In Brief

Ryan Shenvi Receives Novartis Early Career Award, BMS Grant

Ryan Shenvi, associate professor at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), has received a Novartis Early Career Award, a distinction recognizing outstanding scientists establishing careers in the areas of organic or bioorganic chemistry. With the award, Shenvi, one of two honorees worldwide, receives an unrestricted grant from the award’s sponsor, Novartis, a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Switzerland. Shenvi and co-honoree Daniel Weix of the University of Rochester will travel to Basel, Switzerland to deliver back-to-back lectures.

The Shenvi lab also recently won an unrestricted grant in synthetic organic chemistry from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in New York City. Shenvi will deliver a lecture at BMS in the spring.

Research in the Shenvi lab focuses on complex molecule synthesis, exploration of chemical reactivity and expansion of the tools available to synthetic chemists.

Fabian Stavenuiter Awarded Travel Grant

Fabian Stavenuiter, research associate in the Mosnier lab, received a travel award from ACEA Biosciences (ACEA) to present a poster at the recent 56^th American Society of Hematology annual meeting in San Francisco. His presentation was titled “Non-Canonical PAR3 Activation Induces Tie2-Dependent Endotelial Barrier Protective Effects.” The ACEA travel grants are awarded quarterly to researchers whose conference presentations utilize ACEA technologies.

Stavenuiter’s research focuses on protease activated receptors, primarily PAR3 and PAR1, that might improve therapies in ischemic stroke and sepsis.

TSRI Presents 26th Frontiers in Chemistry Symposium

TSRI’s 26^th Annual Frontiers in Chemistry Symposium will feature four distinguished speakers covering diverse topics in the molecular sciences on Friday, January 30, from 1 to 5:15 PM.

"We are especially pleased to present our 26^th Frontiers in Chemistry symposium not only for Scripps, but also for the San Diego community,” said Dale Boger, chair of the TSRI’s Department of Chemistry and symposium co-host with TSRI Professor Phil Baran. “We have a wonderful set of speakers who will help us celebrate more than 25 years of chemistry at Scripps.”

Symposium speakers and their lectures are:

JoAnne Stubbe, Novartis Professor of Chemistry & Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and National Medal of Science winner, speaking on “Radicals: Your Life Is in Their Hands.”
Chad Mirkin, director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology, the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University and Linus Pauling Medal winner, speaking on “Spherical Nucleic Acids as Intracellular Gene Regulation Agents.”
Laura Kiessling, Steenbock Professor of Chemistry and director of the Keck Center for Chemical Genomics at the University of Wisconsin and Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award winner, speaking on “Us Versus Them: Distinguishing Human and Microbial Cells.”
Chi-Huey Wong, professor of chemistry at TSRI, winner of the Wolf Prize in Chemistry and the Arthur C. Cope Award and president of Academia Sinica in Taiwan, speaking on “Chemistry and Biology of Glycosylation.”

Open to the public, the symposium provides an opportunity for TSRI faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and neighboring scientists to hear from some of the world’s best researchers. Since it began in 1989, the symposium has hosted 88 speakers, including 13 Nobel laureates.

Symposium sponsors include AbbVie, Abide Therapeutics, ActivX, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Genentech, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Pfizer, Sigma Aldrich, Vertex and WuXi AppTec.

While symposium admittance is free, attendance is limited to 300. Directions to the event, which will be held at The Auditorium at TSRI, and parking details are available at the symposium website or by contacting Janise Petrey at jpetrey@scripps.edu or (858) 784-8772.

Tom Kodadek to Speak at CA Faculty Lecture Series January 14

Tom Kodadek, chair of the Department of Cancer Biology at Scripps Florida, will speak on “Chemical Tools to Monitor and Manipulate the Proteome” at the next Faculty Lecture Series presentation, Wednesday, January 14, on the La Jolla, California campus. The lecture will begin at 5 PM in the Timkin Amphitheater in the Green Hospital. A reception will follow in the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Building, first floor. For further information, see the Faculty Lecture Series webpage. The series is supported by an endowment from the Cochrane-Cartan families, established by TSRI Professor Emeritus Charles G. Cochrane.

SRF Faculty Lecture Features Paul Robbins January 16

Paul Robbins, professor in the Department of Metabolism and Aging, is the featured speaker at the next Faculty Lecture Series presented by the Scripps Florida Society of Research Fellows on Friday, January 16, at 4 PM in the Fink Auditorium, Jupiter campus. The Robbins lab works on novel approaches to treat autoimmune (type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis), inflammatory (inflammatory bowel disease, delayed type hypersensitivity) and age-related degenerative diseases using biologics and small molecules. A reception will follow the lecture at 5 PM in the Scripps Café.

Lunch & Learn: Coping with Perfectionism

The vexing human desire to be perfect in all things is the focus of the next Lunch & Learn series presentation, “Everything Has to be Perfect! Coping with Perfectionism,” to be held Wednesday, January 14, noon to 1 PM, in the Beckman building’s Keck Amphitheater on the La Jolla campus, sponsored by TSRI Counseling and Psychological Services.

Presented by Diana Bull, TRSI staff counselor, the session will explore the definition of perfectionism, coping strategies and the need for self-compassion.

For further information on the Lunch and Learn series and other TSRI counseling services, visit the office website.

Mark your Calendars: Alumni Symposium on January 16

The Second Biennial Alumni Symposium will be held on Friday, January 16, from 8:30 AM to 7 PM, in the Beckman building’s Galleria and Keck Auditorium at Scripps California.

Offering postdoctoral fellows and graduate students the opportunity to network with TSRI alumni, the event will offer presentations and a panel discussion by TSRI doctoral program graduates who now work in positions in industry, government and academia. Presenters will include:

Erica Ollmann Saphire, TSRI, Class of 2001.
Nicole Kresge, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Class of 2001.
Ian Thorpe, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Class of 2006.
Peng Wu, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Class of 2006.
SusAnn Winbush, GlaxoSmithKline, Class of 2011.
Steven Bischof, Chevron Philips Chemical Company, Class of 2013.

The symposium will also include an alumni and graduate student luncheon and a 5:30 PM networking reception. RSVP is required for the luncheon.

The symposium is presented by Career and Postdoctoral Services and the Graduate Office.

New CA Group to Tackle Overcoming Shyness

A new monthly Scripps California discussion group to help members overcome shyness begins with an orientation meeting Tuesday, January 20, at noon in the Beckman building, fifth floor north conference room.

Daphne Lurie, director of TSRI’s Counseling and Psychological Services office, and Staff Counselor Diana Bull will facilitate the year-long group, which will draw from The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook by Martin Antony and Richard Swinson. Chapter topics include “Why Do You Have These Fears?,” “Changing Your Anxious Thoughts and Expectations” and “Communicating More Effectively.” Participants can purchase new or used paperback copies of the workbook, as well as Kindle editions, on Amazon.com. Prices range from $9 to $16.

Once filled, the group will be closed to new members. To register for the orientation meeting or for further information, contact Administrative Assistant Holly Wheeler, hollyw@scripps.edu or x4-7297.

Additional information on other resources and events is available on the counseling services website.

At the Auditorium: Prize-Winning Pianist

The La Jolla Music Society (LJMS) opens its 46^th Discovery Series season with pianist Jiayan Sun, first-prize winner at the 2010 Toronto International Piano Competition, on Sunday, January 25, 3 PM. Sun will perform works by Chopin—Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Opus 45 and 24 Preludes, Opus 28—and Debussy—12 Preludes and Book II. A Musical Prelude, featuring a performance by the San Diego Youth Symphony, is scheduled at 2 PM. Additional program details and ticket information are available on the LJMS website.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

shenvi
Chemist Ryan Shenvi has won awards from Novartis and Brystol-Myers Squibb. (Photo by BioMedical Graphics.)

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