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Researchers identify process for regenerating neurons in the eye and brain

2020-10-05T10:00:00-04:00

The death of neurons, whether in the brain or the eye, can result in a number of human neurodegenerative disorders, from blindness to Parkinson’s disease. Current treatments for these disorders can only slow the progression of the illness, because once a neuron dies, it cannot be replaced.

Now, a team of researchers from the University of Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins University, Ohio State University and the University of Florida has identified networks of genes that regulate the process responsible for determining whether neurons will regenerate in certain animals, such as zebrafish.

“This study is proof of principle, showing that it is possible to regenerate retinal neurons. We now believe the process for regenerating neurons in the brain will be similar,” said David Hyde, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame and co-author on the study.

For the study, published in Science, the researchers mapped the genes of animals that have the ability to regenerate retinal neurons. For example, when the retina of a zebrafish is damaged, cells called the Müller glia go through a process known as reprogramming. During reprogramming, the Müller glia cells will change their gene expression to become like progenitor cells, or cells that are used during early development of an organism. Therefore, these now progenitor-like cells can become any cell necessary to fix the damaged retina.

Like zebrafish, people also have Müller glia cells. However, when the human retina is damaged, the Müller glia cells respond with gliosis, a process that does not allow them to reprogram.

“After determining the varying animal processes for retina damage recovery, we had to decipher if the process for reprogramming and gliosis were similar. Would the Müller glia follow the same path in regenerating and non-regenerating animals or would the paths be completely different?” said Hyde, who also serves as the Kenna Director of the Zebrafish Research Center at Notre Dame. “This was really important, because if we want to be able to use Müller glia cells to regenerate retinal neurons in people, we need to understand if it would be a matter of redirecting the current Müller glia path or if it would require an entirely different process.”

The research team found that the regeneration process only requires the organism to “turn back on” its early development processes. Additionally, researchers were able to show that during zebrafish regeneration, Müller glia also go through gliosis, meaning that organisms that are able to regenerate retinal neurons do follow a similar path to animals that cannot. While the network of genes in zebrafish was able to move Müller glia cells from gliosis into the reprogrammed state, the network of genes in a mouse model blocked the Müller glia from reprogramming.

From there, researchers were able to modify zebrafish Müller glia cells into a similar state that blocked reprogramming while also having a mouse model regenerate some retinal neurons.

Next, the researchers will aim to identify the number of gene regulatory networks responsible for neuronal regeneration and exactly which genes within the network are responsible for regulating regeneration.

This study is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Hiller Family Endowment for Stem Cell Research at Notre Dame. In addition to Hyde, senior authors on the study are Seth Blackshaw and Jiang Qian from Johns Hopkins University, John Ash from the University of Florida, and Andy J. Fischer from Ohio State. Other contributing authors from Notre Dame include Patrick Boyd, Leah J. Campbell, Meng Jia and Manuela Lahne.

This study is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Eye Institute's Audacious Goals Initiative, and was also supported by the Integrated Imaging Facility and the Freimann Life Science Center at Notre Dame.

Contact: Jessica Sieff, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu

Notre Dame faculty receive National Science Foundation awards

2020-08-06T15:25:00-04:00

Nine University of Notre Dame faculty members received National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards in 2020. Since 2014, Notre Dame faculty have earned 49 of these nationally competitive awards.

“The University is very pleased that so many of our newly hired faculty have earned these prestigious early career awards,” said Robert J. Bernhard, vice president for research and professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at Notre Dame. “This success reflects both the talent our departments, schools and colleges are able to recruit, as well as the research resources they have available to support their creative ideas.”

The CAREER award recipients, who come from the Colleges of Arts and Letters, Engineering and Science, as well as the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs, are as follows:

Alexander Dowling, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, received the award for “Uncertainty quantification and optimization with hybrid models for molecular-to-systems engineering.”
Erin Metz McDonnell, associate professor of in the Department of Sociology and concurrent assistant professor of Africana studies and in the Keough 91��Ƶ, received the award for “Pockets of effectiveness and the diffusion of organizational capacity.”
Eric Riedl, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, received the award for “Hyperbolicity properties of hypersurfaces.”
Nathan Rose, the William P. and Hazel B. White Assistant Professor of Psychology and director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and Aging Lab, received the award for “Targeted memory reactivation with transcranial magnetic stimulation.”
Walter Scheirer, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, received the award for “Learning at the edge: An extreme value theory for visual recognition.”
Daniele Schiavazzi, the Huisking Foundation, Inc. Assistant Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, received the award for “Bayesian inference networks for model ensembles.”
Matthew Webber, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, received the award for “Dissipative non-equilibrium supramolecular hydrogels using fuels.”
Patrick Wensing, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, received the award for “Task-level coordination of motor and machine for fluent lower-limb prostheses.”
Sangpil Yoon, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, received the award for “The next generation intracellular delivery device for immunotherapy: The integration between ultrasonic transducer and microfluidic chip.”

Additionally, Edward Kinzel, associate professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, received his award while at Missouri University of Science and Technology for “Large-scale manufacturing of metasurfaces using microsphere photolithography." Kinzel joined the University in 2019.

The CAREER award program, established by the NSF in 1995, recognizes and supports outstanding early career faculty who exhibit a commitment to stimulating research while also providing educational opportunities for students. To learn about the University’s previous CAREER awardees, visit https://research.nd.edu/our-services/funding-opportunities/faculty/early-career-programs/nsf---career-award/.

Contact: Brandi R. Wampler, brandiwampler@nd.edu, 574.631.8183

Originally published by Brandi Klingerman at research.nd.edu on August 06, 2020.

Online tool created to track development of coronavirus vaccines

2020-05-28T11:00:00-04:00

The COVID-19 pandemic has led an unprecedented number of groups to begin developing coronavirus vaccines. To track this response, researchers from the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Research Computing are recording details about the coronavirus vaccine candidates currently in development as well as the progress of those candidates via a new interactive online tool.

Dubbed the Vaccine Mapper, the free tool allows visitors to visualize everything from where the different vaccines are being developed around the world to the pre-clinical or clinical stages of development the vaccine candidates are currently in.

Geoffrey Siwo

“Never has there been a time when several vaccine candidates have been worked on within months of the emergence of a new disease — let alone more than 100,” said Geoffrey Siwo, assistant research professor of biological sciences, scientific lead of Vaccine Mapper and affiliated member of the Eck Institute for Global Health. “Knowing that successful vaccines typically take more than a decade to develop, the Vaccine Mapper was developed to give a global picture of the various vaccine designs being explored so that developers and funders can seek strategic collaborations, share knowledge and identify redundancies and gaps in the whole field as they all work toward a common goal — find a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.”

The Vaccine Mapper provides key scientific information about the different vaccine candidates, which could influence their immunological effects, manufacturing requirements and stability. Through interactive charts, the Vaccine Mapper provides details on the percent of candidates that are using various development platforms or targeted proteins, the vaccine delivery system, and delivery route. Those charts then allow users to filter and visualize different combinations of the three indicators developers are using.

Using the tool, vaccine developers could potentially identify those using similar or differing vaccine development methods as well as see the stage of development competing vaccine candidates are in. Additionally, users can see the number and name of the vaccine developers that fall within the criteria they select as well as where their clinical trial candidate pools may be. This could assist different vaccine developers to see synergies in their approaches and learn from each other.

“Not many vaccine candidates are likely to make it to market, and the vaccine developers know that. This online tool offers a unique knowledge base to show funders and developers where vaccine candidates fail or succeed in the development process, potentially giving them an opportunity to learn from the other candidates and enhance their own process through collaboration,” said Milan Budhathoki, GIS specialist at Notre Dame’s Center for Social Science Research and software lead of Vaccine Mapper.

Vaccine Mapper utilizes public information on coronavirus vaccines pulled from multiple resources, including the World Health Organization, the Milken Institute and the global coronavirus cases map from Johns Hopkins University. To view and interact with the platform, which is being updated daily, visit vaccinemapper.nd.edu.

Contact: Jessica Sieff, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu

New online portal forecasts coronavirus transmission to aid officials in management, planning

2020-05-12T10:00:00-04:00

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have developed an online portal that forecasts how hospital services and resources may be impacted during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Developed for government and public health service officials, the portal models predict COVID-19 disease transmission by using county data of daily reported infections and current human movement restrictions, such as shelter-in-place and social distancing orders.

In collaboration with the University of South Florida, Notre Dame researchers have initially modeled impacts in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area, which includes Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, and Polk counties. The researchers showed how the Tampa Bay area could be affected if government officials relaxed various restrictions, including when a second wave and peak of the COVID-19 pandemic would occur, how many people would be affected and how the need for hospital beds, ICU care and ventilators would fluctuate.

Edwin Michael

“We know that the restriction to human movement has done its job in limiting disease transmission,” said Edwin Michael, professor of biological sciences at Notre Dame and lead investigator on the project. “Now officials are trying to decide if and when they should relax those restrictions, or what interventions are needed in order to do so, and they need predictions to help with these decisions at local administrative levels. This tool provides a platform to look at those different options and view the potential outcomes.”

The model used by the portal is updated daily based on cumulative cases and deaths per county, which helps improve the reliability of immediate and future forecasts. The online portal created with the Center for Research Computing at Notre Dame provides public health and government officials an opportunity to test how different measures — such as lockdowns, social distancing and quarantines — might affect the timing and number of coronavirus cases that could emerge in a county so that appropriate mitigation measures and hospital resources can be planned.

For example, the model showed that in the Tampa Bay area the peak number of cases in the first wave has likely already occurred, but only if current government lockdown restrictions are maintained until the end of June. Additionally, releasing lockdown restrictions before the first wave ends will lead to a significantly bigger second wave of the pandemic, requiring prolonged social distancing measures and planning for contact tracing, testing and the isolation of new infectious cases.

“Our goal was to provide an accessible tool with up-to-date data that helps state and local leaders better understand how their decisions today could impact the health and safety of communities down the road,” said Michael, an affiliated member of the Eck Institute for Global Health. Researchers are currently creating models that showcase the state of Indiana for the online platform.

Notre Dame researchers on the project are Morgan Smith, Kenneth Newcomb, Rose Donohue and Rocío Caja Rivera from the Michael Lab and Christopher Sweet, Sebastian Wyngaard, Caleb Reinking and Kristina Davis from the Center for Research Computing. Collaborators from the University of South Florida are Thomas Unnasch, Robert Unnasch and Marissa Levine. The team is also guided on policy by Priya Michael, assistant economist for the Central Analysis Unit in London.

To learn more about the COVID-19 forecasting and planning portal, visit covid.crc.nd.edu.

Contact: Jessica Sieff, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu

Bald eaglet hatch begins at Notre Dame Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility in St. Patrick’s County Park

2020-04-06T10:00:00-04:00

Of the three bald eagle eggs laid at the University of Notre Dame’s Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility (ND-LEEF) in St. Patrick’s County Park, the first hatched on Saturday, April 4, 2020. The other two eaglets are expected to hatch in the coming days. The parents, a pair of bald eagles, which claimed the former red-tailed hawk nest in 2015, began laying the three eggs at the end of February.

The world has been able to view the bald eagles and eggs via an in-nest eagle cam mounted in the tree above the nest. Installed in fall 2017 at ND-LEEF, the camera allows viewers to watch as the nest is built, as the eggs are being laid and incubated, and as the eaglets hatch and reach the fledging stage.

“Over the next few months, eagle cam viewers can expect to see lots of interesting prey items being brought to the nest and the eaglets growing and learning to fly for the first time,” said Brett Peters, assistant director of ND-LEEF. “To help the community engage with and learn more about the next steps in the eaglets’ lives, ND-LEEF will host a live chat discussing the eagles and the eagle cam.”

Thursday, April 9 at 2:00 p.m. EST, ND-LEEF will host its first eagle chat with Peters, who manages the in-nest eagle cam and supports the social media channels for ND-LEEF and Evie Kirkwood, director of St. Joseph County Parks. All, including members of the South Bend community, are encouraged to tune in to the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative’s YouTube Channel to hear from Peters and submit questions about the eagles and eaglets.

The eaglets are expected to leave the nest at the end of the summer. In August, ND-LEEF will continue construction of two new watersheds, which originally began in the fall of 2019. Following federal guidelines, construction was paused during the eagle breeding season in order to allow the eagles to lay their eggs and fledge their young without being disturbed.

The new watersheds were shifted about 300 feet east of where they were initially planned to minimize any disturbance made to the nesting locations of bald eagles that return to ND-LEEF each spring. Once finished, the watershed construction project will double the facility’s capacity, allow it to host additional researchers and support more education and outreach.

ND-LEEF is a globally unique research facility, supported by the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative, that houses two engineered experimental watersheds, each consisting of an interconnected pond, stream and wetland. Scientists use ND-LEEF to conduct experiments in a field-like setting but in a more controlled environment than one can find in nature. Both experimental watersheds are roughly the length and width of a football field and located five miles north of campus on six acres of land within St. Patrick’s County Park.

To watch the live, in-nest eagle cam or to learn more about ND-LEEF eagles, please visit environmentalchange.nd.edu/eagles, which now includes nest video highlights, facts about eaglet development, and more. Fans of the eagle cam are encouraged to share any exciting nest activity by using #NDEagleWatch and by tagging @NDLEEF on Twitter.

Contact: Jessica Sieff, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu

Science fiction writer Ted Chiang to join Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study

2019-11-14T15:30:00-05:00

The University of Notre Dame has announced that Ted Chiang, award-winning science fiction writer, will join the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study (NDIAS) as an artist in residence during the 2020-21 academic year. Known for critically acclaimed stories such as “Tower of Babylon” and “Story of Your Life,” which was adapted into the science fiction film “Arrival,” Chiang will spend three one-week periods throughout the fall and spring semesters on campus.

“Ted Chiang is one of the best science fiction writers of his generation. In 2020-21, NDIAS is recruiting a dream team of scholars from around the country to work collaboratively on our Nature of Trust Project. As artist in residence, Chiang will help us to think more imaginatively about the ethical implications of this important research,” said Meghan Sullivan, director of the NDIAS and the Rev. John A. O’Brien Collegiate Professor of Philosophy. “NDIAS believes in the power of research, creativity and collaboration to help us generate new insights on deeply perplexing questions, advancing the common good in the process.”

Chiang will participate in a collaborative two-day workshop presented by the NDIAS and the Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center (ND-TEC). Throughout the event, he will discuss how technical researchers and artists can work together to develop morally significant options for engaging with technology. Additionally, as part of his residency, Chiang will engage with Notre Dame faculty on campus and participate in NDIAS weekly seminars. These seminars will give Chiang the opportunity to discuss his work in progress with NDIAS fellows, students and invited guests.

“We are excited to offer a two-day workshop featuring Ted Chiang, where he will lead a discussion that explores what kind of future is possible as new technology develops,” said Mark McKenna, acting director of ND-TEC and the John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law. “The goal of the event is to foster conversations about technology and ethics by helping us imagine what is possible and also addressing current preparations and needs for the future.”

Chiang will also talk with undergraduate students throughout his residency. Students will have an opportunity to engage with Chiang during a one-credit course about his and other science fiction writings taught by Sullivan and McKenna. First-year students enrolled in Sullivan’s course God and the Good Life will read “Hell is the Absence of God,” and Chiang will discuss the story with students in a question-and-answer session.

The Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study convenes an interdisciplinary group of faculty fellows, top doctoral candidates and undergraduate scholars to study questions that require a joint focus, benefit from sustained research and discussion, and advance our understanding on core issues that affect our ability to lead valuable, meaningful lives. To learn more, visit ndias.nd.edu.

Contact: Kristian Olsen, fellowships, outreach and operations program manager, Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study, kolsen1@nd.edu, 574-631-2830; @NotreDameIAS

Originally published by Brandi Wampler at ndias.nd.edu on Nov. 14.

Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s to expand data science programs with ethics, social responsibility components

2019-10-29T12:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College have received more than $1.1 million to expand data science education through the Interdisciplinary Traineeship for Socially Responsible and Engaged Data Sciences (iTReDS) program.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the iTReDS program will train undergraduate students in data science through a lens of social responsibility and engagement, including rigor and responsibility, ethics, society and policy. The goal is to develop scholars with an in-depth data science background as well as communication, critical thinking, teamwork and other skills necessary for professional development.

The iTReDS program will be coordinated by the Center for Network and Data Science at Notre Dame, in collaboration with the different academic units at both Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s. Participating academic units in this program include the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering and the Minor in Data Science in the College of Arts and Letters at Notre Dame, and the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Saint Mary’s College. The Center for Civic Innovation at Notre Dame will also support the program.

“At Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s, we are well-positioned to educate the next generation of data scientists in a way that ensures ethics and social responsibility are intertwined with delivering data-driven solutions in the real world,” said Nitesh Chawla, the Frank M. Freimann Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, director of the Center for Network and Data Science and program lead. “The iTReDS program is intended to help meet that need, by shaping scholars that can produce impactful and equitable solutions while appreciating the ethical implications of data science innovation and results.”

Undergraduate students who participate in the program, called iTReDS scholars, will take relevant courses on data science, design thinking and ethics. Scholars will also participate in a capstone project, developed in partnership with community organizations and/or industrial partners of this program.

“The iTReDS program was designed with experiential learning opportunities to highlight the different ways data science can benefit companies and not-for-profit organizations,” said Kristin Kuter, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Saint Mary’s. “Additionally, these opportunities will help students learn how to effectively engage with stakeholders, understand their needs, assess societal impact, and incorporate utility and value within the technical solutions they develop.”

The materials and results generated by the program will be shared with the National Science Foundation to inform future, similar programs.

In addition to Chawla, the faculty collaborators on the grant from Notre Dame are Ann-Marie Conrado, associate professor in the Department of Art, Art History and Design; Don Howard, professor in the Department of Philosophy; Ronald Metoyer, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and assistant dean of diversity and special initiatives in the College of Engineering; Thomas Mustillo, associate professor in the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs and program coordinator for the Data Science Minor; and Danielle Wood, associate director for research in the Center for Civic Innovation and project director of the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative.

In addition to Kuter, the faculty collaborators on the grant from Saint Mary’s are Ewa Misiolek, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, and Christopher Wedrychowicz, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

The first group of iTReDS scholars will start in the fall 2020 semester, with recruiting starting in the spring 2020 semester. The program website will be launched in fall 2019, accompanied by an official launch event in spring 2020. Those interested in learning more about the program can contact Chawla at nchawla@nd.edu.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, research communications specialist. Notre Dame Research, brandiwampler@nd.edu, 574-631-8183; @UNDResearch

Originally published by Brandi Wampler at research.nd.edu on Oct. 24.

University names Lamberti as acting director of UNDERC

2019-10-24T11:15:00-04:00

Gary A. Lamberti

Gary A. Lamberti, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, has been named the Gillen Acting Director of the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC). Lamberti will oversee the center’s two facilities: UNDERC-East, located between Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and UNDERC-West, located in western Montana on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Lamberti will be supported by Stuart E. Jones, associate professor in the Department of Biological sciences, in the role of associate director of research at UNDERC.

“I am excited by the opportunity to lead this outstanding environmental research center while we search for a new, permanent director,” said Lamberti. “The UNDERC facilities offer world-class education and scholarship opportunities, and I look forward to working with Notre Dame Research and Professor Jones to grow teaching and research activities at the center over the next year.”

Lamberti’s research aims to better understand the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems on a changing planet. His lab studies wide-ranging and important questions in aquatic ecology, with a primary focus on stream and wetland ecosystems and the human impacts on those systems. His laboratory’s research examines the interactions of native and introduced species of fish, the ecology and control of invasive species, the restoration of freshwater habitats, and the cycling of environmental contaminants.

“Lamberti is a recognized expert in stream and wetland ecology and his research expertise will benefit the center in a number of ways,” said Robert J. Bernhard, vice president for research and professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. “Further, he is a veteran university administrator and he is an excellent teacher in the classroom as well as in the field. We are grateful to Professor Lamberti for his willingness to take on this role.”

As director, Lamberti will also lead UNDERC’s educational programming, which offers 10-week summer field courses to undergraduate students at UNDERC-East and UNDERC-West. As part of the experience, participants each complete an independent research project under the direction of a faculty or graduate student mentor.

Since 2001, UNDERC and its educational programs have been led by Gary E. Belovsky, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and now retired director of UNDERC.

Gary E. Belovsky

“The University is deeply indebted to Professor Belovsky for the leadership and hard work he has provided UNDERC over the last 18 years. The undergraduate educational programs for field ecology have consistently been some of the finest in the country. In addition, he has made significant contributions to Notre Dame’s strong research reputation in ecology and the environment. We thank him for his many years of service to the UNDERC program,” said Bernhard.

The University is currently accepting applications for the Gillen Director of UNDERC. This position will oversee research and teaching at both UNDERC-East and UNDERC-West as well as promote and facilitate scientific use of the facilities by faculty at Notre Dame and other institutions. The search committee began consideration of applications on Oct. 15, but the position will remain open until it is filled.

To learn more about the position, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/68249.

UNDERC provides world-class destinations for environmental research, unsurpassed undergraduate education programs and innovative graduate student training. UNDERC locations are unique, pristine areas with exceptional facilities that permit descriptive studies and manipulative experiments. To learn more about UNDERC facilities and research, visit underc.nd.edu.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, communications specialist, Notre Dame Research, brandiwampler@nd.edu, 574-631-8183; @UNDResearch

Originally published by Brandi Wampler at research.nd.edu on Oct. 17.

Believing in climate change doesn’t mean you are preparing for climate change, study finds

2019-10-08T08:00:00-04:00

Believing in climate change has no effect on whether or not coastal homeowners are protecting their homes from climate change-related hazards, according to a new study from the University of Notre Dame.

Funded by Notre Dame’s Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), the study analyzed data from a 2017 Coastal Homeowner Survey of 662 respondents in one of the most frequently exposed U.S. coastal communities, New Hanover County, North Carolina. Just one year after the survey, the county was affected by Hurricane Florence and was nearly missed by Hurricane Dorian in September.

The survey asked homeowners whether they believed in climate change, in human causation of climate change, or in God having a role in controlling the weather or climate. Coastal homeowners were also questioned about their knowledge of climate-related hazards, their knowledge of warming oceans and their perception of the seriousness of the impact of climate change.

“We found that climate change attitudes have little to no statistically significant effect on coastal homeowners’ actions towards home protection, homeowner action or homeowner intentions to act in the future,” said Tracy Kijewski-Correa, the Leo E. and Patti Ruth Linbeck Collegiate Chair and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences, associate professor of global affairs and co-author of the study. “This is despite the fact that with climate change, U.S. coastlines have experienced increased frequency and intensity of tropical storms and sea level rise, which has further heightened their vulnerability to waves, storm surge and high-tide flooding.”

According to the study published in Climatic Change, 81.5 percent of survey respondents believed climate change is “probably happening,” with varying degrees of confidence. The Notre Dame research team also measured for partisanship and ideology with the intention to control for questions about climate change that can tap into identity and prior political beliefs. However, after controlling for partisanship, the findings were unaffected.

“Despite persistent differences between Democrat and Republican ideologies in regards to climate change, the behavior of people from either party appears relatively similar. Neither has or intends to take action to improve the structural vulnerabilities of their homes,” said Debra Javeline, associate professor of political science at Notre Dame and lead author of the study. “Homeowners’ knowledge about climate change also held no significance, showing that providing more information and understanding may not be the main driver of convincing homeowners to reduce the vulnerabilities of their coastal homes.”

The research team found that although coastal homeowners may perceive a worsening of climate change-related hazards, these attitudes are largely unrelated to a homeowner’s expectations of actual home damage. Javeline says this may be a reflection of the limited communication about home vulnerabilities from other key stakeholders, like insurance companies, government agencies or sellers of home improvement products.

“Although increasing education and awareness of climate change is important, our findings suggest that encouraging homeowners to reduce the vulnerability of their coastal home may be more effective if expressed in regards to structural mitigation and its economic benefits, rather than in context of climate change,” said Javeline.

The study was co-authored by Angela Chesler, doctoral student in political science and the Kroc Institute for International Peace 91��Ƶ at Notre Dame, and was developed in partnership with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety and implemented by the survey research firm SSRS. The study also received the 2019 Paul A. Sabatier Best Conference Paper Award from the Science, Technology & Environmental Politics Section of the American Political Science Association.

Kijewski-Correa and Javeline are affiliated with Notre Dame’s Environmental Change Initiative and the Kellogg Institute for International 91��Ƶ. Kijewski-Correa is also affiliated with Notre Dame’s Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate and the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development, while Javeline is a fellow in the Kroc Institute at Notre Dame.

Contact: Jessica Sieff, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu, or Colleen Sharkey, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-9958, csharke2@nd.edu.

Study of the nervous system could have implications for regenerative medicine and cancer

2019-09-20T12:15:00-04:00

In order for the central nervous system to communicate to the rest of the body, the brain and spinal cord house nerves that send and receive signals via neurons or nerve cells. This communication can take place only because structures known as synapses allow this process to happen.

When nerve cells come close enough together to form a synapse, they allow synaptic vesicles to release a chemical substance that transfers the communication signal to the next cell. However, a new study from the University of Notre Dame has shown that these synaptic vesicles are used much earlier, before synapses occur, and that they are also used in the formation of the spinal cord during early development.

“Our research team at Notre Dame wanted to explore what role synaptic vesicles, which are a well-understood piece of the nervous system communication puzzle, could have in early development, if any,” said Cody Smith, the Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and author of the study. “What Evan Nichols, the lead author, found is that long before the central nervous system is complete and neuronal communication is taking place, synaptic vesicles are helping nerve fibers enter the spinal cord and aiding proper development.”

The study was published in Current Biology, with support from the Freimann Life Science Center. Nichols, a 2019 alumnus, completed the study in the Smith Lab as an undergraduate student at Notre Dame and is now a graduate student at Stanford University.

“Evan has been the lead author on a few of the papers my lab has published,” said Smith. “It’s been great watching him be so engaged with the research process, and I look forward to seeing more great work from him. I hope this encourages more students to consider how research – and potentially being an author on a paper – could be a part of their undergraduate experience, too.”

Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the research showed that enzymes called MMPs are also important for forming spinal cord nerves, and therefore the development of the nervous system. The nervous system is made up of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, which are connected by the dorsal root ganglion. When Smith and his research team inhibited MMP enzyme activity, dorsal root ganglion nerve fibers were stalled and unable to enter the spinal cord.

Smith says understanding which elements are key to normal or healthy formation of the spinal cord, like MMP enzymes, could help researchers pinpoint how to best target different diseases.

“Learning what takes place throughout early development allows us to see how neurons throughout the body form, and potentially identify how that process could be mimicked for regenerative medicine purposes, like spinal cord injuries,” said Smith, affiliated member of Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at Notre Dame.

Additionally, MMP enzymes have been found in studies related to cancer metastasis, or the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. Since MMPs were found to serve an important role for the invasion of the spinal cord by the dorsal root ganglion, Smith states that there could be a link between the molecules used at nerve invasion during development and those used when metastatic cancer cells invade new body tissue.

The paper was also featured as a highlight in Nature Reviews Neuroscience. To read the study, visit https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)30838-3.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, research communications specialist, Notre Dame Research, research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch

Originally published by Brandi Wampler at research.nd.edu on Sept. 19.

Mosquitoes are a major global health threat and Notre Dame researchers are fighting back

2019-08-20T12:00:00-04:00

More than one million people die from diseases spread by mosquitoes each year. Malaria is one of the biggest culprits, with an estimated 219 million new cases of the disease each year, and with 90 percent of all cases and deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

Originally published by Brandi Klingerman at research.nd.edu on August 20, 2019.

Notre Dame announces significant growth in research funding

2019-08-05T09:00:00-04:00

Researchers from the University of Notre Dame have received $180.6 million in research funding for fiscal year 2019 — $100 million more than 10 years ago and a more than 27 percent increase from last year. The awards received support a broad range of projects that tackle globally significant issues, including vector-borne diseases, cancer, psychology, nanotechnology, hypersonics and much more.

“The consistent, exceptional growth in research funding over the last few years is a testament to the hard work of Notre Dame’s talented researchers and their desire to have a positive impact,” said Robert J. Bernhard, vice president for research and professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. “These awards have an effect both here on campus and beyond — to our students who gain hands on experiences in archives and laboratories, to our local community which benefits from increased inward investment in the South Bend-Elkhart region, and to faculty, postdoctoral scholars and other researchers who translate their findings into real-world applications.”

Some of the notable awards, which were selected to illustrate the diverse array of research at Notre Dame, include:

A $7.8 million grant, which is part of a $38.1 million, five-year commitment from the Semiconductor Research Corporation and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for the Applications and Systems-Driven Center for Energy-Efficient Integrated Nanotechnologies (ASCENT). ASCENT aims to provide breakthrough advances in semiconductor technologies and is led by Suman Datta, the Stinson Professor of Nanotechnology in the Department of Electrical Engineering within the College of Engineering. The center is supported by 29 other principal investigators at 13 partner universities.
A $5.9 million grant award that is part of a larger $33.7 million, five-year commitment from Unitaid to determine the efficacy of a spatial repellent product in the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria. The research is led by John Grieco, research associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science and associate director of the Eck Institute for Global Health.
A $1.8 million award from Lilly Endowment Inc. to continue research examining the wellbeing of pastors and priests to be engaged in ministry. Known as Flourishing in Ministry, the project is led by Matt Bloom, associate professor in the Department of Management and Organization in the Mendoza College of Business and director of the Wellbeing at Work Program.
A nearly $1 million grant, which is part of a $5.4 million commitment from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to assess the feasibility and conduct long-term retrospective impact evaluations of USAID-funded activities. The project is led by Danice Brown Guzmán, research associate for the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development within the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs.
More than $900,000 award that is part of a $2.1 million commitment from the John Templeton Foundation for a program to incorporate science and the philosophy of science in conversation with theology in Indian and Pakistani madrasas, which are centralized institutions aimed at preparing Islamic religious leaders. The research is led by Ebrahim Moosa, professor of history and Islamic 91��Ƶ in the College of Arts and Letters and the Keough 91��Ƶ of Global Affairs.

Overall, the largest award received by the University this year was $21.5 million — part of a larger $42.4 million five-year commitment — from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Thomas G. Burish, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, for the formation of the Labs for Industry Futures and Transformation (LIFT) Network, which will enhance and link cutting-edge expertise, technologies, workforce development programs and innovation-based facilities throughout the surrounding community. The grant award will support the development of the broader South Bend-Elkhart region as an economic leader in next-generation manufacturing, entrepreneurship, applied analytics and technology.

Of the University’s 695 awards received in fiscal year 2019, approximately 62 percent came from federal funding, while 32 percent came from foundations and other sources, and 6 percent from industry. Overall, the University’s externally funded research had a global footprint of 28 grants in 23 different countries, totaling $36.9 million. To explore more about external research funding at Notre Dame, please visit research.nd.edu/about/facts-figures.

Contact: Brandi R. Wampler, research communications specialist, Notre Dame Research, brandiwampler@nd.edu, 574-631-8183; @UNDResearch

Researchers to explore why cancer burden increases with age

2019-07-18T15:45:00-04:00

Advanced aging is a key risk factor for developing most cancers, including ovarian cancer. With a new award from the National Institutes of Health, researchers from the University of Notre Dame, the National Institute on Aging and the National Cancer Institute will explore why age is significant in developing ovarian cancer, and how it can negatively affect tumor growth and patient survival.

M. Sharon Stack, the Ann F. Dunne and Elizabeth Riley Director of the Harper Cancer Research Institute and Kleiderer-Pezold Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Notre Dame, will lead the Partnership for Aging and Cancer. The goal of the research project is to understand age-related changes that take place in the peritoneal cavity, which is where the liver, intestines, ovaries and other organs reside, and how those age-associated changes may potentially foster cancer growth and prepare the body to receive cancer cells before the disease spreads.

“Through this award, our research team will be able to explore a number of age-related factors that may indicate why advanced-age people are more likely to have a higher cancer burden and why it’s more difficult for their bodies to fight off this disease,” said Stack. “By understanding molecular mechanisms used to ‘prime’ different locations to foster cancer growth, we can target those mechanisms with potential treatments.”

One factor the team will evaluate is how an aged immune landscape, or immune system, impacts the ability of cancer to spread. “Researchers know that advanced-age people with cancer will present with a different immune profile than a young person with cancer, and we believe this difference may play a role,” said Stack.

Evaluating age-related changes in cell surface proteins as well as secreted exosomes, small sacs that carry information from cells, within the peritoneal cavity are another vital piece of the puzzle. The researchers at Notre Dame will use the Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility to uncover how these biomolecules may help cancer cells stick to different parts of the cavity, besides the ovaries, and therefore support the metastasis or spread of disease.

“There are so many facets that are at play in the metastasis that it is important that our initial steps are to consider the various changes taking place as someone ages and what, if any, effect those mechanisms will have on patient survival,” said Stack. “By really diving into the details of these elements and understanding them, this research could have a broader impact on combating all types of cancer.”

Collaborators on this research project include Christina Annunziata from the National Cancer Institute and Arya Biragyn from the National Institute on Aging. To learn more about the award from the National Institutes of Health, visit https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9717755&icde=0.

The Harper Cancer Research Institute is dedicated to supporting innovative and integrative research that confronts the complex challenges of cancer. Researchers at the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University 91��Ƶ of Medicine-South Bend are united in multidisciplinary teams with a common goal: to increase the survival of all patients diagnosed with cancer. To learn more about the institute, visit harpercancer.nd.edu.

Contact: Brandi R. Wampler, research communications specialist, Notre Dame Research, brandiwampler@nd.edu, 574-631-8183; @UNDResearch

Originally published by Brandi Klingerman at research.nd.edu on July 18.

New virus found in one-third of all countries may have coevolved with human lineage, study finds

2019-07-11T13:00:00-04:00

In 2014, a virus called crAssphage that infects bacteria was discovered as part of the body’s intestinal environment. Now, a new study has investigated the origin and evolution of this virus, which may have coevolved with human lineage.

Published in Nature Microbiology, a recent study shows that the virus was found in the sewage of more than one-third of the world’s countries. Additionally, the makeup of the virus can vary depending on in which country and city someone resides.

“The virus is both highly abundant in the human gut and represents an entirely new viral family. With this study, we were able to expand our understanding of the diversity and evolutionary history of the human microbiome globally,” said Kyle Bibby, co-author of the study and associate professor and Wanzek Collegiate Chair in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. “Our team at Notre Dame has been evaluating the potential uses of this newly identified virus and is developing it as an alternative to E. coli or other fecal indicator bacteria that are not specific to humans, as an indicator of fecal pollution.”

The research was completed through a global collaboration of more than 115 scientists from 65 countries, allowing for the collection of a significant amount of sequencing data. This information was sampled from a variety of volunteers and from sewage samplings around the world. Genetic material data were also collected from primates as well as three pre-Columbian Andean mummies and a Tyrollean glacier mummy, which had 5,300-year-old intestinal content.

“We are in debt to all the amazing colleagues around the world who helped us explore the global diversity of this unique virus,” said Robert Edwards, project lead and professor of computer science and biology from San Diego State University. “This is truly a world first in the global scope and nature of the project.”

Bibby’s research on the virus was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Bibby is an affiliated member of Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics, the Eck Institute for Global Health and the Environmental Change Initiative at Notre Dame.

Contact: Jessica Sieff, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu

Notre Dame faculty receive nationally competitive awards

2019-06-27T13:00:00-04:00

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has recognized three University of Notre Dame faculty members for their excellence in research with Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards. CAREER awards are the NSF’s most prestigious grant available to early-career faculty, and over the past six years, Notre Dame researchers have received more than 40 of these highly competitive awards.

“The University is striving to provide an atmosphere that encourages distinguished and distinctive research to support our faculty’s programs and goals,” said Robert J. Bernhard, vice president for research and professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering. “By receiving this funding, these recipients have shown they are emerging leaders in their respective fields and are models of what it looks like to conduct research at Notre Dame.”

The list of CAREER awardees, who come from the College of Engineering, is as follows:

Kyle Doudrick, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, received the award for his project titled, “Catalytic hollow-fiber membranes as an efficient and scalable process in water treatment.” This research aims to develop an innovative water treatment system that uses nanotechnology-based catalysts to help efficiently clean water in a cost-effective way.
Amy E. Hixon, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, received a CAREER award for her research, “Molecular-scale behavior of actinide elements at the mineral-water interface.” Hixon and her research group are studying the environmental behavior of the actinide element plutonium, which is important to society because of its use in power generation and national security. The goal is to study the relationships between plutonium concentration, the particle size of a mineral, and the structure of the mineral. Hixon is also working with local high school teachers to develop new teaching materials and she is creating opportunities for Girl Scouts to earn the "Get to Know Nuclear" badge.

Dong Wang, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, received his CAREER Award for a project titled, “Towards reliable and optimized data-driven cyber-physical systems using human-centric sensing.” This research focuses on developing data-driven frameworks to address the challenges associated with the nature of data collection by non-scientists.

In addition to the above three awards, 26 faculty from the College of Arts and Letters, College of Engineering and College of Science are actively funded by CAREER Awards from past projects.

The CAREER program, which was established by the NSF in 1995, recognizes and supports outstanding early-career faculty who exhibit a commitment to stimulating research while also providing educational opportunities for students. To learn about the University’s previous CAREER awardees, visit research.nd.edu/our-services/funding-opportunities/faculty/early-career-programs/nsf—-career-award/.

Contact: Brandi R. Wampler, research communications specialist, Notre Dame Research, brandiwampler@nd.edu, 574-631-8183; @UNDResearch

Originally published by Brandi Klingerman at research.nd.edu on June 26.

Finding the sweet spot

2019-06-24T12:15:00-04:00

Competitors and fans arriving at the opening hole of the 2019 U.S. Senior Open are greeted by Juday Creek. Flowing through the University of Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course, the stream is home to an important aquatic ecosystem that connects to the St. Joseph River and ultimately Lake Michigan. Although a golf course may seem like a surprising location for environmental research, the creation of this course led to the restoration of the degraded waterway – making it a valuable resource for hydrology and stream ecology research for Notre Dame students and faculty today.

Originally published by Brandi Klingerman at research.nd.edu on June 24.

Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study announces new director, theme for 2020-2021 fellowships

2019-06-20T14:30:00-04:00

Meghan Sullivan, professor of philosophy and the Rev. John A. O’Brien Collegiate Chair, has been named director of the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Advanced Study. As of July 1, Sullivan will oversee the institute, including its flagship residential fellowship and graduate student fellowship programs.

“The Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study provides a forum for scholars from many backgrounds to collaborate on questions that benefit from joint-focus and sustained research. Our residential fellowship program gives visiting scholars the resources and colleagues to tackle questions bigger than just a single discipline,” said Sullivan. “I am excited to lead the Institute as our fellows – and Notre Dame as a whole – work toward more high-impact, discipline-crossing research on the most pressing problems we face.”

Sullivan’s scholarship focuses on philosophical problems concerning time, modality, rational planning, value, meaning and religious belief. She is the current director of the University Philosophy Requirement and creator of the God and the Good Life program. She also leads the Engaged Philosophy Group, a team of staff, doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars, which currently manages three major national/international projects funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Sullivan published her first book, "Time Biases," with Oxford University Press in 2018.

“Professor Sullivan has led a number of successful innovative new initiatives at Notre Dame. We look forward to that same creativity applied to a University-wide basis in her new role as director of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study,” said Robert J. Bernhard, vice president for research and professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering.

In conjunction with Sullivan’s directorship, the institute has added a thematic option to its 2020-2021 call for fellowship applications. The theme will be “the nature of trust,” fostering research on the scientific, social, ethical and design-based dimensions of trust with a broad range of perspectives, topics and methods. Fellowship applications are encouraged from all eligible scholars and scientists whose work involves this theme and who are interested in advancing their work through interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration. Applications from scholars working on projects outside this theme are also encouraged.

Residential and graduate fellowship applications for the 2020-2021 academic year are due by 11:59 p.m. Sept. 16. To learn more about these programs, visit ndias.nd.edu/fellowships.

For the past six years, the institute and its fellowship programs have been led by Brad Gregory, Dorothy G. Griffin Collegiate Professor of History. “We are grateful to Professor Gregory for his leadership of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study. His contributions were vital in growing the institute as a recognized center for academic research inspired by the Catholic intellectual tradition that is unique in the academy,” said Bernhard.

Launched in 2008 as a Strategic Research Initiative of the University, the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study convenes an interdisciplinary group of faculty fellows (external and internal), top doctoral candidates and undergraduate scholars to study questions that require a joint focus, benefit from sustained research and discussion, and advance our understanding on core issues that affect our ability to lead valuable, meaningful lives. Notable academics and public figures who have served as Fellows or offered public talks and seminars at the NDIAS include Horst Koehler, former president of the Federal Republic of Germany; Russian artist Maxim Kantor; and Nobel laureates Frances Arnold and Richard Ernst. To learn more, visit ndias.nd.edu.

Contact: Kristian Olsen, fellowships, outreach and operations program manager, Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study, kolsen1@nd.edu, 574.631.2830; @NotreDameIAS

Originally published by Brandi Klingerman at ndias.nd.edu on June 18.

Researchers develop drug-targeting molecules to improve cancer treatment

2019-06-12T13:00:00-04:00

Researchers from the University of Notre Dame have developed small drug-targeting molecules that may be hundreds to thousands of times more effective at delivering potent drugs to desired sites of disease, including cancer.

According to the study published in ACS Central Science, a compound was developed from a new material, described as an easily injected hydrogel, which acts as a “homing” cue to attract drug molecules to sites bearing a tumor. By this method, the same sites can also be re-targeted for repeat dosing of chemotherapy or other treatments as needed.

“Common strategies, including several clinically approved therapeutics, use antibodies to direct a drug to its target. While offering biological recognition, these approaches only deliver a very small percentage of the drug to the site where it is needed while the remainder of the drug may circulate in the body for a very long time and cause increased toxicity,” said Matthew Webber, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and senior author on the study. “As toxic as chemotherapy is, accurate drug-targeting paradigms are key to improving both the effectiveness of treatment as well as the quality of life for patients.”

Instead of large protein-based targeting, Notre Dame researchers opted to use a small molecule. The size of the molecule is intended to improve tissue distribution and enable access to the desired site. In the case that the molecules do not make it to their target, their size also allows them to clear rapidly from the body, helping limit toxicity from chemotherapy.

“Our goal was to think about drug targeting in a new way,” said Lei Zou, postdoctoral researcher in chemical and biomolecular engineering and lead author on the study. “This approach has allowed us to create something very different from what is currently available in the market, with the potential to improve the chemotherapy treatment experience for cancer patients.”

The study was co-authored by Adam Braegelman, graduate student in the Bioengineering Graduate Program, and was funded by an American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant through Notre Dame’s Harper Cancer Research Institute. Webber is an affiliated member of the Harper Cancer Research Institute, Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics at Notre Dame, the Notre Dame Center for Nanoscience and Technology and the Warren Center for Drug Discovery.

Contact: Jessica Sieff, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-3933, jsieff@nd.edu

'Science at Sunset' series to discuss use of weather radar to track migration flights of birds, bats and bugs

2019-06-05T09:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame’s Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility (ND-LEEF) will host an event in its “Science at Sunset” series from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 13 (Thursday). The event will take place at the Morrison Family Pavilion within St. Patrick’s County Park located on Laurel Road in South Bend and feature a presentation by Phil Stepanian, research assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences, titled, “Cloudy with a chance of migration: Using weather radar to track the incredible flights of birds, bats and bugs.”

“Monitoring flying animals that call the sky their home is a major challenge, but by using the continental radar network, researchers are able to see the dynamic habitat that is our national airspace via a bird's-eye view,” said Stepanian. “Attendees to this Science at Sunset event will have an opportunity to explore the skies with me and learn about the weather that drives wildlife activity in the air.”

ND-LEEF will provide snacks for the free program, and attendees are welcome to bring their own beverages, including beer and wine. Other alcoholic drinks and glass containers are prohibited; all beverages must be brought in plastic or metal containers. Although the County Parks and ND-LEEF partner on many science-related programs, the “Science at Sunset” series is distinctive in that it is designed for adults.

The program is free, but registration is required by calling the County Parks’ program reservation line by Monday (June 10) at 574-654-3155. To learn more, visit https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/news-events/events/2019/06/13/science-at-sunset/.

ND-LEEF is a globally unique research facility that is a resource of the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative (ND-ECI). At the University of Notre Dame, ND-ECI brings together more than 50 researchers across disciplines to help people and ecosystems adapt to climate change, mitigate the effects of land use change, predict species occurrences in a shifting world and improve water quality. The initiative works hand-in-hand with partners to support research that matters to society, answering the most critical environmental questions of our time. To learn more about ND-ECI, visit environmentalchange.nd.edu.

Contact: Brett Peters, ND-LEEF assistant director, Environmental Change Initiative, bpeters2@nd.edu, 574-367-7621; @NDLEEF

Originally published by Brandi Klingerman at environmentalchange.nd.edu on June 4.

Graduate students receive summer fellowships to conduct research to combat kidney, neurodegenerative diseases

2019-05-24T13:00:00-04:00

Three graduate students from the University of Notre Dame have received fellowships from Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Each fellowship recipient will spend their summer conducting research at Notre Dame that aims to combat disease or promote health.

In discussing the fellowships, Paul Bohn, Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics, said, “There are many ways to foster research across campus, but these summer fellowships allow for the acceleration of student and faculty research, while supporting new and bold ideas with the potential for real-world impact.”

Recipients of Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics summer fellowships are:

Joshua Berwanger, graduate student in chemistry and biochemistry, who has received the Leiva Graduate Fellowship in Precision Medicine to research the use of monoclonal antibodies, which are used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases and infections, in the lab of Merlin Bruening, Donald and Susan Rice Professor of Engineering and faculty affiliate of the Harper Cancer Research Institute.
Joseph Chambers, graduate student in biological sciences, who has received a summer fellowship to study the genetics of polycystic kidney disease in the lab of Rebecca Wingert, Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Associate Professor of Biological Sciences.
Caitlin Donahue, graduate student in chemistry and biochemistry, who has received the inaugural O’Brien Family Endowment for Excellence Fellowship to develop laboratory tools that raise and lower the pH level in individual cells, which could help diagnose and treat neurodegenerative diseases, in the lab of Katharine White, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

The Leiva Graduate Fellowship in Precision Medicine recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding performance or who bring special qualities or abilities to Notre Dame in precision medicine research. To learn more about the fellowship and application requirements, visit advanceddiagnostics.nd.edu/opportunities/leiva-graduate-fellowship-in-precision-medicine/.

The O’Brien Family Endowment for Excellence Fellowship supports efforts to develop biomedical tools and techniques that provide new capabilities to combat a wide range of illnesses and diseases. To learn more about this inaugural fellowship program, visit advanceddiagnostics.nd.edu/opportunities/o-brien-family-endowment-for-excellence-fellowship/.

Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics is a community of affiliated researchers who tackle a wide range of biomedical and environmental health problems – such as sepsis, cancer, influenza, wound healing, drug addiction, mosquito-borne diseases, autism, cystic fibrosis, air pollution, invasive species and many others – through innovation, invention and real-world applications.

Contact: Corrine Hornbeck, administrative assistant, Notre Dame Research, chornbec@nd.edu, 574-631-7385; @nddiagnostics

Originally published by Brandi Klingerman at advanceddiagnostics.nd.edu on May 23.