tag:biology.nd.edu,2005:/newsDepartment of Biological Sciences | News2024-02-27T15:51:00-05:00tag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1602202024-02-27T15:51:00-05:002024-02-27T15:51:38-05:00Unearthing Relationships: The many dimensions of an ecology field trip<p>A caravan of several vans descended upon Michigan’s <a href="https://stateparks.com/warren_woods.html">Warren Woods State Park</a> on a crisp October morning. As I and about twenty students and teaching assistants in <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/dominic-chaloner/">Dominic Chaloner</a>’s Practical Ecology Lab stepped out into the day, we were greeted by a sea of green: a cathedral-like expanse of beech trees, accented by scattered pops of red and yellow from nearby maples as a stiff northwesterly breeze kicked dry leaves across the road.…</p><p>A caravan of several vans descended upon Michigan’s <a href="https://stateparks.com/warren_woods.html">Warren Woods State Park</a> on a crisp October morning. As I and about twenty students and teaching assistants in <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/dominic-chaloner/">Dominic Chaloner</a>’s Practical Ecology Lab stepped out into the day, we were greeted by a sea of green: a cathedral-like expanse of beech trees, accented by scattered pops of red and yellow from nearby maples as a stiff northwesterly breeze kicked dry leaves across the road.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/558823/53378156383_ec9c373ce2_c.jpg" alt="Ecology Field Trip: Warren Dunes, blue sky and sea grass" width="600" height="401"></figure>
<p>Chaloner, professor of the practice in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, and students planned to get their hands dirty and investigate the landscape in a way impossible in a sterile lab on campus. The goal for the morning was to study forest structure by determining the abundance of beech and maple trees: an undisturbed forest such as Warren Woods was expected to have mostly beeches.</p>
<p>“Part of it is getting students to actually do science,” Chaloner said. They had indeed being doing a lot of science for the last few weeks: working productively in the lab, learning how to read and write scientific papers, and analyzing their data. The trees that they stood under would also be rigorously studied and written about in the coming weeks.</p>
<p>Yet there would be much more, beyond just those trees, that the students would come to appreciate on that chilly day . . .</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/featured-stories/unearthing-relationships-the-many-dimensions-of-an-ecology-field-trip/" class="btn btn-cta">Read the Featured Story</a></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">John LeSage</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/unearthing-relationships/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 27, 2024</span>.</p>John LeSagetag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1602192024-02-27T15:48:00-05:002024-02-27T15:48:56-05:00Global Health graduate researcher Henry Kamugisha works to reduce malaria in the Ethiopian Highlands<p>Although two hundred <a href="https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-019-2724-z#:~:text=Since%20the%20isolation%20in%201820,drugs%2C%20rendering%20them%20less%20effective.">years</a> have passed since the development of the first antimalaria treatment and over 140 years since the parasite was seen for the first time under a microscope, malaria remains one of the most critical health problems in Sub-saharan Africa–and numbers are on the rise in the Ethiopian Highlands.…</p><p>Although two hundred <a href="https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-019-2724-z#:~:text=Since%20the%20isolation%20in%201820,drugs%2C%20rendering%20them%20less%20effective.">years</a> have passed since the development of the first antimalaria treatment and over 140 years since the parasite was seen for the first time under a microscope, malaria remains one of the most critical health problems in Sub-saharan Africa–and numbers are on the rise in the Ethiopian Highlands.</p>
<p>Henry Kamugisha is on a mission to find out why.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/559778/300x/kamugisha_ethiopia_2023.3.jpg" alt="photo of blood samples for malaria testing" width="300" height="400">
<figcaption>Kamugisha collecting blood samples</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A student in the Master of Science in Global Health program at the University of Notre Dame, Kamugisha hopes that innovations in malaria testing will explain why malaria is emerging at increasingly higher numbers in the rugged regions of central Ethiopia. He works with the research team in the lab of <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/cristian-koepfli/">Cristian Koepfli</a>, assistant professor in the <a href="http://biology.nd.edu/">Department of Biological Sciences</a>, who is developing novel testing methods to identify emerging variants in malaria parasites.</p>
<p>Kamugisha’s passion for studying malaria began in childhood. “Growing up in rural Uganda, I witnessed firsthand the profound impact of disease, how it affects villages and entire communities,” he says. “I want to make sure that even though I could not help my grandmother, who passed away from malaria, I can make sure that I am doing everything I can to prevent the suffering of future generations in my community–that’s why I am blessed to be a part of this program, to be able to contribute to this research.”</p>
<p>Kamugisha’s current research project examines the results of over 900 blood samples he collected during the summer of 2023 in the Gondar Zone of Ethiopia. Working closely with Koepfli’s long-term collaborators from the University of Gondar, he collected the blood samples from people at a bus stop as they traveled from the low country back to the Ethiopian Highlands. While at the bus stop, he tested voluntary participants with rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) designed to identify positive cases of malaria from two malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, the most common malaria parasite in Sub-saharan Africa, and Plasmodium vivax, which is common in the Horn of Africa.</p>
<p>Even with the announcement of two malaria vaccines in 2021 and 2023 to prevent the disease, there is still much work to be done to treat patients who have contracted malaria. “Sometimes medications don't work because different species of these parasites respond uniquely to treatment regimens,” Kamugisha explains. “For example, healthcare workers may administer a drug that has commonly demonstrated effectiveness in treating Plasmodium falciparum because the patient presents with common symptoms,” he says. “Only later, when the patient is much sicker, do healthcare workers realize the patient has a different type of malaria parasite.” Rapid diagnostic testing can help doctors select the right course of treatment early on.</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/559777/300x/kamugisha_ethiopia_2023.1.jpg" alt="photo of people volunteering for malaria testing" width="300" height="225">
<figcaption>Volunteers registering to be tested<br> for indications of malaria</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Testing is also helping to solve the mystery of malaria transmission. During his fieldwork, Kamugisha was surprised that although clinicians found a high number of positive malaria cases through RDTs, nearly everyone reported few to no symptoms. Kamugisha is now confirming the infections detected by RDTs by using highly sensitive molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in the laboratories at the University of Notre Dame.</p>
<p>“If the RDTs are accurate, we can prove that movement of people from endemic regions to non-endemic regions in the Ethiopian Highlands is contributing to the spread of infections,” he says. Providing this information to public health authorities may improve future intervention options that control the spread of malaria.</p>
<p>Koepfli is optimistic about the outcomes of Kamugisha’s work. “Ethiopia is a malaria-endemic country where isolated regions are experiencing significant challenges. There is a need for passionate researchers with a keen interest in working with the Ethiopian research community to develop innovative ideas together,” he says. “Henry has dedicated an immense amount of time in administering RDTs, and analyzing their results so that we can guide officials on how to reduce transmission and ultimately eliminate malaria for good.”</p>
<p>Kamugisha will continue this research in the University’s <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/degree-programs/biological-sciences-phd---doctoral/">doctoral program</a> in biological sciences, which he will begin in the fall of 2024.</p>
<p>Applications for the Master of Science in Global Health program are currently open. “The two-year Master of Science in Global Health is a best-in-class program, designed to train students to be leaders in global health,” says Bernard Nahlen, Director of the Eck Institute for Global Health. “The Eck Institute welcomes all to apply who, like Henry Kamugisha, have a passion for advancing health standards and reducing health disparities for all.”</p>
<p>To learn more about how to apply, please visit the Eck Institute for Global Health <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/masters/">website</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health</strong></p>
<p>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of Notre Dame Research, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, including vector-borne diseases, while broadening the interdisciplinary expertise into other key global health areas including maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH); community health; mental health; nutrition and non-communicable diseases; the environment and health; health analytics and technologies; and health systems and organizations. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Christine Grashorn</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/news-events/news/global-health-graduate-researcher-henry-kamugisha-works-to-reduce-malaria-in-the-ethiopian-highlands/">globalhealth.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 27, 2024</span>.</p>Christine Grashorntag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1602182024-02-27T15:47:00-05:002024-02-27T15:47:49-05:00Graduate students to present research, compete for prize money in annual Three Minute Thesis competition<p>Nine University of Notre Dame graduate students will compete for $4,500 in prize money during the annual <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/graduate-training/research-communication/3mt/">Shaheen Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition</a>. The competition will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 28) inside Jordan Auditorium at the Mendoza College of Business on campus. It is open to the public.</p><p>Nine University of Notre Dame graduate students will compete for $4,500 in prize money during the annual <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/graduate-training/research-communication/3mt/">Shaheen Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition</a>. The competition will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 28) inside Jordan Auditorium at the Mendoza College of Business on campus. It is open to the public.</p>
<p>Sponsored by the <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/">Graduate School</a>, Graduate Student Government and the <a href="https://careerdevelopment.nd.edu/">Meruelo Family Center for Career Development</a>, 3MT is an academic competition that challenges graduate students to explain their research to a broad audience in three minutes or less, offering alumni, industry partners, various campus departments/institutes and the broader community the chance to learn about cutting-edge research at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>“3MT is a fantastic opportunity for graduate students across the University to convey their enthusiasm for their research and its impact on the world,” said Michael Hildreth, associate provost and vice president for graduate studies, professor of physics and astronomy and dean of the Graduate School. “I am always so impressed by the breadth of their studies and the excellence of their work. And, they are all so articulate. Everyone should come out to see this event.”</p>
<p><iframe width="1204" height="675" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rtiOPq5vPyA?si=GJvmvQKopJKpgTO2" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This year’s finalists are Cynthia Chen (chemical and biomolecular engineering), Liliya Chernysheva (civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences), Henry Downes (economics), Nicholas Herrud (history), Kurt Kohler (biological sciences), Josephine Lechartre (peace studies and political science), Hoon Lee (aerospace and mechanical engineering), Gowthami Mahendran (chemistry and biochemistry), and Amandhi Mathews (biological sciences).</p>
<p>The judges are Monica Arul Jayachandran, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech; Jeff Rea, president and CEO of the South Bend Regional Chamber; Essaka Joshua, professor of English and former associate dean of the College of Arts and Letters at Notre Dame; Michael Hildreth, vice president and associate provost, dean of the Graduate School and professor of physics at Notre Dame; and K. Matthew Dames, the Edward H. Arnold Dean of Hesburgh Libraries at Notre Dame.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Erin Blasko</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/graduate-students-to-present-research-compete-for-prize-money-in-annual-three-minute-thesis-competition/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 27, 2024</span>.</p>Erin Blaskotag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1590692024-01-09T09:08:29-05:002024-01-09T09:08:29-05:00From the St. Joseph River to the Great Lakes: Ashley Moerke’s freshwater ecology journey<p>Ashley Moerke, MS ‘00 and Ph.D ‘04 at the University of Notre Dame, has worn many teaching, researching, and administrative hats throughout her professional career. However, it all began under the Golden Dome, where she pursued both a master’s and doctorate degrees while working in <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/gary-lamberti/">Gary Lamberti</a>…</p><p>Ashley Moerke, MS ‘00 and Ph.D ‘04 at the University of Notre Dame, has worn many teaching, researching, and administrative hats throughout her professional career. However, it all began under the Golden Dome, where she pursued both a master’s and doctorate degrees while working in <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/gary-lamberti/">Gary Lamberti</a>’s lab.</p>
<p>“I attribute so much of my success to Gary and the lab that he built, and the community that he built for us,” said Moerke, who now serves as the dean of the College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education at Lake Superior State University (LSSU) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. She also works as the executive director of the university’s <a href="https://www.lssu.edu/cfre/">Center for Freshwater Research and Education</a>, which she helped create and build.</p>
<p>Moerke’s interest in freshwater ecology indeed developed largely from her time under Lamberti, the Rev. Julius A. Nieuwland C.S.C. Professor of Aquatic Science. He researches the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems to investigate their response to a changing world. Moerke followed suit, publishing her doctoral thesis on stream restoration.</p>
<p>Although the work was rewarding in itself, she described that the connections she developed with her colleagues were the highlight of her time at Notre Dame. She added that her Notre Dame education has furthered her career in ways she could have never imagined when she started.</p>
<p>“Notre Dame has an amazing network of scientists and experts . . . <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jennifer-tank/">Jennifer Tank</a> was on my committee, <a href="https://susminor.nd.edu/people/ronald-hellenthal/">Ron Hellenthal</a> was on my committee; they all have incredible reputations in the field. Having them help advise my research had created connections further into my career that I never would have understood until I started to go through it. They’ve all been instrumental in giving me advice, and connecting me to people, resources, and research.”</p>
<p>These connections, according to Moerke, didn’t stop after she left the university. For example, she’s remained in touch with <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/dominic-chaloner/">Dominic Chaloner</a>, currently professor of the practice and director of the Environmental Science major at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>“He was a postdoc in the lab when I was a grad student. He was hilarious . . . and he’s a fabulous person and scientist,” she said. “To this day, I think about the people I knew from there and I value them tremendously.”</p>
<p>After completing her doctorate, Moerke moved on to LSSU, describing how she loved it almost immediately.</p>
<p>“Lake State is this little gem,” she said. “It was surrounded by fresh water, and as a freshwater scientist, there’s no better place to be.”</p>
<p>Moerke has been there for almost 20 years and has worked in faculty, research, and administrative positions. Her freshwater research is diverse, encompassing everything from fish-eating cormorant birds to crude oil spills. One of her latest projects involves a major restoration — working on critical fish habitats for spawning — of the St. Mary’s River, the sole outflow of Lake Superior. She described how the project successfully increased the number of sport fish for anglers, creating a major economic and quality-of-life draw to the area.</p>
<p>“A lot of it’s connected to how people use and view the water,” Moerke said, describing her research.</p>
<p>However, making connections with other people is still her favorite part of her job.</p>
<p>“It’s the students who are the most rewarding,” she said. “I never thought that I’d want to be a teacher . . . but I felt like I could provide value to my students here, and that it was something that I became very passionate about — this kind of small, personal undergraduate education. I came through a similar experience, and it just resonated with me.”</p>
<p>She most enjoys interacting with the students who come from first-generation families, helping them identify the college opportunities available to them and future careers they could be successful in.</p>
<p>Moerke also encourages everyone who wants to study environmental science, especially at Notre Dame, to get involved in research.</p>
<p>“One of the most impressive things about Notre Dame is the amount of high-level research activity that integrates undergrads,” she said. “When you get exposed to professors’ research, your world opens up and you see all these career opportunities you may have never known about.”</p>
<p>When she’s not dispensing wisdom to her undergraduate students, Moerke enjoys the outdoor life, especially in LSSU’s unique location close to the Canadian border.</p>
<p>“On any evening after work, I can go mountain biking or cross country skiing with friends in Canada. There aren’t many places where you can recreate that; in two countries in one day,” she said.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">John LeSage</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/from-the-st-joseph-river-to-the-great-lakes-ashley-moerkes-freshwater-ecology-journey/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">December 21, 2023</span>.</p>John LeSagetag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1586052023-12-07T12:42:00-05:002023-12-07T12:42:09-05:00Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., elected 18th president of the University of Notre Dame<p>The Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame has elected <a href="https://www.nd.edu/about/leadership/council/rev-robert-a-dowd-csc/">Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.,</a> as the University’s 18th president, effective July 1. He will succeed <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/">Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.</a>, who announced in October that he will step down at the end of the 2023-24 academic year after serving as president for 19 years.…</p><p>The Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame has elected <a href="https://www.nd.edu/about/leadership/council/rev-robert-a-dowd-csc/">Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.,</a> as the University’s 18th president, effective July 1. He will succeed <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/">Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.</a>, who announced in October that he will step down at the end of the 2023-24 academic year after serving as president for 19 years.</p>
<p>“We are thrilled that Father Dowd will be Notre Dame’s next leader,” said Jack Brennan, chair of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees. “His character and intellect, along with his broad academic and administrative experience and his deep commitment to Notre Dame, make him an ideal person to lead the University into the future. Since its founding, Notre Dame has been led by a priest-president from the Congregation of Holy Cross, the religious order to which Father Sorin, the University’s founder, belonged. The University has had only three presidents in the last 70 years, each exceptional in their own right — Father Jenkins, Father Edward Malloy, C.S.C., and Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C. Father Dowd continues in this rich tradition.”</p>
<p>“I am deeply humbled and honored by the Board’s decision,” Father Dowd said. “We can all be grateful for Father Jenkins’ selfless and courageous leadership for almost two decades. Working together with others, his efforts have positioned the University extremely well in every way. We will build on those efforts. Informed by our Catholic mission, we will work together so that Notre Dame is an ever-greater engine of insight, innovation and impact, addressing society’s greatest challenges and helping young people to realize their potential for good.”<br><br>“I thank and congratulate our Board of Trustees on selecting Father Dowd as Notre Dame’s next president,” Father Jenkins said. “An accomplished scholar, a dedicated teacher and an experienced administrator, Father Bob is also a faithful and generous priest. He will lead the University to being even more powerfully a force for good in the world.”</p>
<p>Father Dowd currently serves as vice president and associate provost for interdisciplinary initiatives at Notre Dame, a position he has held since 2021. He is also an associate professor of political science and serves as a Fellow and Trustee of the University and religious superior of the Holy Cross community at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>A native of Michigan City, Indiana, Father Dowd graduated from Notre Dame in 1987, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and economics, and entered Moreau Seminary in the fall of that year to explore his vocation to religious life and priesthood. During his time in the seminary, he asked to be assigned to East Africa and spent 18 months there. After professing final vows in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1993 and being ordained a priest in 1994, he worked in Campus Ministry at Notre Dame, serving as associate rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and as an assistant rector in one of the University’s residence halls.</p>
<p>He began his graduate studies at UCLA in 1996, earning an M.A. in African studies in 1998 and a doctorate in political science in 2003. In 2004, Father Dowd joined Notre Dame’s political science department as a member of the faculty. Specializing in comparative politics, his research has focused on how Christian and Islamic religious communities affect support for democratic institutions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. He has published articles in leading academic journals and a book with Oxford University Press.</p>
<p>In his current role, Father Dowd oversees several institutes, centers and other academic units at Notre Dame, including the Center for Social Concerns, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate, iNDustry Labs, Institute for Educational Initiatives, Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, McGrath Institute for Church Life, Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center, Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, ROTC programs and the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. He also directs the approval and review process of institutes and centers.</p>
<p>He was previously an assistant provost for internationalization with Notre Dame International, where his primary responsibilities included overseeing the Dublin Global Gateway and Kylemore Abbey Global Centre in Ireland and the São Paulo Global Center in Brazil, and establishing an office in Nairobi, Kenya, to promote and support Notre Dame’s research and educational partnerships in Africa.</p>
<p>He is the founder of Notre Dame’s Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, which is animated by Catholic social teaching and dedicated to forging community-engaged research partnerships in the Global South. He is a fellow of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies in the University’s Keough School of Global Affairs. He also serves as a trustee of Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, and a board member of Brother Andre Hospital in Nairobi.</p>
<p>Father Dowd’s research has focused on African politics, identity politics, and religion and politics. His research has also explored the effects of religious beliefs and institutions on the integration of migrants/refugees in Europe and the effects of faith-based schools on citizenship and civic engagement in Africa. He is the author of the book “Christianity, Islam, and Liberal Democracy: Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa.”</p>
<p>Over his 19-year tenure as president, Father Jenkins is credited with advancing Notre Dame’s mission as a Catholic research university; attracting and supporting superb faculty; fostering dramatic growth in research at the University; securing Notre Dame’s admission in the Association of American Universities; ensuring the University’s financial strength; admitting a talented, diverse student body; promoting continued excellence in undergraduate instruction; expanding Notre Dame’s global engagement; and offering students an in-person education during the COVID-19 pandemic. A longtime member of the Commission on Presidential Debates, he is recognized nationally as an advocate of civil discourse, and he is a leading voice on the future of college athletics.</p>
<p>A video announcement is available <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NskCBvWjOms">here</a> and a history of the University’s presidency is available <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/history-of-the-presidency/">here</a>.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Notre Dame News</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/rev-robert-a-dowd-c-s-c-elected-18th-president-of-the-university-of-notre-dame/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">December 04, 2023</span>.</p>Notre Dame Newstag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1586072023-12-06T12:42:00-05:002023-12-07T12:42:59-05:00ND-GAIN to launch Global Urban Climate Assessment, measuring climate resiliency at the city level<p>Building on its pioneering <a href="https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/">Country Index</a>, which ranks climate vulnerability and readiness across more than 180 countries, the University of Notre Dame’s Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) will soon begin tracking the progress of such efforts in cities around the world. Based on evolving climate vulnerability and adaptation research, the Global Urban Climate Assessment (GUCA) aims to develop a pilot decision-support tool to inform actions and investments in urban areas.</p><p>Images of catastrophic flooding filled social media in October as the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia dropped more than 6 inches of rain on New York City in less than 24 hours, inundating streets, subway tunnels and basement apartments across the city.</p>
<p>Across the river in Hoboken, however, the effects of the storm were relatively mild. Schools let out on time, and an arts festival went on as scheduled.</p>
<p>The difference?</p>
<p>In a word: preparation.</p>
<p>In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Hoboken poured millions of dollars into its waterfront, constructing new parks and cisterns to effectively absorb stormwater in the event of heavy rain. It also redesigned its streets to include more gardens and porous surfaces and reduce runoff.</p>
<p>It’s an example of the kinds of adaptive measures that cities will need to take if they hope to mitigate the worst effects of climate change moving forward — from flooding, extreme heat and rain to diminishing air quality.</p>
<p>Building on its pioneering <a href="https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/">Country Index</a>, which ranks climate vulnerability and readiness across more than 180 countries, the University of Notre Dame’s <a href="https://gain.nd.edu/">Global Adaptation Initiative</a> (ND-GAIN) will soon begin tracking the progress of such efforts in cities around the world. Based on evolving climate vulnerability and adaptation research, the Global Urban Climate Assessment (GUCA) aims to develop a pilot decision-support tool to inform actions and investments in urban areas.</p>
<p>“As society moves into an increasingly urban future, comparable city-level information is critical to better understand the complex challenges global cities are facing,” said <a href="https://research.nd.edu/people/danielle-wood/">Danielle Wood</a>, project director at ND-GAIN and professor of the practice in the <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/">College of Engineering</a>. “While national-level data, like that provided in ND-GAIN’s Country Index, offers an overview of climate risk, GUCA can facilitate resilience assessments and interventions across and within cities, where impacts are most felt.”</p>
<p>Using both remote sensing and secondary data, GUCA will provide the first assessment tool across multiple global cities on consistent resilience measures. The pilot begins with 10 densely populated cities: Amman, Jordan; Beijing, China; Berlin, Germany; Bogotá, Colombia; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Mogadishu, Somalia; Mumbai, India; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Shenzhen, China — with Abuja, Nigeria, and Panama City, Panama, as potential alternates.</p>
<p>Based on the pilot’s findings, ND-GAIN may expand the assessment globally to include all cities with populations higher than 1 million. GUCA is scheduled to be complete in fall 2024.</p>
<p>Wood is serving as principal investigator on the pilot project. Additional faculty researchers on the team include:</p>
<p><!-- [if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]--><a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/diogo-bolster/">Diogo Bolster</a>, associate director of the <a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/">Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative</a> (ND-ECI) and the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Hydrology and Henry Massman Department Chair in the <a href="https://ceees.nd.edu/">Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences</a>.</p>
<p><!-- [if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]--><a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/paola-crippa/">Paola Crippa</a>, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences.</p>
<p><!-- [if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]--><a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/alan-hamlet/">Alan Hamlet</a>, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences.</p>
<p><!-- [if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]--><a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/people/the-lucy-family-core-team/matthew-sisk/">Matthew Sisk</a>, associate professor of the practice at Notre Dame’s <a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/">Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society</a>.</p>
<p><!-- [if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]--><a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/alexandros-taflanidis/">Alexandros Taflanidis</a>, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences.</p>
<p><!-- [if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]--><a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jennifer-tank/">Jennifer Tank</a>, director of ND-ECI and the Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla Professor of <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/">Biological Sciences</a>.</p>
<p><!-- [if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]--><a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/kevin-walsh/">Kevin Walsh</a>, associate teaching professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences and director of the Master of Engineering program.</p>
<p>The team, which also includes early career researchers, postdoctoral scholars, doctoral students, <a href="https://keough.nd.edu/master-of-global-affairs/">Master of Global Affairs</a> students and undergraduates, will identify a suite of environmental, economic and social indicators to be delivered through an interactive geographical information system platform for a visual, comparable view of urban climate resilience.</p>
<p>Like its parent index, GUCA will be a free and open-source tool designed to help governments, nongovernmental organizations and investors direct funding where it’s most needed, identify opportunities for adaptation and determine where cities are most vulnerable.</p>
<p>“Adaptation is critical for building resilience, reducing vulnerabilities and ensuring livelihoods in the face of climate change, but success will require a combination of strategies implemented at local, national and global levels to address the multifaceted challenges posed by a changing climate,” Tank said.</p>
<p>Globally, <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/05/18/cities-key-to-solving-climate-crisis">cities produce more than 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions</a>. Industrialization, transportation and reliance on fossil fuels and human activity are driving an increase in the planet’s core temperature. Though world leaders pledged to limit emissions and prevent global temperatures from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius as part of the Paris Agreement, climate experts have repeatedly warned that progress is not happening fast enough.</p>
<p>As extreme climate events grow in intensity and frequency, so does the need and the urgency for scalable adaptation measures addressing vulnerabilities of the world’s cities.</p>
<p>Along Mexico’s west coast, residents are still recovering from Hurricane Otis, which made landfall in October and rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours. Otis devastated the region, claiming dozens of lives and leaving dozens more missing.</p>
<p>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has called Otis “the strongest hurricane in the Eastern Pacific to make landfall in the satellite era.”</p>
<p><a href="https://news.nd.edu/our-experts/tracy-kijewski-correa/"></a><a href="https://pulte.nd.edu/people/faculty-staff/tracy-kijewski-correa/">Tracy Kijewski-Correa</a>, the William J. Pulte Director of the <a href="https://pulte.nd.edu/">Pulte Institute for Global Development</a> and professor of engineering and global affairs, is an expert in disaster risk reduction and the director of the NSF-funded <a href="https://www.steer.network/">Structural Extreme Events Reconnaissance (StEER) Network</a>. StEER’s ongoing data collection confirms that Otis was an unprecedented storm that tested the limits of coastal communities.</p>
<p>“We’re seeing some of the most extensive cladding failures we’ve ever observed in high-rise buildings,” Kijewski-Correa said. “We’re also looking closely at the building code by which these buildings were designed. Based on the evidence we have so far, from a wind speed perspective, Otis may have been one of the strongest hurricanes of all time, which would certainly outstrip local codes that had not anticipated a storm of this intensity.”</p>
<p>While coastal cities bear the brunt of increasingly dangerous hurricanes, elsewhere, record-breaking heatwaves are straining electrical grids and threatening human life in vulnerable populations. Power generation, transportation and wildfires pose a continued threat to air quality. Drought and flooding impact crop yields. And saltwater intrusion in coastal areas has led to contaminated ground and freshwater systems.</p>
<p>“With mounting challenges and finite resources, decision-support tools serve as an important resource for prioritizing adaptation to the changing climate,” Wood said. “Translating research into open-source tools demonstrates how research can be of service to the common good, providing knowledge to assess needs and opportunities for adaptation planning and improved resilience.”</p>
<p>ND-GAIN is a program within Notre Dame’s Environmental Change Initiative, with more than 60 faculty across several disciplines pursuing research solutions for some of the key environmental challenges of our time.</p>
<p>For more on ND-GAIN and to see the latest rankings, visit <a href="https://gain.nd.edu/">gain.nd.edu</a>.</p>
<p>For more on ND-ECI, visit <a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/">environmentalchange.nd.edu</a>.</p>
<p><em><strong>Contact: </strong>Jessica Sieff, associate director, media relations, 574-631-3933, <a href="mailto:jsieff@nd.edu">jsieff@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Erin Blasko and Jessica Sieff</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/nd-gain-to-launch-global-urban-climate-assessment-measuring-climate-resiliency-at-the-city-level/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">November 30, 2023</span>.</p>Erin Blasko and Jessica Siefftag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1586062023-12-05T12:42:00-05:002023-12-07T12:42:35-05:00Eck Institute announces 2023-2024 graduate research fellows<figure class="image image-right" style="width: 450px;"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/547835/450x/eigh_graduate_scholars_graphic.jpg" alt="Eck Institute 2023-2024 graduate research fellows." width="450">
<figcaption>Eck Institute 2023-2024 graduate research fellows.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Four Ph.D. students at the University of Notre Dame have joined the <a href="http://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> as <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/funding/phd/fellowships/">graduate research fellows</a>…</p><figure class="image image-right" style="width: 450px;"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/547835/450x/eigh_graduate_scholars_graphic.jpg" alt="Eck Institute 2023-2024 graduate research fellows." width="450">
<figcaption>Eck Institute 2023-2024 graduate research fellows.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Four Ph.D. students at the University of Notre Dame have joined the <a href="http://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> as <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/funding/phd/fellowships/">graduate research fellows</a>. The Institute will support the students as they pursue topics in global health, including infectious disease and maternal health research.</p>
<p>The Eck Institute’s graduate fellowship program provides training, mentorship, and opportunities for collaboration with Notre Dame’s internationally recognized global health experts. Graduate fellows also have access to interdisciplinary opportunities, including the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/global-health-case-competition/">Notre Dame Global Health Case Competition</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/about/staff/bernard-nahlen/">Dr. Bernard Nahlen</a>, director of the Eck Institute for Global Health, said “We are excited to have our <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/funding/phd/fellowships/fellowship-previous-awardees/">2023-2024 cohort of graduate fellows</a> join the Eck Institute this year as they are all exceptional scholars.” Nahlen added that, “they have an extraordinary opportunity to contribute their research expertise toward understanding existing and emerging global health challenges.”</p>
<p>The Institute’s 2023-2024 graduate fellows are:</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p>Alyssa La Bella: La Bella’s research project is titled “Dissecting the Efg1 Virulence Network of Candida albicans in the Catheterized Bladder.”</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p>Elizabeth Lau: Lau’s project is titled “Validation of a Clinical Screening Tool for Postpartum Depression in Rural United States.”</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p>Bradley Jones: Jones’ research project is titled “Defining the Roles of Lysine Acetyltransferases MMAR_3740 and MMAR_3692 in Mycobacterial Pathogenesis.”</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p>Alexis Waldschmidt: Waldschmidt’s research project is titled “The Multiple Disease-Vectoring Roles of NORPA β-Class Phospholipase C Signaling in Aedes Mosquitoes.”</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The Eck Institute supports multidisciplinary research from graduate students across the University of Notre Dame who have a specific interest in global health. Graduates of the program have gone on to lead federal and academic research programs.</p>
<p>The Global Health Fellowship program for doctoral students will not accept new applications for the upcoming academic year.</p>
<p>Please visit the Eck Institute for Global Health <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/funding/phd/fellowships/">website</a> for information regarding the fellowship program, and updates on program availability.</p>
<p><strong>Contact:<br></strong>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health<br></strong>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of Notre Dame Research, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, including vector-borne diseases, while broadening the interdisciplinary expertise into other key global health areas including maternal, newborn, & child health (MNCH), community health, mental health, nutrition and non-communicable diseases, the environment and health, health analytics and technologies, and health systems and organizations. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Christine Grashorn</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/news-events/news/eck-institute-announces-2023-2024-graduate-research-fellows/">globalhealth.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">November 08, 2023</span>.</p>Christine Grashorntag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1578942023-11-10T11:38:00-05:002023-11-10T11:38:13-05:00Success of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in fighting dengue may be underestimated<p>Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have conducted an analysis of the World Mosquito Program’s randomized control trial of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Indonesia, looking at how excluding transmission dynamics impacted the original interpretation of the trial’s results.</p><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/546851/300x/professor_alex_perkins_10511.jpg" alt="Professor Alex Perkins 10511" width="300" height="200">
<figcaption>Alex Perkins</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The fight against dengue fever has a new weapon: a mosquito infected with the bacteria Wolbachia, which prevents the spread of the virus. These mosquitoes have now been deployed in several trials demonstrating their potential in preventing disease transmission.</p>
<p>Now, researchers at the University of Notre Dame have conducted an analysis of the World Mosquito Program’s randomized control trial of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Indonesia, looking at how excluding transmission dynamics impacted the original interpretation of the trial’s results.</p>
<p>“Randomized controlled trials are the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy of any medical or public health intervention. That is very difficult for vector interventions against dengue because incidence of the disease can be somewhat unpredictable and sporadic, requiring very large-scale trials,” said <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/alex-perkins/">Alex Perkins</a>, associate professor of biological sciences at Notre Dame and senior author on the study.</p>
<p>The study published in <a href="https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/8/e012169">BMJ Global Health</a> used mathematical models to analyze dengue virus transmission during the Indonesia trial. They explored three biases, or sources of potential error, that the trial is subject to: human movement, mosquito movement and the combined transmission dynamics between human and mosquito movement.</p>
<p>Out of all the biases, the researchers explain that the most problematic to control for is transmission coupling. While bias due to human and mosquito movement can be mitigated through trial design and other statistical methods, transmission coupling requires mathematical modeling that is not traditionally part of clinical trial analysis.</p>
<p>The study found that the amount of bias introduced in any given trial is likely to be greater when the population receiving the intervention in the trial is larger. In the case of the Indonesia trial, nearly half the population was treated with Wolbachia mosquitoes. “That makes the bias that we uncovered due to transmission coupling especially important for this trial,” Perkins said.</p>
<p>Even though the Wolbachia trial in Indonesia showed an impressive reduction of dengue infections by 77 percent, Perkins’ team predicts that those results are likely underestimated. Consistent with their prediction, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03346-2">a recent trial in Colombia</a> demonstrated a drop in dengue fever incidence by 94 to 97 percent, using an interrupted time series approach.</p>
<p>“Although we did not pinpoint a precise revised estimate of the Indonesia trial, we showed that a true efficacy approaching those observed in the interrupted time series analyses from Colombia is theoretically possible,” Perkins said. “I was pleasantly surprised to see these updated time series results, which make the Wolbachia approach continue to look encouraging.”</p>
<p>Perkins also noted that the reductions in dengue fever cases may not carry on indefinitely and that events such as births, deaths and immigration will increase susceptibility to the disease, affecting case numbers in the long-term.</p>
<p>As for future vector-borne disease research, Perkins explained that it’s important to incorporate transmission dynamic modelling in the designing and the interpreting of trials to ensure researchers understand the true impact of any interventions.</p>
<p>“Our findings can apply to the efficacy of any vector-control method that has the potential to contaminate its own study populations, such as gene drive mosquitoes or ivermectin as interventions against malaria,” Perkins said.</p>
<p><em><strong>Contact: </strong>Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, <a href="mailto:brandiwampler@nd.edu">brandiwampler@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brandi Wampler</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/success-of-wolbachia-infected-mosquitoes-in-fighting-dengue-may-be-underestimated/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">November 06, 2023</span>.</p>Brandi Wamplertag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1578932023-11-10T11:37:00-05:002023-11-10T11:37:48-05:00Fighting Irish, Fighting Cancer: How professor Jianneng Li’s research expands prostate cancer advancements<p>What happens when previously treatable cancers become drug-resistant? Jianneng Li, Archibald Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, is trying to answer that question by conducting critical research on prostate cancer.</p>
<p>Li has focused on prostate cancer as the topic of his research for the majority of his career at the Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic, where he worked before joining the University of Notre Dame faculty in 2023. He studies the effects of steroids on cancer as well as other relationships between enzymes and receptors in cancerous samples.…</p><p>What happens when previously treatable cancers become drug-resistant? Jianneng Li, Archibald Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, is trying to answer that question by conducting critical research on prostate cancer.</p>
<p>Li has focused on prostate cancer as the topic of his research for the majority of his career at the Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic, where he worked before joining the University of Notre Dame faculty in 2023. He studies the effects of steroids on cancer as well as other relationships between enzymes and receptors in cancerous samples.</p>
<p>“I mainly focus on prostate cancer,” Li said, “but steroids are very important for human physiology and also other diseases. Our lab tries to radiate from prostate cancer to other steroid-related cancers and diseases, and even aging.”</p>
<p>In his new role at Notre Dame, Li manages a lab to further this research. He spoke highly of the opportunities for collaboration with other researchers at Notre Dame: “There are a lot of awesome scientists around which benefit our research and also can help us to find new ways to do the research,” he said.</p>
<p>Li also teaches a class this year to graduate students on Methodologies in Biological Research and says the students have been highly impressive.</p>
<p>“The students know what they want; they are self-motivated. That is another reason I chose to be here,” said Li. Both graduate and undergraduate students work in his lab.</p>
<p>Prostate cancer occurs with hormone-dependent malignancy. Its development and progression depend on androgens. Therefore, cutting the androgen supplement and/or inhibiting its receptor activation are the mainstay treatments for prostate cancer. One current project Li is working on is about an enzyme that is involved in androgen synthesis. This enzyme can be inhibited by an FDA-approved drug to treat prostate cancer. The drug prevents the androgen receptor from carrying out its biological activity.</p>
<p>“Hopefully, we can find out the mechanisms underlying the preliminary datafind,” Li said. “This project is also very promising. We are confident that we can figure it out, and by finishing that project, we can provide some implications for the treatment. Ultimately, the goal is to suppress and reverse the spread of cancer.”</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Madeline Schlehuber</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/fighting-irish-fighting-cancer-how-professor-jianneng-lis-research-expands-prostate-cancer-advancements/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">November 06, 2023</span>.</p>Madeline Schlehubertag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1575192023-10-25T17:49:00-04:002023-10-25T17:49:38-04:00New technology could lead to quick, minimally invasive cancer diagnoses<p>Researchers have developed a new, lightning-fast method to detect “extracellular RNA,” or exRNA, which will aid in early detection of diseases including cancer, heart disease, HIV and other life-threatening conditions.</p><figure class="image image-left"><em><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/544340/acsnano_17_no._10_2023_9388_9404._copyright_2023_american_chemical_society.jpeg" alt='Reprinted with permission from Sharma, Himani, Vivek Yadav, Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey, David B. Go, Satyajyoti Senapati, and Hsueh-Chia Chang. "A Scalable High-Throughput Isoelectric Fractionation Platform for Extracellular Nanocarriers: Comprehensive and Bias-Free Isolation of Ribonucleoproteins from Plasma, Urine, and Saliva." ACSnano 17, no. 10 (2023): 9388-9404. Copyright 2023 American Chemical Society.' width="600" height="798"></em>
<figcaption>Reprinted with permission from Sharma, Himani, Vivek Yadav, Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey, David B. Go, Satyajyoti Senapati and Hsueh-Chia Chang. "A Scalable High-Throughput Isoelectric Fractionation Platform for Extracellular Nanocarriers: Comprehensive and Bias-Free Isolation of Ribonucleoproteins from Plasma, Urine, and Saliva." ACSnano 17, no. 10 (2023): 9388-9404. Copyright 2023 American Chemical Society.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A new device created at the University of Notre Dame employs an innovative method for “listening in” on cells’ conversations.</p>
<p>Scientists have long known that RNA (ribonucleic acid) acts as a messenger inside cells, translating DNA information to help cells make proteins.</p>
<p>But recently, scientists have discovered that certain types of RNA venture outside the cell wall. Each of these strands of “extracellular RNA,” or exRNA, rests inside a tiny carrier “bottle” and flows along bodily fluids like a microscopic message in a bottle, carrying information to other cells.</p>
<p>The new appreciation for exRNA also raised a tantalizing possibility: Could we use exRNA as a way of “listening in” on cells’ conversations?</p>
<p>“These extracellular RNAs are a goldmine of information,” said <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/hsueh-chia-chang/">Hsueh-Chia Chang</a>, the Bayer Professor of <a href="https://cbe.nd.edu">Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering</a> at the University of Notre Dame. “They can carry the early warning signs of cancer, heart disease, HIV and other life-threatening conditions.”</p>
<p>Chang, an expert in nanofluidics, explains that diagnosing a disease using exRNA could prove not only more effective but also faster and cheaper than existing methods, since there is enough exRNA in a small sample of blood or another bodily fluid to signal the presence of many diseases.</p>
<p>But intercepting and interpreting exRNA messages has been a difficult challenge. Many labs have attempted to filter them from samples of blood or other bodily fluids. Many others have used advanced centrifuges to isolate exRNA. These methods have met with little success for a simple reason: The different types of “bottles” that carry exRNA messages overlap in size and weight. Even the most advanced filters and centrifuges leave many carriers jumbled together. Labs using these methods have to add additional steps in which they add chemicals or small magnetic particles to further sort the carriers into discrete groups.</p>
<p>Four years ago, Chang and a team of researchers at Notre Dame decided to try a radically new approach, and their idea received <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/researchers-to-create-quick-low-cost-cancer-diagnostic/">support </a>from the Common Fund of the National Institutes of Health, which selects promising “high-risk, innovative endeavors with the potential for extraordinary impact.”</p>
<p>Chang was joined by three other Notre Dame faculty members: Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey, the Morris Pollard Professor of Biological Sciences; David Go, vice president and associate provost for academic strategy and the Viola D. Hank Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering; and Satyajyoti Senapati, research associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Postdoctoral fellow Himani Sharma served as project lead, and chemical and biomolecular engineering graduate student Vivek Yadav helped conduct the research.</p>
<figure class="image image-default"><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/544341/a_scalable_high_throughput_isoelectric_fractionation_platform_for_extracellular_nanocarriers_comprehensive_and_bias_free_isolation_of_ribonucleoproteins_from_plasma_urine_and_saliva..jpeg" alt='Reprinted with permission from Sharma, Himani, Vivek Yadav, Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey, David B. Go, Satyajyoti Senapati, and Hsueh-Chia Chang. "A Scalable High-Throughput Isoelectric Fractionation Platform for Extracellular Nanocarriers: Comprehensive and Bias-Free Isolation of Ribonucleoproteins from Plasma, Urine, and Saliva." ACSnano 17, no. 10 (2023): 9388-9404. Copyright 2023 American Chemical Society.' width="600" height="433">
<figcaption>Reprinted with permission from Sharma, Himani, Vivek Yadav, Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey, David B. Go, Satyajyoti Senapati and Hsueh-Chia Chang. "A Scalable High-Throughput Isoelectric Fractionation Platform for Extracellular Nanocarriers: Comprehensive and Bias-Free Isolation of Ribonucleoproteins from Plasma, Urine, and Saliva." ACSnano 17, no. 10 (2023): 9388-9404. Copyright 2023 American Chemical Society.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In a study published in <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsnano.3c01340">ACS Nano</a>, Sharma, Chang and their colleagues describe the groundbreaking device that resulted from their research. The new technology uses a combination of pH (acidity/basicity) and electrical charge to separate the carriers. The idea relies on the fact that although the carriers overlap in size and weight, each type has a distinct “isoelectric point” — the pH, or level of acidity/basicity, at which it has no positive or negative charge.</p>
<p>The device integrates several existing technologies developed at Notre Dame and fits neatly in the palm of the hand.</p>
<p>Flowing through the middle of the device is what looks like a simple stream of water. But there is something special about the stream that is not visible to the naked eye. At the left side, the water is highly acidic, with a pH about the same as a glass of grapefruit juice. On the other side of the stream, the water is highly basic, with a pH similar to a bottle of ammonia.</p>
<p>A special feature of the device is not just the fact that it has a pH gradient in the stream but also how it achieves that gradient. The technology is able to generate the gradient without the addition of any chemicals, making it cheaper, more eco-friendly and more efficient to run than designs that rely on added acids and bases.</p>
<figure class="image image-default"><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/544339/postdoctoral_fellow_himani_sharma_holds_a_prototype_of_the_device_in_the_chang_lab..jpeg" alt="Postdoctoral fellow Himani Sharma holds a prototype of the device in the Chang Lab." width="600" height="367">
<figcaption>Postdoctoral fellow Himani Sharma holds a prototype of the device in the <a href="https://www3.nd.edu/~changlab/PI.html">Chang Lab</a>.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The gradient comes not from a chemical but from a two-sided membrane powered by a specially designed chip. The membrane splits the water in two ions (H+ and OH-) and adds a different kind of ion to each side of the stream. One side of the membrane releases acidic hydronium ions, and the other size releases basic hydroxide ions. When the basic and acidic streams flow together, they create a pH gradient just as hot and cold streams flowing together would form hot and cold sides with a gradient of temperature through the middle of the stream. The team used the two devices running in parallel to select the pH range required for carrier separation and optimized the process using machine learning.</p>
<p>The pH gradient achieved what filters and centrifuges could not: It caused the exRNA carriers floating in the stream to sort themselves like colors of light passing through a prism. The different types of carriers formed lines along their isoelectric points where they could easily flow out into separate outlets.</p>
<p>Thanks to the new method, the research team was able to generate very pure samples (up to 97 percent pure) using less than a milliliter of blood plasma, saliva or urine. The process was also lightning-fast compared to current methods. Whereas the best existing technologies take about a day to achieve separation, the Notre Dame team was able to comprehensively sort their sample in just half an hour.</p>
<p>“We have filed for a patent and soon hope that the technology will be commercialized, so that it can help improve diagnoses of cancer and other diseases,” said Sharma, who <a href="https://harpercancer.nd.edu/news-events/news/11th-annual-cancer-research-day/">won</a> several awards for her work on the study from Notre Dame’s Harper Cancer Research Institute.</p>
<p>“Noncommunicable diseases are responsible for more than 70 percent of deaths worldwide, and cardiovascular disease and cancer are responsible for most of that number,” Sharma said. “Our technology shows a path to improving the way clinicians diagnose these diseases, and that could save a tremendous number of lives.”</p>
<p><em><strong>Contact: </strong>Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, <a href="mailto:brandiwampler@nd.edu">brandiwampler@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brett Beasley</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://research.nd.edu/news-and-events/news/new-technology-could-lead-to-quick-minimally-invasive-cancer-diagnoses/">research.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">Oct. 18</span>.</p>Brett Beasleytag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1572632023-10-16T15:57:00-04:002023-10-16T15:57:48-04:00Researchers uncover a new target in the fight against metastatic breast cancer<p>In the fight against metastatic cancer, harnessing a patient’s own immune system to target cancer cells has been a promising strategy.</p>
<p>In a recent article published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(23)00336-4">Cell Metabolism</a>, <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/labs/lu-lab/">Xin Lu, the John M. and Mary Jo Boler Collegiate Associate Professor</a>…</p><p>In the fight against metastatic cancer, harnessing a patient’s own immune system to target cancer cells has been a promising strategy.</p>
<p>In a recent article published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(23)00336-4">Cell Metabolism</a>, <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/labs/lu-lab/">Xin Lu, the John M. and Mary Jo Boler Collegiate Associate Professor</a> in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame and collaborators have made a breakthrough in understanding why a certain type of therapy is not always effective—and are now targeting a path to improve upon it.</p>
<p>Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy involves the use of drugs that enhance the activity of T cells, which are a type of immune cell that can kill cancer cells when activated. While ICB therapy is very effective for treating certain types of cancer, other cancers, such as metastatic breast cancer, are often not cured by the treatment, Lu said. Metastatic breast cancer is an advanced stage of breast cancer where tumor cells leave the primary tumor and migrate to other areas of a patient’s body. To understand why ICB therapy fails in this context, Lu and collaborators targeted neutrophils, an immune cell that can interfere with ICB therapy.</p>
<p>“Neutrophils pose a major threat to patients because they often display an unwanted activity toward T cells: they suppress T cells so that they lose the ability to kill cancer cells,” Lu said. The research team hypothesized that tumor-infiltrating neutrophils survive and continue to suppress T-cells in metastatic breast cancer tumors by altering their metabolism.</p>
<p>Using new sequencing technology, the researchers identified a metabolic enzyme called aconitate decarboxylase 1 (Acod1) that is present at much higher levels in neutrophils associated with metastatic breast cancer tumors, compared to neutrophils elsewhere in the body.</p>
<p>“Higher levels of Acod1 in tumor-infiltrating neutrophils brings them a big benefit: it allows them to survive in the stressful metastasis environment,” said Yun Zhao, the first author on the study and a postdoctoral scholar in Lu’s lab.</p>
<p>If the researchers deleted Acod1 in neutrophils, Zhao described, the tumor-associated neutrophils entered ferroptosis, a special type of iron-dependent cell death, which caused those cells to diminish quickly from the body. Mice with neutrophils lacking Acod1 responded favorably to ICB therapy, which reduced or eliminated their metastases.</p>
<p>The researchers found that tissue samples from human breast cancer patients also contained neutrophils with high levels of Acod1, indicating that the enzyme likely plays a similar role in human disease. According to Lu, understanding the effect of high Acod1 levels has created the potential for a promising new treatment approach.</p>
<p>“Once we identify a way to target Acod1 pharmacologically—a work that is underway right now in my lab—we should be able to combine the Acod1-targeting drug with ICB therapy to treat patients,” Lu said. “This combination treatment should be quite safe and should greatly enhance the response to ICB therapy.”</p>
<p>Lu acknowledged the importance of his collaborators on the study, which involved thirty authors from multiple institutions.</p>
<p>“Collaboration is absolutely essential for this work, and Notre Dame has a great environment for barrier-free collaboration,” Lu said. “I am particularly grateful for the support of Sharon Stack, the Ann F. Dunne and Elizabeth Riley Director of Harper Cancer Research Institute, Kleiderer-Pezold Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry professor and Director of the <a href="https://harpercancer.nd.edu/">Harper Cancer Research Institute</a>, who tirelessly seeks and fosters collaborative opportunities for our cancer research community, and for the multiple groups outside of Notre Dame that provided essential contributions for this study.”</p>
<p>Collaborators on the study include Yun Zhao, Zhongshun Liu, Guoqiang Liu, Yuting Zhang, Xiaoxia Peng, Eun Suh Sung, Keegan Gilbert, Yini Zhu, Xuechun Wang, Ziyu Zeng, Hope Baldwin, Guanzhu Ren, Jessica Weaver, Anna Huron, Xuemin Lu, Toni Mayberry, M. Sharon Stack, Dailin Gan, Jun Li, and Jun Wan from the University of Notre Dame. Other partners included researchers from Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Medicine, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and the Van Andel Institute. A full list of individual collaborators can be found on the research article website.</p>
<p>The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants: R01CA280097 and R01CA248033 (Xin Lu) and P30CA082709 (Jun Wan)), the Susan G. Komen Foundation (grant: CCR18548293 (Xin Lu)), a METAvivor Early Career Investigator Award (Yun Zhao), the Department of Defense (grants: W81XWH2010312, W81XWH2010332, and HT94252310010 (Xin Lu)), and the Boler Family Foundation (Xin Lu) at the University of Notre Dame.</p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">William McManus</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/researchers-uncover-a-new-target-in-the-fight-against-metastatic-breast-cancer/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">October 13, 2023</span>.</p>William McManustag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1571412023-10-10T14:30:00-04:002023-10-10T14:30:04-04:00Notre Dame researchers’ data-driven approach to protecting wildlife receives $1.5 million from the NSF<p>The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $1.5 million to a multidisciplinary team of faculty researchers at the University of Notre Dame who are working to protect wildlife from impending threats caused by climate change. The project, “Exploiting Federal Data and Beyond: A Multi-modal Knowledge Network for Comprehensive Wildlife Management under Climate Change,”<em></em>…</p><p>The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $1.5 million to a multidisciplinary team of faculty researchers at the University of Notre Dame who are working to protect wildlife from impending threats caused by climate change. The project, “Exploiting Federal Data and Beyond: A Multi-modal Knowledge Network for Comprehensive Wildlife Management under Climate Change,”<em> </em>will result in a comprehensive platform to support data-driven approaches to wildlife management.</p>
<p>Changes in climate can make it difficult to manage threatened, invasive, or economically important species. The new platform, KN-Wildlife, will safeguard biodiversity while also ensuring ecosystem health and the economic stability of wildlife. The platform offers interactive tools that can predict and visualize the spread distribution of species’ habitat across geographic areas, and enables the dynamic adjustment of environmental variables, allowing users to probe potential implications of climate factor changes on managed species.</p>
<p>During its first phase, KN-Wildlife will focus on around 3000 managed species by extending the species of concerns from the stakeholders, such as the Fish and Wildlife Commissions (FWC) and Departments of Health (DoH) in Indiana and Florida. </p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://conductorshare.nd.edu/assets/540944/300x/mc_7.17.18_cos_undergraduate_research_06.jpg" alt="Mc 7" width="300" height="200"></figure>
<p>The species cover a wide range of taxonomy from fungi and bacteria to fish and mammals. A comprehensive knowledge network will be established by incorporating the vast amount of federal data from sources like the United States Geological Survey, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and others. </p>
<p>“We envision KN-Wildlife as an open-access platform that can provide a unified representation of managed species” said <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/xiangliang-zhang/">Xiangliang Zhang</a>, associate professor in the <a href="http://cse.nd.edu">Department of Computer Science and Engineering</a> and lead principal investigator for the proposal.</p>
<p>She explained that, “by designing a unified resource, we are equipping wildlife stakeholders with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions that ensure a thriving and sustainable future for wildlife everywhere.”</p>
<p>The platform is also being supported by co-principal investigators <a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/people/the-lucy-family-core-team/nitesh-chawla/">Nitesh Chawla</a>, Founding Director of the Lucy Institute for Data & Society and Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering as well as <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jason-rohr/">Jason Rohr</a>, the Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla College Professor and Department Chair in the <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/">Department of Biological Sciences</a>.</p>
<p>KN-Wildlife will have a broad impact on both research and education at the University of Notre Dame. The user-friendly design and interactive features will encourage its usage among students, faculty, and researchers, facilitating an enriching learning and discovery experience. </p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://conductorshare.nd.edu/assets/540945/300x/jennifer_tank_7.jpg" alt="Jennifer Tank 7" width="300" height="200"></figure>
<p>Aligned with the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society’s mission to adventurously collaborate towards addressing society’s “<a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/wicked-problem/about/What-is-a-wicked-problem">wicked problems</a>,” Chawla expressed his excitement upon receiving word of the NSF grant, which he explains will have, “wide-reaching applications in, fostering interdisciplinary research across the fields of computer science, ecology, biogeography, and many more.”</p>
<p>Within the Lucy Family Institute, to achieve the broader impact, the team has plans to, “integrate the use of platform into the NSF-funded Interdisciplinary Traineeship for Socially Responsible and Engaged Data Scientists (<a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/education/itreds-program/">iTREDS</a>) and the Summer Education and Engagement for Data Science (<a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/education/seeds-program/">SEEDS</a>) programs.” </p>
<p>All KN-Wildlife resources will be made publically available at a later date. For more information on the NSF grant award, please visit the National Science Foundation’s <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2333795&HistoricalAwards=false">award announcement page</a>. </p>
<p><strong>Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society</strong></p>
<p>Guided by Notre Dame’s Mission, the Lucy Family Institute adventurously collaborates on advancing data-driven convergence research, translational solutions, and education to ethically address society’s wicked problems. As an innovative nexus of academia, industry, and the public, the Institute also fosters data science access to strengthen diverse and inclusive capacity building within communities. Our vision is to become the preeminent intellectual beacon, inspiring collaborative, equitable, and impactful data innovations as a global force for good.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Grashorn, Christine</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/notre-dame-researchers-data-driven-approach-to-protecting-wildlife-receives-1-5-million-from-the-nsf/">research.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">September 26, 2023</span>.</p>Grashorn, Christinetag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1571422023-10-10T14:30:00-04:002023-10-10T14:30:51-04:00Schnell joins inaugural statewide rare disease advisory council<p><a href="https://science.nd.edu/about/office-of-the-dean/santiago-schnell/">Santiago Schnell, William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame,</a> has been appointed to a new statewide advisory council to explore new directions for assisting patients with rare diseases in Indiana.…</p><p><a href="https://science.nd.edu/about/office-of-the-dean/santiago-schnell/">Santiago Schnell, William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame,</a> has been appointed to a new statewide advisory council to explore new directions for assisting patients with rare diseases in Indiana.</p>
<p>The 12-person advisory council, formed by the Indiana General Assembly in 2023, will conduct public meetings to survey the needs of patients with rare diseases, then will make recommendations for connecting patients to specialists, affordable and comprehensive health care coverage, diagnostics, treatments and other needed services.</p>
<p>“This signifies Notre Dame’s leadership in finding solutions for rare diseases, which rarely receive the funding and attention required to find therapies and potential cures,” said Schnell, who is the interim director of the Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases. “I look forward to collaborating with the other committee members.”</p>
<p>Rare diseases in the United States are classified as those in which fewer than one in 1,500 people are affected. Each disease affects fewer than 200,000 people in the country, and about 30 million people have a disorder classified as a rare disease. Of the 7,000 rare diseases identified, only five percent have some type of therapy.</p>
<p>The committee’s first responsibility will be to examine and make recommendations for pediatric cancers. Each year, about 16,000 younger than 20 will develop cancer, and 400 of those children and young people are Indiana residents. In contrast, 1.9 million adults will be diagnosed with cancer annually.</p>
<p>The committee, hosted by the Indiana Department of Health, will meet at least monthly until September 2024. After next year the committee will convene at least quarterly.<strong id="docs-internal-guid-9c138cb1-7fff-df9c-26cd-43988a39645f"><br></strong></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/schnell-joins-inaugural-statewide-rare-disease-advisory-council/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">September 29, 2023</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1567972023-09-27T14:46:00-04:002023-09-27T14:46:17-04:00Biology postdoc wins annual Lightning Talk Competition title <figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/540892/400x300/605a6895_4.jpg" alt="605a6895 4" width="400" height="300">
<figcaption>Tolulope “Kay” Kayode holds the Lightning Talk trophy</figcaption>
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<div dir="auto">Postdoctoral researcher Tolulope “Kay” Kayode won the top prize in the second annual Postdoc Lightning Talk Competition on Thursday, September 21, during Postdoc Appreciation Week. </div>
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<div dir="auto">Fourteen postdoc finalists from five departments in the College of Science presented their research in "lightning talk" format—three minutes or less using a singular presentation slide. …</div><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/540892/400x300/605a6895_4.jpg" alt="605a6895 4" width="400" height="300">
<figcaption>Tolulope “Kay” Kayode holds the Lightning Talk trophy</figcaption>
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<div dir="auto">Postdoctoral researcher Tolulope “Kay” Kayode won the top prize in the second annual Postdoc Lightning Talk Competition on Thursday, September 21, during Postdoc Appreciation Week. </div>
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<div dir="auto">Fourteen postdoc finalists from five departments in the College of Science presented their research in "lightning talk" format—three minutes or less using a singular presentation slide. </div>
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<a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/postdoctoral-couple-works-in-koepfli-lab-to-develop-malaria-detection-tools/"></a>Kayode works in Assistant Professor Cristian Koepfli’s lab in the Department of Biological Sciences. <a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/postdoctoral-couple-works-in-koepfli-lab-to-develop-malaria-detection-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">His research</a> focuses on infectious disease diagnosis, with a keen interest in developing innovative diagnostic tools for vector borne infectious diseases, such as malaria. His winning talk described a functional molecular laboratory—a lab in a box—deployed in high-traffic places in Africa, like markets and town squares. </div>
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<figcaption>Santiago Schnell with Matthias Y. He</figcaption>
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"The Lightning Talk Competition was a great platform for me to present a significant aspect of my ongoing scientific research at the Koepfli Lab," Kayode said. "I'm particularly pleased to have shared our innovative molecular assay, which is useful in identifying genetic changes in malaria parasites associated with resistance to antimalarial drugs. This assay is potentially a valuable tool for molecular surveillance of drug resistance in malaria parasites, aiding in the development of more effective treatment policies, particularly in regions where malaria is endemic."</div>
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<div dir="auto">The first place prize includes $500 and a large traveling leprechaun trophy boasting bragging rights for Kayode's department and lab. </div>
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<div dir="auto">Matthias Y. He, a postdoc in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, secured the $250 second place prize with his talk on the statistics of exoplanetary systems. He began his second year working in the lab of Assistant Professor Lauren Weiss in August, and his research invovles developing models for understanding the most common types of planets in the universe that orbit around stars similar to our own sun. Using simulations of NASA's Kepler mission. He tests different models for the true distribution of planets by seeing which ones can reproduce the statistics of the observed systems after accounting for detection biases.
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/540916/300x600/605a6857_2.jpg" alt="605a6857 2" width="300" height="600">
<figcaption>Santiago Schnell with Roman Gerasimov</figcaption>
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<div dir="auto">Roman Gerasimov, a <a href="https://sciencepostdocs.nd.edu/jobs/university-of-notre-dames-society-of-science-fellows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Notre Dame Society of Science Fellow</a> in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, won third place for his presentation on the age of the first stars. Gerasimov joined Associate Professor Evan Kirby's lab at the beginning of the month. Gerasimov works on the analysis toolkit for the new Subaru Prime Focus Spectrograph survey that will measure the chemical abundances of thousands of old stars in the Milky Way and its neighbors.</div>
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<div dir="auto">The talks were judged by Santiago Schnell, the William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science, Mike Hildreth, Dean of the Graduate School, and Deanna Csomo Ferrell, Term Assistant Teaching Professor who teaches the Principles of Science Communication course. </div>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Samantha Keller</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/biology-postdoc-wins-annual-lightning-talk-competition-title/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">September 26, 2023</span>.</p>Samantha Kellertag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1564472023-09-14T13:09:00-04:002023-09-14T13:09:08-04:00A picture of drought: ND ecologist matching NASA images with field data to measure forest health<p>Nate Swenson strides so quickly through the Wisconsin forest while carrying a large pole clipper that postdoctoral researcher Vanessa Rubio usually follows the 40 feet of rope dragging behind him.</p>
<p>When they reach the designated plot, Swenson extends the clipper about 30 feet high and pulls the rope to snip off a leafy twig from the canopy of a tall, tagged tree. The twig floats down through the dappled sunlight and lands in his hand.…</p><p>Nate Swenson strides so quickly through the Wisconsin forest while carrying a large pole clipper that postdoctoral researcher Vanessa Rubio usually follows the 40 feet of rope dragging behind him.</p>
<p>When they reach the designated plot, Swenson extends the clipper about 30 feet high and pulls the rope to snip off a leafy twig from the canopy of a tall, tagged tree. The twig floats down through the dappled sunlight and lands in his hand.</p>
<p>It would be a majestic scene but for the mosquitoes. Hundreds and thousands of them, swarming everything that smells like warm blood.</p>
<p>Swenson cuts twigs from nine sample trees in each plot where the reflection of light from the leaves could show up in a space-based image. Rubio selects one leaf from each twig, folds it into a labeled test tube, and drops it in a metal canister of liquid nitrogen.</p>
<p>This flash freezing will preserve its RNA, which degrades quickly otherwise. Later in his campus lab, Swenson can study the leaf’s gene expression, which changes as it is stressed by drought later in the summer.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nd.edu/stories/a-picture-of-drought/">Read the story</a></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Office of Strategic Content</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/a-picture-of-drought-nd-ecologist-matching-nasa-images-with-field-data-to-measure-forest-health/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">September 13, 2023</span>.</p>Office of Brand Contenttag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1554522023-08-31T10:52:00-04:002023-08-31T10:52:03-04:00Holly Goodson elected as fellow of The American Society for Cell Biology<p><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/faculty/holly-goodson/"></a>Goodson joins 18 other distinguished scientists from across the globe in the 2023 cohort of fellows. </p><figure class="image-right"><img src="https://chemistry.nd.edu/assets/528173/300x/goodsonnews.jpg" alt="Goodsonnews" width="300" height="375">
<figcaption>Holly Goodson</figcaption>
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<p><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/faculty/holly-goodson/">Holly Goodson</a>, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been selected as a <a href="https://www.ascb.org/society-news/nineteen-distinguished-scientists-recognized-as-2023-ascb-fellows/">Fellow of The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)</a>.</p>
<p>She joins 18 other distinguished scientists from across the globe in the 2023 cohort of fellows. Her formal recognition will take place in Boston later this year at Cell Bio 2023, the joint meeting of the ASCB and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).</p>
<p>"I'm honored to be included in this notable group of scientists. I have long been inspired by the combined breadth and depth of both scientific questions and perspectives exhibited through the ASCB,” she said.</p>
<p>Goodson’s research centers on biological self-organization, focusing on the microtubule cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is the structure that helps cells maintain their shape and internal organization, while also providing mechanical support, and is composed of multiple types of filamentous proteins, the largest of which are microtubules.</p>
<p>Microtubules organize the cell’s cytoplasm, among other tasks. Goodson uses a multifaceted approach to determine how the microtubules assemble, what governs their turnover, and how they interact with other parts of the cell. One of the key areas of focus in her lab is the development, alongside collaborators in applied mathematics, of agent-based computational models. These models have allowed Goodson to make connections that experiments alone cannot show because of the number of microtubules.</p>
<p>Beyond research, Goodson serves as science director of the <a href="https://glynnhonors.nd.edu/">Glynn Family Honors Program</a>, and as chair of the ASCB public policy committee. She also broadly serves the cell biology community through educational initiatives, such as co-founding and leading the <a href="https://ibms.nd.edu/">Integrated Biomedical Sciences</a> Ph.D. program at Notre Dame, co-directing an NIH funded post-baccalaureate program (<a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/degree-programs/nd-prep-prep---grad-school-prep/">ND-PREP</a>) to prepare researchers from under-represented groups for biomedical Ph.D. programs.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Rebecca Hicks</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/news/holly-goodson-elected-as-fellow-of-the-american-society-for-cell-biology/">chemistry.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">August 23, 2023</span>.</p>Rebecca Hickstag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1554532023-08-31T10:52:00-04:002023-08-31T10:52:23-04:00Fighting Irish, Fighting Cancer: University of Galway signs a cancer research agreement with the University of Notre Dame<p>Cancer researchers at the University of Galway and Notre Dame’s Harper Cancer Research Institute have come together to establish the <a href="https://kylemore.nd.edu/research/cancer-research-biseach-initiative/"><em>Biseach Initiative</em></a>, a strategic cancer research collaboration, which aims to build on the ideas, talent, and infrastructure of both Universities for global cancer impact.…</p><p>Cancer researchers at the University of Galway and Notre Dame’s Harper Cancer Research Institute have come together to establish the <a href="https://kylemore.nd.edu/research/cancer-research-biseach-initiative/"><em>Biseach Initiative</em></a>, a strategic cancer research collaboration, which aims to build on the ideas, talent, and infrastructure of both Universities for global cancer impact.</p>
<figure class="image-right"><img src="https://harpercancer.nd.edu/assets/528681/largebiseach_2406.jpg" alt="Largebiseach 2406" width="600" height="252"></figure>
<p>Thousands of Notre Dame alumni and fans are visiting Ireland this week for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Notre Dame and US Navy. With a tagline of “Much more than a Game”, the event aims to strengthen existing relationships and form new ones between Ireland and the US. It is fitting then that this week Professor M. Sharon Stack, Director of the University of Notre Dame Harper Cancer Research Institute, and Professor Michael Kerin, Director of the Saolta-University of Galway Cancer Centre signed a memorandum of understanding at University of Galway to build interdisciplinary cancer research collaborations and strengthen links between both institutions through student and faculty exchange programmes.</p>
<p>To date there have been collaborative successes with joint <em>Naughton Fellowships</em> in the areas of bone metastasis and kidney cancer. Further research collaborations are planned with researchers in the Lambe Institute, Centre for Chromosome Biology, and the Apoptosis Research Centre at University of Galway. Notre Dame undergraduates are hosted annually by research academics in the Colleges of Science and Engineering, and Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, as part of the <em>Study Abroad in Galway</em> Programme. These students help to form a collaborative bridge between both institutions.</p>
<p><em>“ We know research cures cancer and we are stronger together. There is a wealth of scientific and clinical research expertise at the Harper Cancer Research Institute and University of Galway. The Biseach Initiative, enabled by the Notre Dame Kylemore Global Centre, harnesses the appetite for collaboration, to further translational cancer research and provide educational and development opportunities for our students and research leaders.” <br></em><strong><em>Professor M. Sharon Stack</em></strong><em>, Director, University of Notre Dame Harper Cancer Research Institute</em></p>
<p><em>“</em><em>The west and northwest of Ireland have some of the worst outcomes from cancer nationally. We aim to change this by developing a comprehensive, research-led cancer centre for our region. This research collaboration with the University of Notre Dame will allow us to make a real difference to cancer outcomes.”<br><strong>Professor Michael Kerin</strong></em>, Director, Saolta-University of Galway Cancer Centre</p>
<p><em>“The Kylemore Global Centre situated in the heart of Connemara is a place where the University of Notre Dame engages with the landscape and the wider Irish community in meaningful and authentic ways. Together with our local partners such as the University of Galway, we strive to provide multi-disciplinary programming for leaders, thinkers, and creators with a focus on advancing research, forming community, and nourishing collaborations such as the Biseach Initiative.”<br><strong><cite>Lisa Caulfield, </cite></strong></em><cite><em><strong>Director</strong></em>, University of Notre Dame Global Centre at Kylemore</cite></p>
<p>The Biseach Initiative began in 2019 when a delegation from the Harper Cancer Research Institute visited the University of Galway. Students and academics from both Universities have visited each other to develop the collaboration, supported by the University of Galway International Office and the Notre Dame Kylemore Abbey Global Centre. In 2021 both Universities hosted online research symposia, and this was followed up by a cancer research retreat at the Kylemore Global Centre in 2022.</p>
<p><cite> </cite></p>
<p><strong>Further Information:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Biseach Initiative</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://cancer-centre-galway.shorthandstories.com/biseach/index.html#article">https://cancer-centre-galway.shorthandstories.com/biseach/index.html#article</a></p>
<p><a href="https://harpercancer.nd.edu/research-programs/">https://harpercancer.nd.edu/research-programs/</a></p>
<ul>
<li>Study Abroad Programme</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLNjRgJujKI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLNjRgJujKI</a></p>
<ul>
<li>Kylemore Global Centre</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://kylemore.nd.edu/research/cancer-research-biseach-initiative/">https://kylemore.nd.edu/research/cancer-research-biseach-initiative/</a></p>
<ul>
<li>University of Galway Cancer Centre</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.universityofgalway.ie/cancercentre/">https://www.universityofgalway.ie/cancercentre/</a></p>
<ul>
<li>College Football Classic</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/fighting-irish-come-home-to-dublin-for-aer-lingus-college-football-classic/">https://news.nd.edu/news/fighting-irish-come-home-to-dublin-for-aer-lingus-college-football-classic/</a></p>
<p><strong><br>Photos:<br></strong><strong>Credit - Martina Regan Photography</strong></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Dr. M. Sharon Stack</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://harpercancer.nd.edu/news-events/news/fighting-irish-fighting-cancer-university-of-galway-signs-a-cancer-research-agreement-with-the-university-of-notre-dame-2/">harpercancer.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">August 25, 2023</span>.</p>Emer Hennessytag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1547462023-07-25T09:50:00-04:002023-07-25T09:50:11-04:00Professor emerita wins prestigious lifelong achievement award for her work assessing environmental injustice<p>Kristin Shrader-Frechette, O’Neill Family Professor Emerita in the University of Notre Dame Department of Philosophy, who had a concurrent appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences, has won the <a href="https://www.expo-cosmos.or.jp/english/news/the-winner-of-the-202330th-international-cosmos-prize.html">2023 Cosmos International Prize</a>…</p><p>Kristin Shrader-Frechette, O’Neill Family Professor Emerita in the University of Notre Dame Department of Philosophy, who had a concurrent appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences, has won the <a href="https://www.expo-cosmos.or.jp/english/news/the-winner-of-the-202330th-international-cosmos-prize.html">2023 Cosmos International Prize</a> for her decades of research and pro-bono work to quantify, assess, and stop environmental injustice.</p>
<p><a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/kristin-shrader-frechette/">Shrader-Frechette</a>, one of the major developers of methods of quantitative risk assessment, measured and </p>
<figure class="image-right"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/524295/4_8_23_kristin_shrader_frechette_photo_taken_4_8_23.jpg" alt="Kristin Shrader Frechette" width="600" height="436"></figure>
<p>confirmed how heavier air, soil, and water pollution affects areas with higher proportions of people of color, people who earn their living doing manual labor, and people with limited means. She coined the phrase “ecological justice” more than 40 years ago, with the term changing to “environmental justice” over time.</p>
<p>The Cosmos International Prize, awarded by The Commemorative Foundation for the International Garden and Greenery Exposition, Osaka, Japan, 1990 (The Expo ‘90 Foundation), has been granted to researchers including Edward O. Wilson, Richard Dawkins, Georgina Mace, Estella Leopold, Jane Goodall, and David Attenborough, and comes with a 40-million yen purse, which equates to about $288,000. She plans to donate her winnings to environmental justice charities.</p>
<p>“I was totally surprised to receive this award, and there are at least five other environmental-justice researchers I can think of who deserve it more,” said Shrader-Frechette, whose mother was a Civil Rights leader and instilled the concept early and often. “I don’t think about awards … I spent my life trying to do what I could to help people, and I had no idea that this would be the result.”</p>
<p>She began her career as a mathematician, graduating from Xavier University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a physics concentration. She received a fellowship in philosophy of science and mathematics from Notre Dame and graduated with her doctoral degree in philosophy. She worked as a professor at Xavier, the University of Louisville, the University of Florida, and the University of South Florida before joining the faculty at Notre Dame in 1998. Her work focuses on mathematical and statistical approaches to showing how public health conditions are often tied to where people live and work. She frequently took her undergraduate students at Notre Dame to the south side of Chicago as part of their research projects.</p>
<p>The distinction is prestigious for both Shrader-Frechette and the University of Notre Dame, said <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jason-rohr/">Jason Rohr</a>, the Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla College Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Biological Sciences.</p>
<p>"Dr. Shrader-Frechette is now in the company of international household names that dedicated their lives to the harmonious coexistence between nature and humans,” he said. “This is the kind of award that most researchers studying the natural world can only dream of winning."</p>
<p>Shrader-Frechette stressed the importance of using mathematics and statistics when talking about environmental justice, and said more students should be required to take science, computational science, and other mathematics courses.</p>
<p>“To the extent that this work is successful, it’s because we were able to use quantitative risk assessment,” said Shrader-Frechette, who received funding from the National Science Foundation for 28 years. “We needed to use modeling—and put numbers, costs, and benefits on these issues, so people were forced to listen.”</p>
<p>She pointed out that people cannot control where they were born or live, or whether they had parents who read to them and helped them with homework.</p>
<p>“I hope this award means that people will pay attention to the way people of color, and working-class people, are treated in all countries of the world,” she said. “ They breathe air that’s anywhere from 2-5 times dirtier than what most others breathe, and most people don’t realize this fact.</p>
<p>“Government and industry get away with this injustice unless there’s somebody, usually an academic, who will help them for free.”Established to commemorate <a href="https://bie-paris.org/site/en/1990-osaka">International Horticultural Expo 1990</a> in Osaka, the Expo ’90 Foundation is responsible for the management of commemorative funds and the promotion of activities that develop the theme of the Expo: "The Harmonious Coexistence of Nature and Mankind."</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/professor-emerita-wins-prestigious-lifelong-achievement-award-for-her-work-assessing-environmental-injustice/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">July 21, 2023</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1547472023-07-24T09:51:00-04:002023-07-25T09:51:08-04:00Eliminating public health scourge can also benefit agriculture<p>Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that causes organ damage and death, affected more than 250 million people worldwide in 2021, according to the World Health Organization. </p>
<figure class="image-right"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/523128/washing_1600.jpeg" alt="Washing 1600" width="600" height="273">
<figcaption>Senegalese women and children wash clothes in small basins by water covered with weeds. In those weeds live hordes of snails, hosts to parasitic flatworms.</figcaption>…</figure><p>Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that causes organ damage and death, affected more than 250 million people worldwide in 2021, according to the World Health Organization. </p>
<figure class="image-right"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/523128/washing_1600.jpeg" alt="Washing 1600" width="600" height="273">
<figcaption>Senegalese women and children wash clothes in small basins by water covered with weeds. In those weeds live hordes of snails, hosts to parasitic flatworms.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the world’s<a href="https://fightingfor.nd.edu/2021/fighting-infectious-disease-at-its-source/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> most burdensome neglected tropical diseases</a>, schistosomiasis occurs when worms are transmitted from freshwater snails to humans. The snails thrive in water with plants and algae that proliferate in areas of agricultural runoff containing fertilizer, and people become infected during routine activities in infested water. </p>
<p>Researchers from the University of Notre Dame, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06313-z">in a study recently published in Nature</a>, found that removing invasive vegetation at water access points in and around several Senegalese villages reduced rates of schistosomiasis by almost a third. As a bonus, the removed vegetation can also be used for compost and livestock feed.</p>
<p>“Disease, food, energy, water, sustainability and poverty challenges intersect in many ways, but are typically addressed independently,” said lead author <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jason-rohr/">Jason Rohr,</a> the Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla College Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. “We sought to break down these silos and identify win-win solutions, while demonstrating their cost effectiveness so that residents would hopefully adopt them widely.”</p>
<p>Rohr and his team spent seven years on the project, with research conducted in 23 villages and clinical trials in 16. They found that villages with substantial fertilizer use had more submerged vegetation. These villages had more snails and a higher prevalence of schistosomiasis infection in children, said Rohr, who is affiliated with the<a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/"> Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative</a> and the<a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/"> Eck Institute for Global Health</a>.</p>
<p>Researchers hypothesized that removing vegetation could reduce infections while providing greater access to the open water that is crucial for daily activities and recreation. So, they conducted a three-year randomized controlled trial in 16 communities, where children were treated for their infections and the researchers removed more than 400 metric tons of vegetation in water access points from half the villages. These removals resulted in a decline in snail abundance as well as schistosomiasis infection rates being nearly a third lower than those observed in control villages. </p>
<figure class="image-left"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/523152/img_20190117_092127_4.jpg" alt="Img 20190117 092127 4">
<figcaption>Local farmers compost the removed vegetation for use on pepper and onion plants, increasing their yields.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rohr’s team also tried to profitably improve food production by partly closing the nutrient loop, returning nutrients captured in the removed plants back to agriculture. They worked with local farmers to compost the vegetation for use on pepper and onion plants, increasing their yields, and demonstrated that the vegetation could be effectively used as cattle, sheep and donkey feed. Alexandra “Lexi” Sack, who worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Rohr’s lab from 2021 to 2023, assisted Senegal’s in-country team with the care and design of the sheep-feeding trials, and performed much of the analysis of the vegetation removal results.</p>
<p>“This is important work because it encompasses many different disciplines by combining schistosomiasis prevention and food security,” Sack said. “Often these interventions are separate when the neglected tropical diseases, which includes schistosomiasis, are contributing both to and resulting from poverty.”</p>
<p>With the expertise of co-authors Christopher B. Barrett, an economist at Cornell University, and Molly Doruska, a doctoral student also at Cornell, the research team demonstrated that the benefits of removing the vegetation and using it in agriculture were nearly nine times higher than the costs.</p>
<p>“We took this public nuisance, which is reducing health, and converted it into a private good that improves income,” Rohr said.</p>
<p>The team was also able to illustrate how to scale the project using artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to identify snail habitat and thus hotspots for schistosomiasis, which will allow them to target their intervention training to areas that need it the most. </p>
<figure class="image-right"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/523151/veg_removal_3_1_.jpg" alt="Veg Removal 3 1" width="600" height="398">
<figcaption>Senegalese villagers help to remove vegetation.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Villagers helped with removing vegetation once they understood the public health benefits of the intervention, but in the long run, relying on voluntary labor may not be as effective as the researchers removing the vegetation. </p>
<p>“In the next steps, sociologists and economists on the project will quantify how the innovation affects quality of life and whether it is biased based on wealth, gender and/or age,” Rohr said. </p>
<p>The team will also investigate how biodigesters might be implemented to turn the aquatic vegetation into fertilizer and gas that can be used for cooking or to fuel generators for electricity production. Rohr said they hope to leverage investments by the Swiss government, which has committed to installing 60,000 biodigesters in Senegal for carbon credits. </p>
<p>The ongoing research could not be accomplished without all of the partners who contributed, especially the Senegalese citizens, Rohr said. </p>
<p>Christopher Haggerty, a former postdoctoral student at Notre Dame, contributed to this research. A complete list of co-authors can be found in the paper at Nature. </p>
<p>The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and a Stanford seed grant.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/eliminating-public-health-scourge-can-also-benefit-agriculture/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">July 12, 2023</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:biology.nd.edu,2005:News/1544162023-07-06T14:06:42-04:002023-07-06T14:06:42-04:00Champion appointed Associate Dean; Gezelter and Kolberg receive promotions<p>Patricia A. Champion, Ph.D., has been appointed the next Associate Dean for Research, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies effective July 1, 2023. She replaces Michael Hildreth, who transitions to his<a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/physicist-michael-hildreth-appointed-vice-president-associate-provost-and-dean-of-notre-dames-graduate-school/"> new role</a>…</p><p>Patricia A. Champion, Ph.D., has been appointed the next Associate Dean for Research, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies effective July 1, 2023. She replaces Michael Hildreth, who transitions to his<a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/physicist-michael-hildreth-appointed-vice-president-associate-provost-and-dean-of-notre-dames-graduate-school/"> new role</a> as vice president, associate provost and dean of the <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/">Graduate School</a> after seven years of leadership in the Office of the Dean.</p>
<p>“I am excited about taking on this new role in the College of Science,” says Champion. “I am looking forward to continuing my work with the postdoctoral scholars, as well as contributing to the graduate programs, and the research enterprise.”</p>
<p>“Dr. Champion has demonstrated excellence in her career at Notre Dame,” says Santiago Schnell, the William K. Warren Foundation Dean. “She is respected by peers, postdoctoral fellows, and students alike. She has a thriving research lab. She is ready to take on this new challenge to elevate our research and postgraduate training programs to the next level.”</p>
<p>Building upon the exemplary contributions of Michael Hildreth, who graciously served as Interim Dean during the pandemic, Champion is focused on oversight of both the postdoctoral fellows and the graduate student programs in the college, oversight of the research enterprise in the college, and strategic planning.</p>
<p>A microbiologist, Champion’s research interests focus on how mycobacteria cause disease, including Tuberculosis. In particular she is interested in how these pathogens modify and transport proteins across cellular membranes. Ultimately, her research seeks to provide a basic understanding of mycobacterial biology which could result in workable strategies to fight disease. </p>
<p>Champion earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University in 1998, and a Doctoral Degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton University in 2003. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Francisco. Champion joined the Department of Biological Sciences in 2009 as an assistant professor. She was promoted to associate professor in 2015 and the rank of professor in 2021. She was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2022. In 2023, Champion received the <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/policies-forms/graduation/graduate-school-awards/burns-award/past-winners-burns-award/">Burns C.S.C. Award</a> for Sustained Mentoring from The Graduate School. Since 2022, Champion has served as Director of Postdoctoral Studies in the College of Science.</p>
<p>Other faculty promotions in the College of Science Office of the Dean include Dan Gezelter to Senior Associate Dean for Education and Undergraduate Programs and Kathleen Kolberg to Associate Dean for Advising and Academic Affairs. </p>
<p> </p>
<figure class="image-left"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/478825/300x300/600x600_dan.jpg" alt="Dan Gezelter" width="300" height="300"></figure>
<figure class="image-default"><img src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/478831/300x300/600x600_kathleen.jpg" alt="Kathleen Kolberg" width="300" height="300"></figure>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Tammi Freehling</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/champion-appointed-associate-dean-gezelter-and-kolberg-receive-promotions/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">July 06, 2023</span>.</p>Tammi Freehling