of many other scientific stakeholders that demonstrated their support for CHIPS+ upon the rapid arrival of the bill in both chambers.

The Senate passed the final iteration the CHIPS and Science Act on July 27.

This is one of the most significant long-term thinking bills weve passed in a very long time, Schumer said after the Senate vote. Our grandchildren will hold good paying jobs in industries we cant even imagine because of what we are doing right now and we did it together, both sides cooperating in good faith, on some truly difficult issues.

The House passed the legislation the next day, and President Joe Biden signed it into law today.

Sudip Parikh, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, called the CHIPS and Science Act one of the most important pieces of science and technology legislation in a generation and a down payment on our future to ensure America remains a world leader in scientific discovery and innovation.

The scientific community played an important role in making the legislation a reality.

Sarina Neote, ASBMBs director of public affairs, said: The ASBMB applauds the work of congressional leadership and conferencing members who laid the groundwork for the (legislation). We also really appreciate all the time and effort our PAAC members have dedicated to advocating for the science workforce provisions in the final version of the bill. Its important for scientists to make sure their voices are heard, and our committee members did exactly that.

James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition, said in a statement: Our future prosperity depends on our ability to lead the world in technology development, job creation in high demand technical fields, and our ability to train more Americans for the best, highest paying jobs in the global economy. We are delighted that so many members of both parties in the U.S. Senate have come together behind this goal.

The next hurdle will be actual follow-through on the funding authorizations agreed to in the act. The scientific community will be watching the negotiations for FY23 appropriations closely.

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The CHIPS and Science Act becomes law - ASBMB Today

Biochemistry

Toragen, Inc. Announces the Appointment of Board of Directors and Senior Staff – Business Wire

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toragen, Inc., a San Diego-based biotechnology company focused on developing, repurposing and commercializing uniquely selective drugs targeting cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), announced today the appointment of Mr. Paul Engler, of Amarillo, Texas, to the Board of Directors of the Company. Additionally, Toragen announced the appointment of Cheryl Collett as CFO, effective June 20, 2022, and Dr. Richard Lumpkin as Director, Research & Development, effective July 1, 2022.

Mr. Engler is the founder of Cactus Feeders. In 1960, he started the first cattle-feeding operation in Texas and grew the company to become the largest cattle-feeding company in the world. At age 93, Paul is extremely active and healthy. He remains actively involved in investments and philanthropic activities of his private foundation, the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation.

Mr. Engler stated that, I invest in people. I was immediately impressed with the team at Toragen. In fact, I have known Dr. Sandra Coufal, Toragens CEO, to be an extremely competent medical practitioner and have made investments in other ventures that were successfully directed by Dr. Coufal. We are all aware that HPV can induce a number of cancers and I found Toragens platform solution to be unique. I was eager to be a lead investor and welcomed a seat on the board.

Ms. Collett brings over 20 years progressive finance and accounting experience to Toragen. Most recently, Ms. Collett served as CFO of Anivive Lifesciences, an animal-health pharmaceutical company commercializing the first-ever oral lymphoma treatment for dogs. Prior to Anivive, Ms. Collett served as VP, Finance and Accounting for Puma Biotechnology (NASDAQ: PBYI) where she spent nearly a decade growing the company from four employees to over 300, from privately held to public, and from clinical-stage to commercial. Additionally, Ms. Collett has worked in finance and accounting roles at Sierra Scientific Instruments, Cougar Biotechnology, Hythiam and 20th Century Fox after beginning her career in public accounting. She received her degree from California State University, Los Angeles and is a California-licensed CPA.

Richard Lumpkin, PhD, has over 30 years experience in early-stage research in biotechnology companies. Dr. Lumpkin previously served as Senior Director at Global Blood Therapeutics becoming the first employee of this Third Rock Ventures founded company. Dr. Lumpkin was also instrumental in spinning off Portola Pharmaceuticals from Millennium Pharmaceuticals and held positions in early-stage research for Cor Therapeutics, Ribogene, Amylin and Corvas International, Inc. Dr. Lumpkin received his undergraduate in Geology and graduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

About Toragen

Toragen, founded by Andrew Sharabi, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences at UC San Diego, is targeting the root cause of virally induced cancers. https://toragen.com.

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Toragen, Inc. Announces the Appointment of Board of Directors and Senior Staff - Business Wire

Physiology

Ex-World Kickboxing Champion Opens Precision Health Gyms – the UK’s First Physiology and Fitness ‘Super Gym’ in London – PR Newswire UK

LONDON, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A former world kickboxing champion has opened the UK's first physiology and fitness 'super' gym which allows 'everyday people' to train like elite athletes.

Christian Thomson, 33, and Virgis Silinskas, 37, launched Precision Health Gyms today (Monday, August 15) in Whitechapel where members take blood tests and run on a pressure-plated treadmills fitted with cameras which take up 240 images per second. State-of-the-art tech, while wearing a mask, also works out how many calories the individual needs to consume each day to achieve their desired results.

The new gym is the first in the UK to use high-tech full body laboratory-grade testing - including biomechanics, physiological, metabolic andbiochemical scanning which aims to help 'build a precise physiological picture' of the individual.

Precision Health Gyms use these cutting-edge methods to formulate a highly personalised plan that delivers a detailed 'roadmap for nutrition, exercise, lifestyle and supplementation'.

Thomson, who won the world kickboxing championship in 2011 and 'Head Scientist' at Precision Health Gyms, said: "Our mission is to remove the guesswork and frustration people experience when trying to improve their health and fitness but fail through a lack of identifying the body's needs. We want to shake up the health and fitness world and bring something new which has never been done before in the UK. Before now, the advanced technologies used to assess a person's unique physicality and health metrics were reserved for elite athletes due to limited accessibility or high operational costs. Most people assume this is the case, but they'd be wrong. Precision Health Gyms has sourced the best in advanced assessment technologies and made these accessible to everyone so people can uncover what's holding them back. Through these testing methods, we can clearly define how their body responds and what the best strategy is to improve their health and fitness."

Plans start from 212 per month and include 1-2-1 personal training as well as small in-person or online classes. Precision Health Gyms reassess members' bodies and health using innovative technology to identify any changes that may require the plan to be adjusted every 90 days.

For more information visit: https://phgym.co.uk or contact the Precision Health Gyms Press Office at SCS Marketing & PR on 01252 642020, info@scsmarketingandpr.co.uk or http://www.scsmarketingandpr.co.uk

SOURCE SCS Marketing & PR

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Ex-World Kickboxing Champion Opens Precision Health Gyms - the UK's First Physiology and Fitness 'Super Gym' in London - PR Newswire UK

Physiology

Research Associate in Design Analytics and Music Physiology job with KINGS COLLEGE LONDON | 304739 – Times Higher Education

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity for a data scientist with strong musical sensibilities to play a key role in the development of computational tools for remodelling music expressivity to achieve specific cardiovascular (autonomic) aims. The objectives will be to design and implement techniques to morph expressive music parameters in ways that powerfully impact listener perception and physiology in targeted ways, to evaluate these strategies and their effectiveness, and to develop algorithms to analyse users design decisions to learn from their choices.

The work will be carried out in the context of the ERC project COSMOS (Computational Shaping and Modeling of Musical Structures), augmented by the Proof-of-Concept project HEART.FM (Maximizing the Therapeutic Potential of Music through Tailored Therapy with Physiological Feedback in Cardiovascular Disease), on citizen/data science approaches to studying music expressivity and on autonomic modulation through music. See https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.527539.

The remodelled expressions will be rendered synthetically or through the projects reproducing piano. Effectiveness of the expression remodelling at achieving the physiological aims will be tested on listeners, for example, through the HEART.FM mobile app tracking their physiology whilst they listen to the remodelled music. Successful transformations will be integrated into CosmoNote (https://cosmonote.ircam.fr), the web-based citizen science portal of COSMOS, or a sister web application for widespread public deployment. Collaborative designs may be explored.

The successful candidate will make major contributions to, and be involved in, all aspects of the computational modelling, interaction design, and software development; testing and validation, including on listeners (healthy volunteers or patients); and, development of algorithms for the design analytics, liaising with other research team members, and with collaborators across multiple domains, and be able to prioritise and organise their own work to deliver research results.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in computer science or a closely-related field, ideally with experience in human-computer interaction, sound and music computing (including programming with MIDI), or web programming (Javascript: D3.js). They should demonstrate a strong ability to design and implement computational algorithms to solve problems with objectives and constraints, and possess sound musical judgement.

They should be highly motivated, and have strong communication skills and a good track record of scientific publication. Personal integrity, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to uphold the highest standards in research are essential attributes.

The project is hosted by the Department of Engineering in the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences and the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences (BMEIS) in the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine (FoLSM) at Kings College London. KCL was ranked 6th nationally in the recent Research Excellence Framework exercise. FoLSM was ranked 1st and Engineering was ranked 12th for quality of research.

The research will take place in BMEIS at St Thomas Hospital and Becket House, on the south bank of the River Thames, overlooking the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben in London.

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 12 months (renewable to 31 May 2025)

This is a full-time post

Key responsibilities

Key responsibilities and outcomes

Designing and developing computational algorithms and sandbox environments to remodel musical expressivity with targeted physiological outcomes

Evaluating and validating the proposed methodologies and assessing their effectiveness and potential for clinical translation

Integrating the expression transformation tools into sandbox environments for the web in collaboration with other software programmer(s)

Following the principles of good software design, development, and documentation practices

Preparing high-quality manuscripts for publication, writing clearly about the computational techniques, outcomes, and design analytics

Presenting key findings at scientific conferences and public engagement events

Maintaining suitable performance levels for the software, following good software design, development, and documentation practices

General

Demonstrate collaborative approach to research and software development

Liaise directly with internal / external colleagues in an independent manner

Use initiative, discretion, knowledge and experience in planning, coordination and problem-solving

Demonstrate ownership of tasks and development of solutions to problems

Governance

Maintain an awareness and observation of ethical rules and legislation governing the storage of projected data

Maintain an awareness and observation of confidentiality agreements with collaborators and external organisations

Maintain an awareness and observation of appropriate procedures for the disclosure and protection of inventions and other intellectual property generated as part of the post holders activities and other team members working within the project

Development

To attend regular project meetings and training courses for professional and personal development as required

Communication & Networking

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with staff within the School as well as externally

Regularly communicate information in a clear and precise way

Decision Making, Planning & Problem Solving

Lead in decisions that have a significant impact on their own work, that of others and be party to collaborative decisions

Manage own workload, prioritising these in order to achieve their objectives

Communicate to management any difficulties associated with carrying out work tasks

Resolve problems where the solution may not be immediately apparent and where there is a need to use judgement to achieve resolution

Plan in advance for heavy workload

Use own initiative and creativity to solve problems

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

1. PhD in operations research, statistics, computer science, music computing, or a related field

2. Experience designing/adapting computational algorithms to solve problems with objectives and constraints

3. Strong musical sensibilities, adaptable, willingness to learn, motivated to work with real-world music and physiological data

4. Good knowledge of software design principles and code management on Git

5. Excellent written and oral communication skills

6. Track record of high-quality, peer-reviewed scientific publications

7. Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and specialties

Desirable criteria

1. Experience with music software and related file formats and protocols

2. Experience programming graphical user interfaces to alter music properties

3. Hands on experience working with sound and music

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

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Research Associate in Design Analytics and Music Physiology job with KINGS COLLEGE LONDON | 304739 - Times Higher Education

Physiology

Pioneering Engineer-Researcher to Receive 2022 Szent-Gyrgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research – Business Wire

ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) announced today that Rakesh K. Jain, Ph.D., has been selected to receive the 2022 Szent-Gyrgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research. The blue-ribbon Prize selection committee, consisting of renowned leaders in cancer research, elected Dr. Jain for his pioneering research and breakthrough discoveries on overcoming barriers posed by the tumor microenvironment (TME) which led to the improved delivery and efficacy of anti-cancer medicines. His groundbreaking and innovative research has fundamentally transformed the understanding of tumor biology and directly informed the development and approval of new drug-combinations to treat cancer patients.

Rakesh K. Jain, Ph.D., will be honored at the Szent-Gyrgyi Prize award ceremony on October 22, 2022, at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jain is the director of the Edwin L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Andrew Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School. In four decades of pioneering work Dr. Jain, an engineer by training continues to combine physical sciences, engineering, mathematical modeling, physiology, biology, and immunology at the laboratory bench and patients bedside to develop and support his seminal hypotheses on how the abnormal TME the surrounding blood vessels, immune cells, other cells such as fibroblasts, and the extracellular matrix thwarts the delivery and efficacy of conventional and emerging anticancer medicines and how to overcome this challenge.

By developing innovative imaging technologies and laboratory models, Dr. Jain has demonstrated in real-time that tumors have structurally and functionally abnormal blood vessels in addition to impaired lymphatics. These vascular abnormalities lead to high interstitial fluid pressure and poor blood flow that impair the delivery of antitumor therapeutics and immune cells. Moreover, the resulting abnormal TME compromises the efficacy of drugs and immune cells even after they accrue in tumors.

In light of these findings, Dr. Jain proposed the groundbreaking concept that normalizing the abnormal tumor vessels using anti-angiogenic approaches originally developed to inhibit formation of blood vessels can create a window of opportunity or time period thereby allowing better delivery and efficacy of anti-cancer medicines. Dr. Jain and his clinical collaborators demonstrated that anti-angiogenic agents could indeed normalize tumor blood vessels in patients. Indeed, brain, lung, liver, and breast cancer patients survived longer when blood flow or oxygen levels increased in their tumors due to normalization.

Dr. Jain applied his vascular normalization principle to improve the efficacy of the new immunotherapy immune-checkpoint blockade. His seminal pre-clinical work laid the foundation for clinical trials and U.S. Federal Drug Association (FDA) approval of seven combinations of anti-angiogenic drugs with checkpoint blockers to enhance their efficacy in lung, liver, endometrial, and kidney cancer patients.

Rakesh K. Jain, Ph.D., has the rare distinction of being elected to all three U.S. National Academies Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the National Academy of Inventors. In 2016, he received the 2013 U.S. National Medal of Science (for biological science) from President Obama our nations highest honor for advancing the fields of science.

Dr. Jains ingenious use of new experimental approaches and what they have told us about the fundamental aspects of the TME and how they can be modulated to allow more efficacious therapies for cancer are just stunning to me as an immunologist, said Mark M. Davis, Ph.D., Chair of the 2022 Prize selection committee and co-winner of the 2021 Szent-Gyrgyi Prize. His work is both deeply impactful and elegant.

Co-Chair of the 2022 selection committee and 2021 Prize co-winner, Tak W. Mak, Ph.D., remarked, The basic discoveries by Dr. Jain of the abnormal vasculature and matrix and their effects on immune cell modulation have facilitated the development of life-extending therapies. I look forward to future combinations of therapies stemming from the fruits of his incredible accomplishments.

Dr. Rakesh Jains seminal discoveries in basic and translational research have guided numerous fields in cancer research with the promise of saving lives. These are the pillars of the Szent-Gyrgyi Prize, said Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., co-chair of the 2022 Prize selection committee and President and CEO of NFCR. Incidentally, Dr. Jain has been continuously funded by the NFCR since 1998. We are delighted and proud that he is receiving the 2022 Szent-Gyrgyi Prize.

I am enormously honored and pleased to be selected by the committee for the coveted Szent-Gyrgyi Prize, stated Dr. Rakesh Jain. Every scientists dream is that his or her findings will someday translate from bench to bedside. I have been very fortunate to see this happen in my career multiple times. I have had the good fortune to collaborate with so many talented students, clinicians, other world leaders, and of course, patients who participated in the trials. Therefore, being recognized by NFCR for contributions to basic and translational oncology is an enormous honor.

About the National Foundation for Cancer Research

The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides scientists in the lab the funding they need to make and apply game-changing discoveries in cancer treatments, detection, prevention and, ultimately, a cure. NFCR has distinguished itself by emphasizing long-term, transformative research often overlooked by other major funding sources and/or deemed too risky. Since its establishment in 1973, NFCR has provided more than $400 million for cancer research and public education. For more information, visit http://www.nfcr.org.

About the Szent-Gyrgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research

The Szent-Gyrgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research was established by the National Foundation for Cancer Research in honor of its co-founder, Albert Szent-Gyrgyi, M.D., Ph.D., recipient of the 1937 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine. The award recognizes outstanding scientists who have expanded our understanding of cancer and cancer causation; whose vision has moved cancer research in new directions; and whose discoveries have led to advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis or treatment. Its past recipients (and their associated institutions at the time of the award) are:

The Szent-Gyrgyi Prize Dinner and Award Ceremony is part of the daylong Global Summit of Cancer Research and Entrepreneurship. Media and the public are invited and encouraged to attend. Learn more about this event.

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Pioneering Engineer-Researcher to Receive 2022 Szent-Gyrgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research - Business Wire