In Brief

Gavin Rumbaugh Awarded Grant Renewal to Study Genetic Defects Tied to Intellectual Development

Associate Professor Gavin Rumbaugh of the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has been awarded a $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue his team’s study of the links between single gene mutations and disruptions to neurons that can permanently mar intellectual development.

“The studies we’re undertaking seek to better understand how brain development is disrupted in patients with intellectual disability and associated psychiatric disorders,” he said. “The genetic mutations we study disrupt the rate of neuronal maturation in the developing brain and this change in maturation rate is linked with the onset of cognitive disability.”

The research, which the Rumbaugh lab first began in 2008, focuses on a critical synapse-regulating gene, known as SYNGAP1. Damaging mutations in this gene cause one of the most common non-inherited forms of intellectual disability and epilepsy.

With the new four-year grant (2R01NS064079), Rumbaugh’s aim is to target disruptive mutations to a relatively selective pool of neurons that are particularly sensitive to Syngap1 mutations as an entry point for determining just how genetic control of neuronal growth and maturation influences the formation of brain circuits that give rise to cognitive ability.

“These studies are expected to advance our neurobiological understanding of intellectual disability, though this next phase of research will also provide insight into very basic developmental processes related to brain wiring,” he said.

New SF-SRF Faculty Seminar Series Features Joseph Kissil

The Scripps Florida Society of Research Fellows (SF-SRF) will present TSRI Professor Joseph Kissil in the second of its newly launched Faculty Seminar series on Friday, October 17, 4 PM in the Fink Auditorium. Kissil’s topic will be “Function of the Hippo/Yap Signaling Pathway in Cancer.”

The monthly series features a Scripps Florida faculty member discussing his or her current research. The seminars are open to the entire campus community. For further information on this event and other SF-SRF activities and resources, contact Reji Nair, SF-SRF president, or visit the group’s website.

Scripps Florida Research Fest Scheduled for October 23

SF-SRF will hold its fifth annual Research Fest: Scientific Symposium & Vendor Show on Thursday, October 23, from 10 AM to 4 PM in Building B.

More than 40 postdoctoral fellows and graduate students will offer presentations on research advances and discoveries in the TSRI Departments of Cancer Biology, Chemistry, Metabolism and Aging, Infectious Disease, Molecular Therapeutics and Neuroscience.

The morning will feature seminars in the Fink Auditorium and presentation of the SF-SRF Faculty Mentorship Award, followed by a scientific poster session from 1 to 4 PM. Some 40 scientific vendors will showcase their products and technologies from 10 AM to 4 PM in Scripps Café and classrooms.

The event is open to members of South Florida universities and institutes. For additional details, visit the SF-SRF website.

Open House, Open Doors

grad
The Graduate Program and Career and Postdoctoral Services offices recently hosted an Open House in their new location in the Hazen Theory Building on the California campus. Welcoming guests are Jamie Williamson (left), dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies, Ryan Wheeler (center), director of career and postdoctoral services, and Dawn Eastmond, director of graduate studies. (Photo by Jean Branan.)

Scripps Florida to Hold Open Enrollment Fair, Health Clinics

Scripps Florida will hold a variety of events during this year’s Open Enrollment period from Monday, October 27, to Friday, November 7, when employees may change their benefits selections and, if eligible, enroll or re-enroll in the Health Care and/or Dependent Care Spending Accounts for 2015.

These events, hosted by Human Resources, include:

An Open Enrollment Fair on Monday, October 27, from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM in the Scripps Café.
Open Enrollment meetings on Monday, October 27, from 3 to 4 PM; Tuesday, October 28, from 10 to 11 AM; and Wednesday, November 5, 2:30 to 3:30 PM. The meetings will be held in B159.
Flu immunization clinics on Monday, October 27, from 11 AM to 4 PM, and Thursday, November 6, from 1 to 4 PM. They will be held on the Scripps Café ramp. No appointments are necessary; ID badge/personal identification is required.
Mammograms at a mobile mammogram unit on Tuesday, November 4, from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Call (561) 263-4636 to schedule an appointment.

For additional information, contact Christine Ng-A-Fook at (561) 228-2036.

Library Tip: Lasergene 12 Downloads

The Kresge Library now offers Lasergene 12, a comprehensive DNA and protein sequence and structure analysis software suite, downloadable from the library website.

Product keys are no longer required. For remote (off-network) access, users can check out one simultaneous use of a license for up to 30 days using the Commuter License Manager.

For assistance downloading and installing Lasergene, contact the TSRI IT Services Help Desk: helpdesk@scripps.edu or (858) 784-9369 on the California campus; fltech@scripps.edu or (561) 228-2850 on the Florida campus.

For help using the Lasergene programs or assistance with the Commuter License Manager, visit the DNASTAR website.

CA Oktoberfest BBQ Fundraiser: October 17

For a quintessential autumn experience, Scripps California faculty and staff are invited to the fourth annual Oktoberfest BBQ, organized by the Sauer and Havran labs, on Friday, October 17, 4 PM, on the Faculty Club Patio, to raise funds for blood cancer research.

The menu features authentic German cuisine, including bratwurst, sauerkraut, barrel pickles, potato salad and imported traditional fixings. Beer, water and juice will also be served, with brownies for dessert. A minimum $10 donation is requested.

The event, co-sponsored by the Society of Fellows, is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), the largest nonprofit dedicated to funding blood cancer research. Professor Karsten Sauer is an LLS Scholar and trustee of the LLS San Diego chapter. Professor Wendy Havran is team captain for the LLS Mission Team Researchers. The team’s goal is to raise $5,000 for the LLS over the next few months in donations and to participate in the upcoming annual LLS Light the Night Walk at PetCo Park. For more information or to donate to the team, please see: http://pages.lightthenight.org/sd/SanDiego14/missionteamresearchers.

Tickets on Sale for SoF Halloween Party

Tickets to the Ninth Annual Society of Fellows (SoF) Halloween Party are now on sale. Open to all Scripps California faculty, staff and guests, the popular event will be held Friday, October 31, from 9:30 PM to 1 AM, at Party Pals Sorrento Valley, 10427 Roselle St., San Diego, CA 92121.

A 21-and-over event, this year’s party activities will include games, dancing, photo booths and prizes. Costumes are encouraged.

Available on a first-come, first-served basis, tickets are $5 for TSRI employees with TSRI ID and $10 for guests. Cash or checks (made out to Society of Fellows) are accepted. Phone or email reservations are not available. Tickets can be purchased from Amanda Ackley, research assistant in the Morris lab, at MEM125.

Information on other SoF activities and resources is available on the group’s website.

CA ScrippsAssists Supports Thanksgiving Day ‘Run for the Hungry’

Scripps California faculty and staff are invited to help stage the annual San Diego Run for the Hungry, an annual fundraiser benefiting the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank (SDFB), on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, in the city’s downtown neighborhood.

Volunteer shifts are 6 AM to noon; tasks will include setup, registration, canned food collection, water distribution to runners and walkers, and cheering on participants.

Beginning at Broadway Circle, the family- and pet-friendly course travels through the historic Gaslamp Quarter and around Petco Park. Attracting more than 4,000 participants, the event helps support SDFB programs that feed an average 350,000 San Diego residents each month.

To volunteer, contact Scripps Assist project lead Mishelle McClanahan-Shinn at mshinn@scripps.edu. To participate in the Run for the Hungry, visit the SDFB website.

At the Auditorium: Jazz and Symphony

The Athenaeum Music and Arts Library’s fall series, Jazz at The Scripps Research Institute, continues Wednesday, October 15, with the Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas Sound Prints Quintet. The series concludes Saturday, October 25, with the Greg Osby Four, featuring celebrated alto and soprano saxophonist Osby, Italian-born pianist Simona Premazzi, bassist Desmond White and drummer Adam Arruda. Both performances begin at 7:30 PM. For ticket information, visit the Athenaeum website.

The San Diego Symphony presents the Smetana Trio performing Bruch’s “Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Piano and Cello,” and Dvorak’s “Trio in F Minor, Op. 65.” Ticket and additional program information is available on the symphony’s website.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

“The studies we’re undertaking seek to better understand how brain development is disrupted in patients with intellectual disability and associated psychiatric disorders,” says Associate Professor Gavin Rumbaugh, who has received a $1.9 million grant renewal. (Photo by James McEntee.)

SEARCH NEWS & VIEWS

Scientists Create Mimic of 'Good' Cholesterol to Fight Heart Disease and Stroke

San Diego Researchers Receive $4.4 Million in New NIH ‘Big Data’ Initiative

10 Tips for Scientists on Talking to the Media