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In Brief


Matthew Disney Wins ALS Association Grant

Matthew Disney, a professor on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), and Leonard Petrucelli, chairman of the Department of Neuroscience for the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, have been awarded $500,000 by the ALS Association from proceeds from last summer’s Ice Bucket Challenge.

The grant will support work on pre-clinical evaluations of potential drug candidates, specifically small molecules that target a mutation in the C9orf72 gene that causes the common genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

ALS, the disease that killed well-known baseball player Lou Gehrig, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys motor neuron cells that control muscle movement. More than 30,000 Americans have ALS and nearly 6,000 are diagnosed with the disease each year. 


Joseph Schonhoft Named Damon Runyon Fellow

Joseph Schonhoft, research associate in the Kelly lab, is one of just 16 newly named Damon Runyon Fellows nationwide. The four-year award supports outstanding postdoctoral scientists conducting basic and translational cancer research in the laboratories of leading senior investigators.

In his current project, Schonhoft aims to understand how immune cells abnormally proliferate and secrete antibody proteins that cause organ and tissue damage during diseases such as amyloidosis and certain multiple myelomas, information that could be used to develop new diagnostic probes to improve the effectiveness of current clinical treatments.

Since its founding in 1946, the nonprofit Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has supported nearly 3,500 innovative early-career researchers, including 12 scientists who went on to receive the Nobel Prize and others who are heads of cancer centers and leaders of renowned research programs. Fewer than 10 percent of applications are ultimately funded through the foundation’s competitive award programs. 


TSRI to Show Parkinson’s Disease Documentary July 30

TSRI will host a public screening of the documentary “It Seems Like Magic…But It’s Science: A Quest to End Parkinson’s Disease,” the story of stem cell research advocates and their 2013 trek to Mt. Everest, on Thursday, July 30, 4:30 to 6:30 PM, at The Auditorium at TSRI.

Following the screening, a discussion session will be held with researchers, doctors, hikers and filmmakers. The event is presented by TSRI, Scripps Health and Summit 4 Stem Cell. RSVP to Chelsea Luedeke at (858) 784-7083 or cluedeke@scripps.edu. For more information, see the Loring lab announcements webpage.


FL Meet the Alumni: Crystal Young-Erdos of Eckerd College

Crystal Young-Erdos, assistant professor of chemistry at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the featured speaker at the next Scripps Florida Meet the Alumni event, scheduled for Friday, July 24, from 3 to 4 PM.

Young-Erdos will discuss a career in academics, particularly transitioning to an undergraduate institution. A graduate in chemistry and Spanish from Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, Young-Erdos was a member of the Karbstein lab at TSRI in 2012. After earning a PhD, she served as an visiting assistant professor of chemistry at Wooster College in Ohio, then joined the Eckerd College staff in 2014. Her research focuses on ribosome assembly, using yeast genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry techniques.

Sponsored by the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office, Meet the Alumni events feature guest speakers from the growing TSRI network of alumni, presented in a relaxed, informal setting. Speakers discuss career-influencing decisions and options, offering advice on career transitions. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP is required for the event, which will be held in the Founders Room, building B, second floor.


SoF ‘Open Mic Night’ Begins New Season August 12

The Society of Fellows (SoF) will hold the first of the fall season’s Open Mic Nights on Wednesday, August 12, 6 to 8 PM, at the Bella Vista Social Club and Caffé, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla 92037. Three additional nights are scheduled on September 9, October 14 and November 11.

Each Open Mic event features brief talks by two guest judges, followed by five-minute talks aimed at a general audience by five postdoctoral fellows. Winners will be invited to speak at a finals night at the end of the season.

“The event seems to work really well for everyone involved,” said SoF organizer Ben Leach, research associate in the Wright lab. “Sponsors get plenty of interaction with customers, and judges have had a great time interacting with us. For the postdocs, it's a relaxed environment and a different audience than we typically get to speak in front of.”

The event is a great opportunity to connect with other scientists and postdocs from different institutes in the area, Leach added.

Judges for the August 12 night include TSRI alumni Stephen Demarest (class of 2002, Wright lab), now senior research advisor at Eli Lilly, and Géza Ambrus Aikelin (class of 2010, Gerace lab), senior scientist at Janssen Research and Development. The evening is sponsored by GE Life Sciences.

Open Mic Nights are presented by SoF, the University of California, San Diego Postdoc Association, Sanford Burnham Prebys Science Network, Salk Society of Research Fellows, LIAI postdoc association and the Bella Vista Social Club and Caffé. The events are co-sponsored by local vendors, who provide free appetizers.

TSRI postdoctoral fellows and senior graduate students interested in giving a talk can submit a short abstract on the SoF website.


Abstract Submissions for SRF Research Fest Due August 3

The deadline to submit abstracts for the Scripps Florida Society of Research Fellows (SRF) 2015 Research Fest Scientific Symposium is Monday, August 3. The Research Fest, which also includes a vendor show, will be held on Friday, September 18, from 9 AM to 4:30PM, in building B.

The annual symposium showcases new and developing scholars and their research and also serves as a forum for researchers, industry representatives and the local scientific community to exchange ideas. More than 40 Scripps Florida postdoctoral and graduate students will give oral and poster presentations in cancer biology, chemistry, infectious disease, metabolism and aging, molecular therapeutics and neuroscience.

Abstracts will be scored by a committee of TSRI faculty members. The postdoctoral fellows submitting the top-scoring abstract from each of the six departments will be selected for an oral presentation, along with the highest-scoring graduate student. The remaining entries will be presented as posters at the symposium.

Abstract submission forms are available online. For additional information, visit the Research Fest page on the SRF website or contact Stephanie Sillivan, research associate in the Miller lab, at ssilliva@scripps.edu.


Sandelman Award Applications Now Accepted

Applications are now being accepted for the 2015 Robert M. Sandelman Award for Scientific Excellence, open to full-time Scripps Florida graduate students and postdoctoral scientists. The travel award, presented annually, provides three $1,000 awards for domestic conferences and one $1,500 award for an international conference.

Deemed the “Wizard of Sales Promotions” by The New York Times, Robert Sandelman founded the first sales promotion agency in the U.S., created the American Express Gold Card and established the Sandelman Foundation.

Award eligibility, application instructions and FAQs are posted on the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office website. Applications, due by 5 PM on Wednesday, August 26, should be submitted directly to the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office at cpso@scripps.edu.

The Career and Postdoctoral Services Office also seeks volunteers to serve on a review committee, consisting of approximately three postdoctoral fellows, one graduate student and one faculty member. To volunteer, contact Briana Konnick, program coordinator.


Nominations Open for Scripps CA Outstanding Mentor

The Society of Fellows (SoF) has opened nominations for the 2015 Outstanding Mentor Award, recognizing the dedicated TSRI faculty who “consistently and enthusiastically serve as effective mentors to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows,” according to SoF Career Development Chair Jessica Mayeux.

The award will be presented at the SoF Research Symposium Lightning Talks competition on Wednesday, September 23, during this year’s National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week. The recipient will receive a plaque and $500 to support team building or training in his or her lab. Previous winners include Professors M.G. Finn, Ian Wilson and Hollis Cline and Professor Emeritus Jack Johnson.

Postdoctoral fellows and graduate students may nominate any faculty member who has guided and contributed to their personal and professional development through a mutually trusting and respectful relationship. The nominations review panel, comprising TSRI's Director of Education, members of the SoF Executive Committee and the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office, will consider a faculty member’s record of:

  • Developing mentees’ research and professional skills
  • Respecting and supporting scholars’ goals
  • Offering valuable career planning and job search assistance
  • Modeling effective leadership
  • Outperforming expectations as a  group leader and excellent scientist and demonstrating a long-term commitment to their trainees' development

Nomination packages, due Friday, August 14, must include a nomination form, available online, the faculty member’s CV and letters of recommendation. Updated re-submissions of prior applications are allowed and encouraged. Send nomination forms and supporting materials to Mayeux at jmayeux@scripps.edu


CA Biosafety Committee Meeting Materials Due July 29

The TSRI Institutional Biosafety Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, August 12. To receive committee consideration, registration documents must be submitted to Environmental Health and Safety via email to rachellv@scripps.edu by Wednesday, July 29.


CA Onsite Clinic: August 5

The next onsite immunization clinic on the California campus will be held Wednesday, August 5, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, in the Hazen Theory building, rooms 203/205. Appointments are not needed.

Conducted by Sharp Rees-Stealy staff, the clinic will provide hepatitis B vaccination free of charge to all TSRI employees. Environmental Health & Safety Occupational Medicine must pre-authorize all other procedures based on the employee's working conditions. These include tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines and other titers, immunizations and procedures.





Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

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Professor Matthew Disney has been awarded a grant from the ALS Association, which sponsored last year's Ice Bucket Challenge. Watch the video of Disney and colleagues taking the challenge on TSRI’s YouTube channel.



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2015 Damon Runyon Fellow Joseph Schonhoft is a research associate in the Kelly lab. 






































































































Beckie’s Coffee Cart Resumes Full Menu 

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Beckie’s Coffee Cart once again offers its full menu, including hot and cold espresso and coffee drinks, fresh pastries, sandwiches and salads. Above, owner Beckie Schweizer helps a customer. Open 8 AM to 3 PM, Monday through Friday and managed by Julie Mussil, the cart is located on the first floor of the Beckman building on the CA campus.