http://newscenter.iupui.edu/ News about Science and Engineering from Newscenter en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:09:22 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://newscenter.iupui.edu/4297/Depression-Predicts-Increases-in-Inflammatory-Protein-Linked-to-Heart-Disease http://newscenter.iupui.edu/4297/Depression-Predicts-Increases-in-Inflammatory-Protein-Linked-to-Heart-Disease Which comes first, depression or inflammation? To help solve this long standing chicken and egg conundrum, researchers led by Jesse Stewart, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis asked two critical questions. Does depression lead to elevated inflammatory proteins in the human body? Or does an increase in these proteins lead to depression? They found that the answer to the first question appears to be “yes,” and the answer to the second question may be “no” among healthy adults. The researchers report that depressive symptoms are associated with increases over time in interleukin-6, an inflammatory protein that predicts cardiovascular events. In contrast, levels of interleukin-6 were not related to later increases in depressive symptoms. The new study, published in the October 2009 issue of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, is the first to examine both directions of the depression-inflammation connection and to measure the physical symptoms of depression, such as fatigue and sleep disturbance, in addition to the cognitive-emotional symptoms, such as pessimism and sadness. Several previous studies have linked depression to increased inflammatory protein levels measured at the same time. These studies, however, cannot speak to which is the cause and which is the effect. “There is two-way communication between the brain and the immune system, so we had to determine whether activation of the body’s immune system sent a signal to the brain to affect mood and behavior or whether the depression activated the immune system,” said Dr. Stewart, a clinical health psychologist in IUPUI’s School of Science and an IU Center for Aging Research affiliated scientist. Participants in the study were 263 healthy men and women aged 50-70 years at the start of the study. They were tested at baseline and again six years later to determine their levels of depressive symptoms and interleukin-6. Levels of C-reactive protein, another inflammatory protein, were also measured but were not related to depression. The strength of the association of depression with future heart disease is similar to that of traditional risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, according to Dr. Stewart. “Promotion of inflammation may be one pathway through which depression may ‘get under the skin’ to negatively influence cardiovascular health. The link to cardiovascular disease demonstrates that there may be physical as well as mental health reasons to treat depression,” said Dr. Stewart. Co-authors of “A Prospective Evaluation of the Directionality of the Depression–Inflammation Relationship” are Kevin Rand, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychology in the School of Science at IUPUI; Matthew Muldoon, M.D., M.P.H., and Thomas Kamarck, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh. This study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.   Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_stewart-40.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_stewart-40.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/4290/Researchers-at-IUPUI-to-Study-Goals-End-of-Life-Decisions-in-Advanced-Cancer-Patients http://newscenter.iupui.edu/4290/Researchers-at-IUPUI-to-Study-Goals-End-of-Life-Decisions-in-Advanced-Cancer-Patients Imagine being told you have an advanced form of cancer that threatens to end your life. What goals would you set for yourself, how might those goals influence what kind of health care you want, and would the health care you receive match those goals? Dr. Kevin Rand, a psychology professor in the School of Science at IUPUI, and Dr. Larry Cripe, a professor of medicine and oncologist at the IU Simon Cancer Center, have launched a two-year, $330,000 American Cancer Society funded study to examine those questions. The project is titled “Goal-related thoughts & end-of-life decisions in advanced cancer patients.” The focus of the study will be some 60 patients who have been diagnosed with advanced lung or gastro-intestinal cancer, Rand said. The median life expectancy of these patients is less than a year. “We are interested in understanding how these patients make treatment decisions as they go through their care and how their thoughts about the goals they have for their life and for their health care change over the course of their illness and how these goals predict treatment decisions, especially as they get close to the end of their lives,” Rand said. “Do they choose to enroll on hospice, or get aggressive treatments such as chemotherapy even though they may have been told it is unlikely to benefit them? What do their goals predict as to their health care choices? Are they getting health care in line with their goals?” Patients will be interviewed twice, three or four months apart. Each time, they will be asked to list their life goals and treatment goals. Among the questions: What are your most important goals? Patients will also be asked how they would invest their time and energy in pursuing those goals. “We want to see if the goals of the patients change over time and if those changes relate to the progress of their disease or treatment,” Rand said. Whether patients are making decisions and then receiving treatment that is in line with their goals isn’t really known, Rand continued. “If the answer is yes, that’s great. But if not, we want to know why not. There are lots of reasons why that might not happen. Health care providers may not be aware of the goals as well as they should be, or the goals may be so dynamic and changing that it would be hard for the treatment they receive to be in line with the goals because they are in flux.” The study itself has an ultimate goal. “We want to design an intervention for health care providers so that everyone understands what the goals of the patient are and to help ensure patient care is in line with those goals.” According to Rand, the two-year study will demonstrate the feasibility of gathering necessary information from patients who may be near the end of their lives. The next step would be to engage in a longer term study involving a larger number of patients.   Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_rand_kevin.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_rand_kevin.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/4266/New-IUPUI-Biology-Professor-Receives-5Year-15-Million-NIH-Grant-Award http://newscenter.iupui.edu/4266/New-IUPUI-Biology-Professor-Receives-5Year-15-Million-NIH-Grant-Award Assistant professor of biology at the School of Science at IUPUI, Guoli Dai, was recently awarded a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the role of a transcription factor in liver regeneration. Dai is new to the School of Science from the University of Kansas Medical Center. He plans to use the grant to blend his research to better understand the molecular mechanisms governing hepatocyte proliferation in response to liver injury. Various insults including drug toxicity and viral infection cause acute or chronic liver injury. However, the liver has an extraordinary ability to regenerate, replacing damaged tissue and restoring original structures and functions. Hepatocytes, as the main structural and functional cells in the liver, are extremely capable of replicating during liver tissue repair process. “Understanding the regulation of hepatocyte proliferation will help in the development of pharmacological approaches to advance tissue repair for prevention and treatment of liver injury,” said Dai. “I am very excited for the opportunity to be exposed to various resources in biology, medicine and regenerative biology at IUPUI.” For the past 20 years, Dai’s research in the area of reproductive endocrinology and liver biology have been published and presented among researchers and scientists throughout the world. Specifically, his work has focused on molecular mechanisms governing hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration as well as the molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling maternal hepatic growth response to pregnancy. “Guoli Dai is a great addition to the research we are conducting at the School of Science and Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine,” said Bart Ng, Dean of the School of Science at IUPUI. “Dr. Dai’s research will not only advance science and medicine in this arena, but also enhance the university’s profile in the areas of biology and regenerative biology.” Dai earned his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the College of Agricultural and Animal Sciences at Jilin University as well as his masters in molecular and cellular biology from Changchun Veterinary University in China. Dai has held various research and teaching positions at universities and medical centers throughout the U.S. For more information about research in regenerative biology or Dai’s work at the School of Science at IUPUI go to www.science.iupui.edu. About the School of Science at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis The School of Science is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service in the biological, physical, behavioral and mathematical sciences. The School is dedicated to being a leading resource for interdisciplinary research and science education in support of Indiana's effort to expand and diversify its economy. For more information go to www.science.iupui.edu.   Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3998/Student-Blogs-Tweets-Videos-Share-OutofClassroom-Learning http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3998/Student-Blogs-Tweets-Videos-Share-OutofClassroom-Learning IUPUI Senior Eugene Pride has never really felt as if he had a “real student” to show him what college life is really like. And the self-described “average” student says he “was very traditional in the past just thinking ‘go to class and get the degree’ not knowing true education is much more than that.” But this summer, Pride is not only stepping out of his “traditional” box and studying abroad in Poland, he is also one of seven IUPUI students who are sharing a real look at their college lives using new media. As the inaugural class of the Summer Impact project, the seven – Pride, Freddy Barnes, Meghan Cross, Christin Johnson, Brandon Muncy, Samantha (“Sam”) Townsley, and Richard Turley - will stay connected with “friends” and “followers” throughout the summer with blogs, tweets, Flickr photos, and YouTube videos posted on IUPUI Web pages. Their real student experiences can be accessed through the Summer Impact home page www.iupui.edu/summerimpact . Pride, a liberal arts senior, will spend almost three weeks in Poland taking an intercultural communications course before returning to Indiana to finish out the summer as an intern in the Indiana Statehouse. He signed up for Summer Impact because “this project can encourage new and current students to reach out of their comfort zone and study abroad, get an internship, do research, etc.,” Pride says. “I want new students to know . . . learning takes place in more places than a classroom,” he says. “My expectations of the project are to help students feel welcome to the university and to know it’s possible to do cool things that can help you grow.” Those “cool things” for IUPUI students include opportunities for undergraduate research. Sam Townsley is one of the Summer Impact students who will share research experiences with friends and followers. “If you've ever wondered what the inside of an eye looks like, you might be able to see it if you follow my posts,” Townsley said. The senior biology major is an undergraduate researcher in a campus lab studying limb or retinal regeneration in frogs or salamanders in hopes of finding a cure for human paralysis. “I plan to have a lab tour just to let people get the feel of the lab,” Townsley said. IUPUI intentionally uses research, study abroad, service learning, and workplace internships to prepare its students for graduate school, careers, and community engagement. The newly created “RISE to the IUPUI Challenge” program encourages all IUPUI undergraduate students to incorporate at least two experiential learning courses into their degree programs. As implied by the acronym “RISE,” the courses fall into four categories: research; international studies; service learning; and workplace and community experiential learning. IUPUI students will be able to take RISE to the IUPUI Challenge courses beginning with the Fall Semester, 2009. Students’ transcripts will note their experiential accomplishments. To showcase the research, study abroad and other experiential learning experiences of students through virtual media “is something that I have always wanted to do,” says Office of Communications and Marketing electronic media director Steve Hodges, who is coordinating Summer IMPACT. “You can follow a student via his or her Summer Impact Web page all summer long,” says Hodges, who worked with communications staff in the offices of the vice chancellor of research, international affairs and the School of Liberal Arts to develop Summer Impact. Hodges anticipates the Summer Impact accounts could very well serve as student-driven publicity for the RISE initiative. As a Summer Impact student Brandon Muncy hopes to correct what he sees as misconceptions about his chosen career field. “During the course of the blog, photos, tweets and other such things I hope to show how valuable archaeology is to the campus,” says Brandon Muncy, who is enrolled in the Archaeological Field School. The class is excavating the site of Madam C.J. Walker’s house and factory. He hopes his blog, tweets and video, will also give “students and staff a realistic view of what field work is actually like as opposed to the whip-wielding, ruins-exploring vision of the field offered by Hollywood.” Summer Impact is a volunteer program. Although selected to participate by their respective academic schools or units, the students will not receive compensation or classroom credit for the online “diaries” they will post under the Summer Impact banner.   Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_summerimpact.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_summerimpact.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3989/Racing-Expert-Andrew-Borme-Joins-IUPUIs-Motorsports-Engineering-Faculty http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3989/Racing-Expert-Andrew-Borme-Joins-IUPUIs-Motorsports-Engineering-Faculty The Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI has just announced an exciting new addition to its motorsports engineering faculty. Andrew Borme comes from Germany to teach at IUPUI after working for over 20 years in the motorsports industry. He was the chief engineer for Helio Castroneves in his two Indianapolis 500 wins, and has worked with drivers including Castroneves, Tomas Enge, Mario Haberfeld, Scott Goodyear and Scott Sharp. Borme is highly experienced in aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, mechanical systems design, race and test engineering and data analysis. After working with major race teams all over the world, he is expected to bring a wealth of knowledge and industry insight to IUPUI’s campus next fall. “I am very pleased and honored to take on this exciting new role and hope to enhance the already very strong Motorsports Program at IUPUI. After having the opportunity to work in Formula 1 for the past four years, using the highest level of current technology, I’m really looking forward to sharing my experience and passion for the sport,” said Borme. “My first and primary goal is to prepare students for a career in professional motorsports. I wish such a program existed when I entered my engineering studies so I am thrilled to take on this new challenge and be a part of this excellent and forward-thinking school.” Borme has most recently worked with the Toyota Formula One (F1) Team as the senior aerodynamic track support engineer and then group leader where he effectively managed a highly technical engineering group with a focus on development Before working with Toyota, he was a race and test engineer for the BMW-Sauber F1 Team. With BMW-Sauber, Borme was responsible for optimizing racecar configuration, planning race and test sessions and supervising support engineers. In addition to these F1 teams, Borme has also worked in IndyCar/CART Racing and Indy Lights/Formula Atlantic Racing. Borme received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York in 1986, and a master’s in mechanical engineering from California State University in Long Beach, California in 1991. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Borme worked for General Dynamics as a structural designer on the mechanical design of the F-16 Fighter aircraft. His career in the racing world began when he worked for Nissan Performance Technology, Inc. as an aerodynamicist and mechanical designer as he worked to obtain his master’s degree. In 1994, Borme became a project leader for General Motors Advanced Technology Vehicles (EV), and in 1997 he started working with Indy Lights as the race engineer for Helio Castroneves. “It is with great excitement that we announce the hire of Andrew Borme. With an incredible amount of experience in the racing world, Borme will bring our students a rare connection to the motorsports industry. This is a huge step for our motorsports engineering program, and it speaks volumes about the program’s growth and success,” said H. Öner Yurtseven, dean of the School of Engineering and Technology. About the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI: The mission of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI is to be one of the best urban university leaders in the disciplines of engineering and technology recognized locally, nationally and internationally. The school’s goal is to provide students an education that will give them the leverage to be leaders in their communities, industry and society. For additional information on the School of Engineering & Technology, go to http://www.engr.iupui.edu. About IUPUI: Created as a partnership between two world-renowned universities and destined to be the state’s urban research and academic health sciences campus, IUPUI has rapidly grown in size and stature since it was established in 1969. The partnership between the state’s two major public universities – Indiana University and Purdue University – enables IUPUI to bring together a tremendous range of degree programs in 21 schools and academic units for nearly 30,000 students who earn their degrees from Indiana University or Purdue University. Today, IUPUI is the third strong pillar supporting public higher education in Indiana. For more information on IUPUI, go to http://www.iupui.edu.                               Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_andrew borme 05peteq5.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_andrew borme 05peteq5.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3956/IUPUI-Study-Reports-Inherited-Impulsivity-Predicts-Alcoholism http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3956/IUPUI-Study-Reports-Inherited-Impulsivity-Predicts-Alcoholism Solving the age-old chicken and the egg dilemma, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis researchers report that genetic predisposition to impulsivity is a trait predictive of alcoholism. The study appears on the July print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, available online on April 22. The researchers, led by Nicholas Grahame, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the IUPUI School of Science, used selective breeding for 30 generations to produce mice who were high volume alcohol drinkers and others who avoided consuming alcohol. The genetically different mice were presented with a choice between a small, immediate reward and a large, delayed reward. By adjusting the quantity of the immediate reward up and down based on choice behavior, the task allowed the researchers to test the impulsivity of the rodents. The mice with high alcohol preferring genes were more impulsive than their low drinking counterparts demonstrating that predisposition to impulsivity is predictive of alcoholism. “Selective breeding allowed us to focus on whether changing genes changes behavior. Just like golden retrievers are bred to retrieve, we were able to breed mice genetically predisposed to drink alcohol voluntarily. Many drink enough to reach a blood alcohol level of .08,” said Dr. Grahame, who is a behavioral geneticist. In humans a blood alcohol level of .08 is produced by the consumption of two drinks an hour by a 120-pound individual or 3 drinks an hour by a 180-pound individual. At that level human concentration and judgment are impaired and all 50 states prohibit operation of a motor vehicle. “It is well documented that humans with alcohol problems have impulsivity issues. High impulsivity, when defined as the tendency to choose small instantaneous rewards over larger delayed rewards – like getting drunk instead of going to work for that paycheck in 2 weeks— is more prevalent in alcoholics than in non-alcoholics. Because these mice had never had alcohol, we were able to show that it was the genes that increase drinking, rather than drinking itself, that yielded impulsive behavior,” said Dr. Grahame. “Our data can clearly be extrapolated to humans and strongly suggests that impulsivity contributes to high alcohol drinking. Consequently, the diagnosis of any disorder associated with impulsivity, such as attention deficit disorder or bipolar disorder, is cause for concern about future problems with alcoholism,” he added. Co-author of “High Alcohol Preferring Mice Are More Impulsive than Low Alcohol Preferring Mice as Measured in the Delay Discounting Task,” is Brandon Gregg Oberlin, a doctoral candidate in the Program in Medical Neuroscience at the Indiana University School of Medicine. The study was funded by the IUPUI School of Science and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. ###   Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3949/IUPUI-to-Hold-Nobel-Prize-Winners-Q-and-A-With-High-Middle-School-Students http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3949/IUPUI-to-Hold-Nobel-Prize-Winners-Q-and-A-With-High-Middle-School-Students Imagine being able to seek answers to your science questions from a Nobel Prize winner. That’s the opportunity students from two area high schools – and a middle school – will share during Research Day activities at IUPUI on Friday, April 24, 2009. Nobel Laureate and physicist Leon Lederman will hold a question-and-answer session for local students as part of the IUPUI Research Day. The Q&A Session between Lederman and students from Crispus Attucks Medical School, Arsenal Technical School, and Harshman Middle School, is scheduled to take place from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., April 24, 2009, in Room 152 of the Informatics and Communications Technology Complex building, 535 W. Michigan St. “It’s a great opportunity for them,” said Arsenal Tech advanced chemistry and physics teacher Mark Blachly. About 40 of Blachly’s students are scheduled to participate. The Q&A session is part of a day-long celebration of IUPUI’s research portfolio. Lederman will also deliver “Knowing How Science Works for Scientists and Citizens,” as the keynote address for the event at 1 p.m. in Room 101 of Lecture Hall, located at 325 University Blvd. on the IUPUI campus. Lederman, along with co-scientists Melvin Schwartz and Jack Steinberger, received the Nobel Prize for research that advanced the understanding of neutrinos, basic particles that make up the world. The physicist holds a doctorate in physics from Columbia University. His published works include “The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer What Is the Question,” and from “Quarks to the Cosmos.” which he co-authored with David N. Schramm. Lederman is a founder and the inaugural Resident Scholar at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a three-year residential public high school for gifted children in Illinois. Students at the academy are involved in research in university, business and commercial laboratories across Chicago. ‘“I am a firm believer that doing research is one of the best pedagogical devices we have,” says Lederman, who served as a co-chair of the National Science Board Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Issues in education will be the focus of Lederman’s keynote speech, with a major premise being the need for revising the high school science curriculum. Lederman is a co-founder of the “Physics First” reform movement which advocates reversing the course sequence so that high school students are taught physics first, then chemistry with biology as the capstone science course. About 2,000 American high schools have adopted a “Physics First” curriculum, according to Lederman. In addition to Lederman’s speech, IUPUI Research Day activities will include oral and poster research presentations by IUPUI faculty members, along with poster presentations and roundtable discussions by student researchers. All events, including Lederman’s keynote address, are free of charge and open to the publics. For additional details, visit http://research.iupui.edu/events/researchday2009/index.html.   Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_dr. leon lederman high resolution photo0.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_dr. leon lederman high resolution photo0.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3935/IUPUI-Math-Students-Place-in-Top-15-Percent-at-National-Putnam-Competition http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3935/IUPUI-Math-Students-Place-in-Top-15-Percent-at-National-Putnam-Competition Time magazine called it the “World’s Toughest Math Test.” Mathematics majors Joel Martin, Igor Minevich and Elizabeth Sweeney might agree. The IUPUI team, coached by Associate Professor Evgeny Mukhin, placed 66th among the 545 colleges and universities that participated in the 68th annual William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. “I’m extremely proud of this year’s team and very impressed with their outstanding placement,” said Mukhin, who has coached IUPUI’s Putnam team for five years. “Normally, students require several years of preparation before they can successfully solve Putnam problems. Joel, Igor and Elizabeth offered tremendous dedication, perseverance and enthusiasm. They are outstanding mathematics students of whom the entire campus should be proud.” The Putnam is a math contest for college students, administered by the Mathematical Association of America. It is intended to test creativity as well as technical competence in undergraduate-level mathematics. The six-hour examination contains 12 problems; each problem is graded on a basis of zero to 10 points for a maximum score of 120 points. According to Mukhin, Time magazine is right; it’s a difficult test. The average score each year for the overall exam is in the range of one or two points, and more than half of the competitors earn no points altogether. This year’s competition included more than 3,600 students from across North America. Martin and Minevich each placed among the top 500 contestants, earning them individual spots in the top 15 percent. Both students will graduate in May and plan to pursue graduate degrees in mathematics. Minevich is headed to Brown University, where he will study pure mathematics in the Ph.D. program. Sweeney is a junior, who was honored recently as one of IUPUI’s Top 100 students. ###   Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3883/Initial-Indiana-CTSI-Collaboration-Grants-Announced http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3883/Initial-Indiana-CTSI-Collaboration-Grants-Announced Twelve teams of Indiana scientists have been awarded the first grants from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, awards meant to foster collaborative efforts to develop new medical treatments and services. The teams, each of which received up to a $75,000 CTSI Collaboration in Biomedical/Translational Research Pilot Program Grant, include researchers from Indiana and Purdue universities and the University of Notre Dame. The grants are meant to help Indiana scientists conduct early-stage research projects that will lead to grant awards from external sources, such as the National Institutes of Health. In order to foster collaboration, each grant proposal had to include participation from scientists from two or more of the sponsoring academic campuses: Purdue, IU Bloomington, IUPUI, IU School of Medicine, Purdue and Notre Dame. The Indiana CTSI is a statewide collaboration of researchers and health care specialists in academia, business and government created to transform scientific discoveries into new medical treatments and services. The CTSI was formed in 2008 with a $25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The recipients and their research projects are: • Brian M. Baker, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, Notre Dame, and Samy Meroueh, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, IU School of Medicine: “Development of a supraphysiological T cell receptor for the immunological treatment of melanoma.” • Monet Bowling, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, IU School of Medicine, and Sulma Mohammed, associate professor of comparative pathobiology, Purdue: “Metastasis Biomarkers.” • James. C. Clemens, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry, Purdue, and Zhong-Yin Zhang, Ph.D., Robert A. Harris Professor and chairman of biochemistry and molecular biology, IU School of Medicine: “Identification of Ack selective inhibitors for the treatment of cancers arising from deregulated Ras signaling.” • Ann E. Elsner, Ph.D., professor of optometry, IU-Bloomington, and Haiyan H. Zhang, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, Purdue: “Low Cost Biomedical Imaging via Inexpensive Laser Scanning.” • Andrew Goddard, M.D., professor of psychiatry, IU School of Medicine, and Ulrike Dydak, Ph.D., assistant professor of health sciences, Purdue: “GABA Neuronal Dysfunction in Panic Disorder: Assessing the Effect of Family History.” • William P. Hetrick, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, IU-Bloomington, and Charles Goodlett, Ph.D., professor of psychology, IUPUI: “Translational Evaluation of Secretin's Effects on Cerebellar Function.” • Michael N. Jones, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, IU-Bloomington, and Andrew Saykin, Psy.D., Raymond C. Beeler Professor of Radiology and Director of the IU Center for Neuroimaging, IU School of Medicine: “Network Models of Semantic Degradation in Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type.” • Gregory Knipp, Ph.D., associate professor of industrial and physical pharmacy and associate director of the Dane O. Kildsig Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research, Purdue, and Rachel Vreeman, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics, IU School of Medicine: “Development of Novel Pediatric Formulations for the Treatment of Infectious Diseases.” • Ken Mackie, M.D., professor of psychological and brain sciences, IU-Bloomington, and Michael Vasko, Ph.D., Paul Stark Professor and chairman of pharmacology and toxicology, IU School of Medicine: “Mechanisms of CB2 cannabinoid receptor signaling in models of neuropathic pain.” • Brian F. O'Donnell, Ph.D., professor of psychology, IU-Bloomington; Alan Breier, M.D., professor of psychiatry and Paul Lysaker, Ph.D., associate professor of clinical psychology in clinical psychiatry, IU School of Medicine: “Cognitive Remediation of Neurobehavioral Abnormalities in Schizophrenia.” • Li Shen, Ph.D., assistant professor of radiology, IU School of Medicine, and Yuan (Alan) Qi, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, Purdue: “Integrating Imaging Phenotypes and Genotypes for Early Detection of AD.” • You-Yeon Won, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemical engineering, Purdue, and Brittney-Shea Herbert, Ph.D., assistant professor of medical and molecular genetics, IU School of Medicine: “Targeted Delivery of Telomerase-Inhibiting siRNA for In Vivo Breast Cancer Treatment.”   Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3858/Forensic-Science-Labs-in-Indiana-Face-Same-Shortcomings-as-Those-Identified-in-National-Report- http://newscenter.iupui.edu/3858/Forensic-Science-Labs-in-Indiana-Face-Same-Shortcomings-as-Those-Identified-in-National-Report- Forensic science laboratories in Indiana face the same problems, shortcomings and issues that were identified in a national report, said a leading forensic science expert at IUPUI.   Jay A. Siegel, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and director of the Forensic and Investigative Sciences program in the Purdue School of Science at IUPUI, is a member of the National Research Council committee that issued the report February 18, 2009 that calls for broad changes in the nation’s forensic science system. Siegel said he agrees with the report’s recommendation that strong leadership is needed to adopt and promote an aggressive, long-term agenda to strengthen forensic science. To achieve this end, Siegel said the report strongly urges Congress to establish a new, independent National Institute of Forensic Science to lead research efforts, establish and enforce standards for forensic science professionals and laboratories, and oversee education standards. Among the report’s criticisms: • Rigorous and mandatory certification programs for forensic scientists are currently lacking, as are strong standards and protocols for analyzing and reporting on evidence. • A dearth of peer-reviewed, published studies establishing the scientific bases and reliability of many forensic methods. • Many forensic science labs are underfunded, understaffed, and have no effective oversight. According to the report, with the exception of nuclear DNA analysis, no forensic method has been rigorously shown able to consistently, and with a high degree of certainty, demonstrate a connection between evidence and a specific individual or source. Non-DNA forensic disciplines have important roles, but many need substantial research to validate basic premises and techniques, assess limitations, and discern the sources and magnitude of error, said the committee that wrote the report. Part of the answer to the problems confronting forensic science is academic forensic and investigative sciences programs like the one at IUPUI, Siegel said. “We are educating the next generation of forensic scientists,” he said. “What we do is not only teach students the science of forensic science but ethics, certification of scientists and labs and accreditation, so that these students are ready to confront and help solve the kinds of issues identified in the report when they graduate and go into the field.” The report offers no judgment about past convictions or pending cases, and it offers no view as to whether the courts should reassess cases that already have been tried. Rather, the report describes and analyzes the current situation in the forensic science community and makes recommendations for the future. For more information, visit: http://nationalacademies.org/morenews/20090218.html           Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_chemistrysiegel.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_chemistrysiegel.jpg