CENTER FOR SMELL AND TASTEcst.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/December-2014-NA.pdf · technically a postdoc, Dr. Jeremy McIntyre is the holder of an NIH Pathways to Independence (K99/R00)

CENTER FOR SMELL AND TASTE News and Announcements

University of Florida

Director’sMusingsPage1FeaturedMemberPage2UpcomingChemicalSensesSeminaratFSUPage3UFCSTSpring2015SeminarSchedule

Page4 NIHAnnouncements Page5

UpcomingChemicalSensesMeetings Page6

InThisIssue

Musings from the Director…..

As2014drawstoanend,itseemsappropriatetoreflectonthenotablegrowthinCenterfacultyweexperiencedoverthepastyear.Dr.JefferyMartenswashiredasthenewChairofPharmacology.Dr.StevenMungerwasanewpreeminencehire,alsoinPharmacology.Dr.MungerservesastheCenter’snewAssociateDirector.Whilestilltechnicallyapostdoc,Dr.JeremyMcIntyreistheholderofanNIHPathwaystoIndependence(K99/R00)awardthatisscheduledtotransitionhimtoafacultypositionduringtheupcomingyear.NegotiationsarecurrentlyunderwayinBiologythat,ifsuccessful,willbringtwoestablishedchemicalsensesfacultytocampusduringtheupcomingyear.Havinguptofivenewchemosensoryscientistsjoinourranksrepresentsasignificantgainincorefacultythatwillprecipitatestronger,morediverseresearchinitiatives.

WhiletheFalltermbeginstowinddownthismonth,westillhaveanupcomingseminarofinteresttothechemicalsensescommunity.Dr.NathanSchoppa,whostudiesneuralconnectivityintheolfactoryCNS,willbespeakingatFSU(seeitem3).PlansaretoteleconferencehistalktoUF.OurUFseminarseriescontinuesintheSpringterm(seeitem4).BeforeyoutuckintoyourHolidaydinnerbesuretothinkaboutabstractsfortheannualnationalchemicalsensesmeeting(AChemS,seeitem6)sincetheabstractdeadlineisJanuary5th,2015,eventhoughthemeetingisnotuntilApril.Abstractscanbesubmittedanytimebeforethenat:http://meetingassistant5.com/AChemS2015/.

AsthisisthelastissueoftheNewsandAnnouncementsbeforetheHolidays,IwanttotaketheopportunitytoextendmywarmestwishestoeachofyouasyouenjoythemanysmellsandtastesoftheHolidayseason.Thereisprobablynobettertimeoftheyeartoreflectontheimportanceofthechemicalsensestoourqualityoflife.

December1,2014IssueNo:2014‐08Page1

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Contact:

cbati#@ufl.edu

Featured Member

Dr. Christopher Batich, Professor

Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

College of Engineering

University of Florida

Thismonthwe’repleasedtofeatureoneofourmembersfromUF’sCollegeofEngineering,Dr.ChrisBatich.Dr.BatichepitomizestheuniqueresearchpotentialourCentercanofferthefieldinbeingpartofsuchalarge,diverse,andcentralizeduniversityasUF.

Dr.BatichobtainedaPhDinchemistryfromRutgersUniversity,didapost‐docattheUniversityofBaselinSwitzerland,andthenspentsevenyearsattheDuPontCentralResearchDepartmentbeforecomingtoUFin1980.HehasbeeninvolvedinresearchforapplicationsofmaterialstobiomedicaldevicesinnumerouscollaborativeprojectswiththeUFHealthSciencesCenter.From1997until2001hewasthefoundingdirectorofthegraduateBiomedicalEngineeringProgramthathasnowformedadepartment,andwasthePIoftheWhitakerFoundationGrantdedicatedtothatactivity.From2008until2010,hewasfoundingassociatedirectorandchiefoperatingofficerofthenewClinicalandTranslationalScienceInstituteatUFandparticipatedinwritingthe$25milliondollargrantfromtheNIHthatbeganthatinstitute.HeiscurrentlyaliaisonforPublic‐PrivateactivitiesintheCTSI,andisajointmemberoftheUFBMEDepartmentaswellasaprofessorintheMaterialsScienceandEngineeringDepartment.Hehaspublishedabout140peerreviewedpapersandisaninventororco‐inventoron61patentswhichweredevelopedwhileatUF.Anumberofthosehavebeenlicensedandcommercializedandnowbringincometotheuniversity.

WhileatDuPontandsubsequentlyatUF,Dr.Batichhasworkedwithsurfacemodificationandanalysisofpolymericmaterialsinthecontextofdrugdeliveryandpreventingneurodegeneration.Mostrecently,hisresearchhasexpandedintoseveralFloridaHighTechCorridor‐fundedprojectsondevelopinglong‐lastingspatialchemicalrepellentsforvariousinsects.CollaboratorsonthoseprojectsincludeDrs.PhilKoehlerandRobertoPereiraintheDept.ofEntomologyandNematology(IFAS),aswellasDr.DanKlineattheUSDepartmentofAgriculturefacilityinGainesville.Dr.BradWillenberg,anothercollaboratorontheprojectrecentlyacceptedafacultypositionatUCF.

Asyoucanimagine,wearemostpleasedtohaveDr.Batichasamemberofouractiveandgrowingchemicalsensesresearchcommunity.

UpcomingChemicalSensesSeminaratFSUWednesday,December10,2014

‘Signalprocessinginasingleolfactorybulbglomerulus’

NathanE.Schoppa,PhD

Professor,DepartmentofPhysiologyandBiophysicsUniversityofColoradoSchoolofMedicineDenver,COWednesday,December10,20143:30PMRmA211,PDB(newPsychologyBuilding)

Dr.Schoppaisinterestedinunderstandingmechanismsusedbythebraintoprocessolfactorycues.Hefocusesontwostructures,theolfactorybulbandthepiriformcortex,askingbasicquestionsaboutwhatneuronsarepresent,howtheyareconnected,andhowgroupsofneuronsworktoaffectaparticularoutputforacircuit.Methodologically,hecombineselectrophysiologicalandopticalrecordingsinbrainslices,confocalmicroscopy,aswellascomputationalandultrastructuralapproaches.Healsousestransgenic/viraltechniquesforlabelingspecificcell‐typesandoptogeneticmanipulation.Note:ThislectureisatFSUinTallahassee.ToattendthisorallchemicalsenseslecturesatFSU,youcanparkinoneoffourreservedspacesinfrontofthenewPsychologyBuildingonW.CallSt.Movetheparkingconeifnecessary,thengoinsidethebuildingandaskthereceptionistforaparkingpermittodisplayonyourwindshield.Besuretoreturnthepermitbeforeyouleave!Ifyouwish,youcanalsousetheofficemaintainedforvisitingUFfacultyandstudentsinthePsychologyBuilding,whichisequippedwithaphoneandcomputerforyouruse.Askthereceptionistfordirectionsandakey.Note:IfyourschedulewillnotallowdrivingtoFSU,weplantolivestreamthislecturetotheMBIconferenceroomonthe5thflooroftheMcKnightBrainInstitute,justoutsideoftheCenteroffice,RmL5‐101B.

Contact:

[email protected]

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UFCST’sChemicalSensesSpring2015SeminarSchedule

Incaseyouhaven’talreadydoneso,besuretosavethedatesfortheremainderofourFallseminarseries.AllseminarsareheldatNoonintheDeweeseAuditoriumintheMcKnightBrainInstitute,1149NewellDr.Don’tforget,theseminarsarefollowedimmediatelybyameet‐the‐speakerluncheonforgraduatestudentsandpostdocswhosignupinadvance([email protected]).

Wednesday,January7–Dr.LisaStowers,ScrippsResearchInstitute,SanDiego

Dr.Stowersstudieshowcuesintheenvironmentaredetectedandtransformedintoelectricalactivityinthebraintogeneratebehavior.Herlabisidentifyingthecodinglogicofallaspectsofthesystem,including:(1)specificpheromonechemosignalsthatgeneratestereotypicbehavior,(2)sensoryneuronsthatdetectpheromonesandotherspecializedchemosignals,and(3)theneuralandmolecularmechanismsinthebrainthatresultinstereotypicbehavior.Theyarestudyingseveralindependentstereotypicbehaviorsinthemouse:male‐maleaggression,pup‐suckling,inter‐speciesfear,femalereproductivebehavior,andscentmarking,todeterminetheneuralmechanismsthatspecifyeachbehavioraswellasthecommonmechanismsthatunderliegeneralprinciplesofstereotypicbehavior.

WednesdayFebruary4–Dr.TomBozza,DepartmentofNeurobiology,NorthwesternUniversity

Dr.Bozzastudiesthemoleculargeneticsandphysiologyofolfaction.Hisworkaddressesthefundamentalquestioninbiologyastohowsystems,fromindividualproteinstoorganisms,recognizemolecularstructure,takingadvantageofthevertebrateolfactorysystemasaremarkablemolecularrecognitiondevice.Animalscandetectodorouschemicalsatextremelylowconcentrations,andcandiscriminateamonganenormousnumberofstructurallydiversemolecules.Thelong‐termgoalofhisworkistounderstandhowthenervoussystemencodesmolecularinformation,andhowneuralcircuitsgiverisetolearnedandinnateolfactory‐drivenbehavior.WednesdayMarch4–Dr.IvandeAraujo,TheJ.B.PierceFoundationLaboratory,YaleUniversity

Dr.deAraujostudiestheneurobiologyoffeeding,specificallytheroleoftheneurotransmitterdopamineinfeedingbehavior.Hislaboratoryisspecificallyinterestedinidentifyingthegastrointestinalandneuralnutrientsensorsthat–incontrapositiontooralsensors–mediatetheimpactofcalorieintakeontonicdopaminelevelsindorsalstriatum.Theirstudiesmakeuseofacombinationof

techniquesincludingbehavioral,neurochemical(brainmicrodialyss),electrophysiological,neuroanatomical,andoptogeneticmethods.Currentprojectsinhislaboratoryinvestigatetheinfluenceofsugar‐derivedcaloriesintheformationofalimentaryhabits(viaitseffectondorsalstriatumdopaminerelease),andtheroleofthevagusnerveanditsbrainstemtargetinmediatingthereinforcingpropertiesofdietaryfat.

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LUNCHWITHTHE

SPEAKERSIMMEDIATELYFOLLOWSTHESEMINAR

Facultyareremindedtoencouragetheirpostdocsandgradstudents(sorry,nofaculty)totakeadvantageoftheopportunitytomeetwitheachofourspeakersimmediatelyfollowingtheirseminar.

TheseluncheonsareprovidedatnochargeandareheldjustupstairsfromtheseminarroomintheMBIconferenceroom,RmL5‐101B.Taketheelevatortothe5thfloorandturnrightimmediatelyonexitingtheelevator.

Ifyouhaveastudentorpostdocwhowouldliketotakeadvantageofthisopportunity,pleasehavethemcontactCheriBrown([email protected])toreserveaspotsinceseatingislimited.

NIH Announcements

NIDCDResearchCareerTransitionAwardforNurturingClinician‐Investigators(K22)(RFA_DC‐15‐002)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa‐files/RFA‐DC‐15‐002.html

NIDCDSmallGrantProgram(R03)(PAR‐13‐057)ApplicationReceipt/SubmissionDate(s):February26,2013;June26,2013;October18,2013;February26,2014;June262014;October28,2014;February26,2015;June26,2015;October28,2015

NIDCDClinicalResearchCenterGrant(P50)(PAR‐13‐062)ApplicationReceipt/SubmissionDate(s):February,22,2013;May30,2013;October1,2013;January30,2014;June2,2014;October1,2014;February2,2015;June6,2015;October,1,2015

NIDCD Research Grants for Translating Basic Research into Clinical Tools (R01) (PAR-14-009)

NIDCD Research Grants for Translating Basic Research into Clinical Tools (R01) (PAR-14-009) Application Receipt/Submission Date(s): June 23, 2014, February 23, 2015, October 23, 2015, June 23, 2016, February 23, 2017

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UFCST Travel graduate students and

postdocs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TheCenterprovidestravelawards

forgraduatestudentsandpostdocsattheUniversityof

Floridaonanongoingbasis.Weencourageapplicationsfrom

youngscientistswhosemainareaofinterestisnotthechemicalsenses,butwhowouldbenefitfromexposuretothefield.WewillalsoconsiderrequestsfromgraduatestudentsandpostdocsactivelyworkinginthechemicalsensestoattendtheAChemS

annualmeetingorotherscientificmeetingsofrelevancetochemicalsensesresearch.Pleasesubmit

requestsforsupportintheformofalettertotheCenterofficeat

ufcst@ufl.eduatleastonemonthbeforethestartofthemeeting.Pleaseincludeintherequestthe

estimatedcostoftravel,registration,andhousingwhileatthemeeting,andwhetherornotyouintendtomakeascientificpresentation.Graduatestudentsshouldsubmitlettersthatarecountersignedorotherwisesupportedbytheirmentor.UFCSTTravelAwardswillbegovernedbytheUniversityofFloridatravelguidelines.

Upcoming Chemical Senses Meetings

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December8‐9,2014DigitalOlfactionSociety2014TokyoInstituteofTechnologyJapanwww.olfaction‐site.comApril22‐25,2015AChemS37thAnnualMeetingHyattRegencyCoconutPointBonitaSprings,FLhttp://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3962June5‐9,2016ISOT2016–17thInternationalSymposiumonOlfactionandTasteYokohama,Japanhttp://www.isot2016.com/

Documents

CENTER FOR SMELL AND TASTEcst.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/December-2014-NA.pdf · technically a postdoc, Dr. Jeremy McIntyre is the holder of an NIH Pathways to Independence (K99/R00)