Rowe

2014 Rowe Lecture

Posted on December 16, 2014December 17, 2014 by

Michal Assaf, M.D.

Director, Autism & Functional Mapping (AM-FM) Laboratory,
Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital;
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry,
Yale University School of Medicine; Visiting Assistant Professor of Neuroscience,
Trinity College Institute of Living

Functional MRI – How Emerging Technology Is
Transforming Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 5:00 pm in the Student Union Theatre

Dr. Michal Assaf has studied mental illnesses by implementing cognitive neuroscience and advanced neuroimaging methods such as fMRI and DTI. Her research encompasses a variety of brain disorders including autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, and anxiety disorder, as well as substance abuse and addiction. In addition to her research activities, Dr. Assaf leads the Presurgical Functional Mapping program at Hartford Hospital in collaboration with the Department of Neurosurgery, and directs the implementation of structural and functional navigation for the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) research program.

After earning her M.D. at Tel Aviv University, Dr. Assaf completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Psychiatric Neuroimaging at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In 2004, she joined the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center at the Institute of Living. Dr. Assaf has been collaborating with researchers from Yale University’s Psychiatry Department, Comparative Medicine Department, and Child Study Center, as well as researchers from the University of Connecticut’s Department of Psychology, the Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging in Israel, and the Mind Research Network. Dr. Assaf is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the International Society for Autism Research, and the Organization of Human Brain Mapping.

Return to The John and Valerie Rowe Scholars Visiting Lecture

Rowe Researcher: Effects of mutants in the I-domain on Bacteriophage P22 coat protein stability and mature capsid structure

Posted on July 30, 2014December 16, 2014 by Hoffmann, Jessamy

February 2014-Present: Effects of mutants in the I-domain on Bacteriophage P22 coat protein stability and mature capsid structure

By Fejiro Okifo, Kevin Robbins, Dr. Carol Teschke

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs

As common as the rhinovirus that visits itself upon us every flu season and as insidious as the HIV virus that causes AIDS, viruses have been afflicting the human race since the dawn of time. And yet there is still much to discover about the mechanism by which they infect their hosts. Continue reading →

2014 Rowe Scholar: Ivan Navarro

Posted on July 17, 2014December 16, 2014 by Hoffmann, Jessamy

Hailing from Bristol, CT, Ivan Navarro graduated from Bristol Central High School where he started a chess club in order to share his love of the game. A pre-pharmacy student at UConn, Ivan’s interest in a career in the health professions was significantly influenced by his mother, who is a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant).

2014 Rowe Scholar: Jeremy Figueroa-Ortiz

Posted on July 14, 2014December 16, 2014 by Hoffmann, Jessamy

Jeremy Figueroa-Ortiz recently returned from a dental mission trip to the Galapagos Island of Isabella, where he, dental students, and dentists provided free dental care. An allied health sciences major with interests in dentistry and policy, Jeremy has also taken part in a clinically based pilot study called Project Good Oral Health, which focused on the oral health of geriatric communities and preventative health education. Jeremy is a bilingual (English and Spanish) graduate of Farmington High School who hails from New Britain, CT.

Rowe Researcher: Measuring Viral Titer to Analyze Transduction Efficiency in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Posted on July 14, 2014July 14, 2014 by Hoffmann, Jessamy

Spring 2011: Measuring Viral Titer to Analyze Transduction Efficiency in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

By Dr. X. Cindy Tian, Yong Tang, and Michael Tassavor

Stem cells have the ability to dramatically change the medical landscape, allowing regrowth and regeneration of tissues previously irreparable to modern science. Severe burns, spinal breakages, and muscle damage all can benefit, as well as more abstract diseases such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and cancer. Until quite recently, however, sources for stem cells were limited to embryonic material.

In 2007, researchers managed to convert specialized adult cells to pluripotent stem cells capable of taking any somatic form in mice. This is highly useful in that it negates any need for embryonic stem cells in stem cell therapy, sidestepping legal and moral issues, as well as public outcry. Furthermore, it allows customized cells grown from the patient’s own cells, preventing immune rejection. Non-embryonic stem cells also have the benefit of allowing research to proceed with government grants, which, depending on the state and federal agencies involved, prohibit embryonic stem cell research. Continue reading →

Rowe Researcher: Investigating Propargyl-Linked Antifolates

Posted on July 14, 2014July 14, 2014 by Hoffmann, Jessamy

Summer 2012-Spring 2014: Investigating Propargyl-Linked Antifolates in Inhibiting Bacterial and Fungal Dihydrofolate Reductase

By Joshua Andrade, Dr. Amy Anderson’s Lab, and Dr. Dennis Wright’s Lab

Antimicrobial agents have been invaluable in reducing illness and death associated with bacterial infection. However, over time, bacteria have evolved resistance to all major drug classes as a result of selective pressure. The advancement of new drug compounds is therefore vital. The Anderson-Wright Lab has focused on developing potent and selective inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an enzyme key in cell proliferation and survival, in several pathogenic species. The lab has found that a set of compounds, known as propargyl-linked antifolates, are DHFR inhibitors that are both biologically effective and have strong pharmacokinetic properties. Continue reading →

2014 Rowe Scholar: Kavisha Thakkar

Posted on July 14, 2014December 16, 2014 by Hoffmann, Jessamy

Kavisha Thakkar is from Newington, CT but has traveled to 54 countries. She enjoys photography and travel and says that her experiences abroad have definitely played a role in her desire to pursue a career in medicine. In pursuit of this goal Kavisha has shadowed ophthalmologists at UConn Health and Veteran’s Hospital, and has conducted research on DNA at Hartford Hospital. She is now following a pre-med track and majoring in physiology and neurobiology at UConn. A graduate of Newington High School and the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science, Kavisha has taken part in several HCOP programs, including the Mini Medical Program, the High School Summer Research Program, and the Pre-College Enrichment Program.

2014 Rowe Scholar: Ornella Tempo

Posted on July 14, 2014December 16, 2014 by Hoffmann, Jessamy

Ornella Tempo is originally from Fusagasuga, Colombia but graduated from Wethersfield High School in Connecticut. Currently a chemical engineering major, her main academic interest lies in tissue engineering while her hobbies include swimming and painting. Ornella has had the opportunity to serve as student assistant to the Institutional Review Board, where she helps with instructor training, and as a research assistant at the Institute of Regenerative Engineering Laboratory. At the lab she has engaged in activities such as cell culture, creating microspheres, and microscopy imaging of microspheres.

2014 Rowe Scholar: John Odoom

Posted on July 14, 2014December 16, 2014 by Hoffmann, Jessamy

John Odoom loves playing basketball and is very proud of the fact that he didn’t quit but worked hard for two years in order to make Stamford High School’s varsity basketball team. Born in Ghana, Africa John now lives in Stamford, CT and is very interested in athletic training and physical therapy. As a basketball player he’s been able to observe the duties and demands of his team’s athletic trainer. He has also taken part in LEAD, a leadership program that provided him with the opportunity to tour Stamford Hospital.

2014 Rowe Scholar: Julise Marsh

Posted on July 14, 2014December 16, 2014 by Hoffmann, Jessamy

Julise Marsh will be a Pre-Pharmacy student at UConn. A resident of Bloomfield, CT, she graduated from Bloomfield High School after having taken part in the HCOP High School Student Research Apprentice Program, which she feels provided her with good exposure to her chosen field. Julise loves playing volleyball in her free time.