In Brief

Erica Ollmann Saphire and Gavin Rumbaugh Receive Promotions

As part of the September meeting of the Scripps Research Institute Board of Trustees, two faculty promotions were announced.

Erica Ollmann Saphire is now professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbial Science. The Ollmann Saphire lab seeks to understand at the molecular level how certain pathogens overcome and even exploit the human immune system; the research brings together structural and functional studies on viruses such as Ebola, Marburg, Lassa, and LCMV. For additional information about Ollmann Saphire and her work, visit her faculty page and lab website.

Gavin Rumbaugh is now associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience. The Rumbaugh lab is focused on two principal areas: the role of synaptic proteins in memory formation and storage, and the interaction of experience and genetics in triggering development of adult intellectual abilities. Further details on Rumbaugh’s work are available on his faculty page and lab website.

SOF Fall Research Symposium Scheduled for September 19

The Scripps California 2012 Fall Research Symposium will be held Wednesday, September 19, in the Beckman Building’s Keck Amphitheater.

Co-hosted by the Society of Fellows (SOF) and the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office, the event will feature two keynote speakers. John Cambier, chairman of the Integrated Department of Immunology at the University of Colorado, Denver, will present “Management and Mismanagement of Autoreactive B cells; from Mouse to Man” from 10 to 11 AM. Chris Vanderwal, associate professor of organic chemistry at University of California, Irvine and 2003 alumnus of the Scripps Research graduate program, will address “Synthesis of Terpene and Alkaloid Natural Products,” from 2 to 3:15 PM.

Postdoctoral talks are scheduled from 11:15 AM to 12:45 PM and 3:30 to 5:15 PM. A moderated poster session and lunch reception will be held in the Beckman Galleria from 12:45 to 2 PM.

The Outstanding Mentor Award will be presented at 2 PM, honoring a faculty member who has guided and contributed to the personal or professional development of postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.

Closing the day, a networking reception will be held from 5 to 6 PM in the Beckman Galleria.

Additional Fall Research Symposium information is available on the SOF webpage. Further information on other SOF activities can be found on the group’s website, http://www.scripps.edu/california/sof/index.html.

Scripps Florida to Co-Host Regional Networking Event September 20

Scripps Florida will co-host an academic-industry networking event—“Connecting Emerging Leaders in the Life Sciences” (CELLS)—for the South Florida life sciences community on Thursday, September 20, from 5:30 to 8:30 PM in the Scripps Café. The event is also presented by BioFlorida, Life Science Technology HUB, the Employ Florida Banner Center, and Workforce Alliance. Other local institutions, including the Max Planck Florida Institute, Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Florida Atlantic University, and Palm Beach State College, have also been involved in the event’s planning and outreach.

Held in recognition of National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week, CELLS will bring together industry, biotech, and academic institutions from the South Florida region to highlight postdoctoral and graduate student talent, and unite the emerging life sciences community, said Mike Matrone, program coordinator in the Scripps Research Career and Postdoctoral Services Office. Another important goal of the event is “to build and retain bioscience talent in Florida,” he added.

The CELLS event will feature an introduction by Scripps Florida’s Senior Director of Scientific Support Operations Dawn Johnson, one-minute speed introductions to bioscience businesses in the region, one-on-one interactions with business representatives in company booths, and opportunities to connect with potential employers in a social setting. Appetizers and beverages will be served.

The event is free with pre-registration by Friday, September 14. Admittance at the door will be $15, cash only.

Career Workshop: Managing Conflict in the Lab

“Negotiating Conflict in the Lab,” a workshop on preserving relationships in the scientific work environment, will be held Wednesday, September 26, 1:30 to 3 PM in the Keck Amphitheater on the California campus and video-streamed live 4:30 to 6 PM in Room B158 on the Florida campus.

Karen Peterson, scientific ombudsman for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRO) in Seattle, will conduct the session, covering the causes of conflict, styles of conflict, and negotiation techniques to resolve conflict constructively with minimal confrontation. In addition, specific examples of conflict, such as authorship and work-life balance disputes, will be discussed.

In addition to her ombudsman activities, Peterson directs the FHCRO Office of Scientific Career Development. She authored Nature Guide to Life Science Careers and is a former member of the board of directors and advisory council for the National Postdoctoral Association.

The workshop, sponsored by the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office and the Society of Fellows, is open to all students, postdocs, faculty, and staff.

Lunch & Learn: Building Healthy Relationships

Practical steps to nurture and sustain good personal relationships will be explored in the newest Lunch & Learn workshop, “Building Healthy Relationship,” sponsored by the Counseling and Psychological Services Office on Monday, September 17, noon to 1 PM in the Keck Amphitheater on the California campus.

Featuring Sylvie Marques, PhD, senior staff psychologist at the University of San Diego Counseling Center, the presentation will be based on compelling research by John Gottman, author of Seven Principles of Making a Marriage Work and The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships.

The workshop will cover such topics as:

Relationship awareness
Styles of communicating
Conflict resolution
Healthy boundaries
Healthy relationship factors

For information on other resources offered by Counseling and Psychological Services, visit the department’s website.

NWiS Workshop: Creativity and Innovation in Science

Inventor, author, and trainer Julie Austin will discuss the process of creativity and innovation in science at a Network for Women in Science (NWiS) workshop scheduled for Thursday, September 20, 10:30 AM in the Skaggs/Molecular Biology Building’s Committee Lecture Hall on the California campus.

Creator of “swiggies,” a wrist water bottle sold worldwide, Austin is a business owner and author of The Money Garden: How to Plant the Seeds for a Lifetime of Income and A Pink Slip is a Gift. A guest on several network media outlets, she has also spoken for several women’s groups, including the Arizona Creativity Conference, Girl Scouts of America, and the Women in Business Conference.

The NWiS event is open to all faculty and staff. Additional information on NWiS activities and resources is available at the organization’s website.

One Green Contest Win, One to Go

Efforts promote fuel-reducing, environmentally friendly commuting to and from the California campus have been on a roll.

For the second consecutive year, a Scripps Research team won first place in the Best Macro Company category in the annual Bike-to-Work Corporate Challenge, sponsored by iCommute, a program of the San Diego Association of Governments. Competing against 70 other companies and institutions throughout San Diego County, 32 Scripps Research cyclists logged more than 3,700 miles during the month-long competition in May. Seven participants each pedaled more than 150 miles, with the two top cyclists wheeling in more than 350 miles apiece.

To keep up the momentum, all faculty and staff are invited to help Scripps Research earn another win in the Rideshare Corporate Challenge, beginning Monday, October 1. Participants sign up for an iCommute account using their Scripps Research email address, then log in their sustainable commutes on the iCommute’s TripTracker tool throughout October. For each trip logged, participants are entered to win prizes, including a grand prize commuter bike from Electra bicycles.

“Try carpooling, vanpooling, taking transit, biking, or walking,” suggested Kim Akalski, human resources assistant and coordinator for the Scripps Research iCommute challenge team. “You could save money, reduce stress, burn calories, recapture some time, and win great prizes!”

For the second consecutive year, a Scripps Research team captured first place in the annual Bike-to-Work Corporate Challenge sponsored by iCommute. Shown here admiring the winners’ plaque are Kim Akalski (left) of Human Resources who was team coordinator and participating Scripps Research cyclists Scott Curriden (center) of EH&S and Kathy Spencer of the Mueller lab.