Month: October 2019

Dr. Laurencin Provides the Keynote Speech at the 2019 AfroBiotech Conference

Afrobiotech aundrya kenyatta

 

The AfroBiotech Conference, hosted by the Society for Biological Engineering in Atlanta, Georgia, will highlight the achievements of African Americans in biotechnology, inspire a new generation of diverse biotechnology professionals and identify, communicate, and explore current advancements in various aspects of Biotechnology. The October 27th-29th conference aims to support AIChE’s diverse engineering community.

The AfroBiotech conference will focus on discoveries, innovations, and achievements from African-American scientists and engineers in biotechnology to feature the contributions of this underrepresented group to solving current problems and demonstrate the power of a diverse engineering community. By organizing African-American scientific talent from across the U.S. at a single event, AfroBiotech hopes to enable the biotech industry to hire diverse professionals, inspire organizers of other scientific conferences to invite diverse speakers, and inspire the next generation of diverse students and scholars to join this community.

The CT Convergence Institute Hosts Successful Health Café on Trauma

Trauma HC

 

On Thursday, October 25th The Connecticut Convergence Institute hosted a Health Café on Trauma in conjunction with The Urban League of Greater Hartford. The event attracted over 80 attendees making it one of our most successful Health Cafes to date!

Dr. Damion Grasso, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UConn Health provided an easy to understand keynote speech regarding “Adversity and Trauma Across Development”. In addition, resource tables were provided with representatives from Wheeler Clinic, Charter Oak Health Center and My People Clinical Services. All Health Café attendees were provided a free dinner and giveaways.

We would like to thank the Aetna Foundation for making this event possible.

The CT Convergence Institute Attends and Supports YMCA Celebrates Champions Gala

YMCA Lobo

This year’s YMCA Celebrates Champions event featured honored guests and speakers Rebecca Lobo, NCAA National Champion, Olympic gold medalist, WNBA all-star and hall of famer; Steve Rushin, author of five non-fiction books and a novel, columnist and feature writer for Sports Illustrated; and Kevin Washington, YMCA of the USA President and CEO.

Over the past decade, the Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth & Family Center has evolved into a beacon for a brighter future for youth and families. Annually, it engages nearly 4,000 active members, over 500 children in summer camp and after-school programs, and close to 300 youth in leadership development programs. Funds raised from the Champions event will support the Wilson-Gray YMCA community today, for the next 10 years, and beyond.

The Connecticut Convergence Institute values the Y as a partner in providing innovative and life-changing programs.

Dr. Laurencin Named a Winner of the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences

FARMINGTON, CT- On October 22nd The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization announced Professor Cato T. Laurencin as a winner of the 2019 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences.

The Prize is awarded to a maximum of three laureates who have made significant efforts through scientific research towards improving the quality of human life. Professor Laurencin was formally selected by the UNESCO Director-General for his fundamental contributions in the field of regenerative engineering, a field he has pioneered. Laurencin is known worldwide as a leader in biomaterials, nanotechnology, stem cell science, drug delivery systems, and regenerative engineering.

Laurencin will receive the award in February 2020 during the Africa Union Heads of States Summit taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

At the University of Connecticut, Professor Laurencin is the University Professor, the eighth to be designated by the school in its over 135 year history. He is Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering; the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery; and Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering.

In 2016, Laurencin received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor bestowed in America for technological achievement, presented by the President of the United States. He received the Philip Hauge Abelson Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for signal contributions to the advancement of science in the United States.” In addition, he has also received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Pioneer Award and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Grant Award.

Laurencin is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the first person to win the oldest honors of both the National Academy of Engineering (the Simon Ramo Founders Award), and the National Academy of Medicine (the Walsh McDermott Medal). He is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Internationally, he is an elected fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Academy of Engineering, and the World Academy of Sciences, as well as an Academician and elected member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Two CT Convergence Institute BUILDing Scholars Placed Top Three at Annual BUILDing Scholars Symposium

Diana_Isaac

Isaac Gandara and Diana Moreno were the respective 1st and 3rd place winners for Best Undergraduate Research Poster Presentation at the 4th Annual BUILDing Scholars Symposium held on October 19th. The event took place at UTEP where BUILDing Scholars, Summer Research students, and many others presented their outstanding summer research posters.

 

Isaac N. Gandara

Evaluating Beta-Catenin And Formin-like 2 RNA As MicroRNA-29 Targets In Osteoclasts

BUILDing Scholars, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX

Center for Molecular Oncology, UConn Health, Farmington, CT

Lab PI: Anne M. Delany, Ph.D., Henry C. Hrdlicka, BSc

 

Diana Moreno  

Prostate-specific membrane antigen dependent health disparities in prostate cancer

BUILDing Scholars, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX

Department of Cell Biology, Center of Vascular Biology, UCONN Health, Farmington, CT

Lab PI: Leslie Caromile, Ph.D., Dedrean Barrett

 

The CT Convergence Institute congratulates Isaac and Diana on their impressive BUILDing Scholar achievements.

Dr. James Grady Invited to Speak at the Texas Regional CTSA Consortium Quantitative Seminar Series

Dr Grady
Dr. James Grady with a former college from UTMB Galveston.

 

On September 26th, Dr. James Grady, Assistant Director of the Connecticut Convergence Institute provided a talk on “Statistics in Research Collaborations: Strategies for Success” at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston. Dr. Grady’s seminar focused on the investigator – statistician relationship and how to form successful collaborations that result in funded studies. He also discussed several studies where recruitment issues raised questions from funding agencies and how robust study designs played a role in answering them.

Dr. Grady was eager to return to his old stomping grounds as he previously dedicated 17 years as a Professor at UTMB Galveston. He is now the Director of the Biostatistics Center at the Connecticut Convergence Institute. The Biostatistics Center is the primary resource for providing biostatistical collaboration and support for biomedical researchers throughout the UConn Health Center. The centers goal is to provide support for grant development that leads to externally funded grants, ongoing research collaboration, publications, and translational discoveries.

National Academy of Medicine Honors Dr. Cato Laurencin for Outstanding Service

Walsh mcdermott medal 2

 

WASHINGTON – The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) honored three members today at its annual meeting for their outstanding service. The honorees are Cato Laurencin, University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut; David Savitz,professor of epidemiology, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics at Brown University; and Gail Wilensky,economist and senior fellow at Project HOPE.

“These distinguished members represent the true spirit of dedication through their decades of service to NAM,” said National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau. “The diverse perspectives they bring to their activities have helped shape sound policies, inform public opinion, and advance knowledge about some of today’s most complex issues in health and medicine. We are delighted to honor them for their leadership and their mentorship to so many.”

Laurencin received the Walsh McDermott Medal, which is awarded to a member for distinguished service to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine over an extended period. Since his election to NAM in 2004, Laurencin has served on more than 20 committees and has held several leadership positions, including section chair of NAM’s membership committee. A devoted mentor and champion of early career and underrepresented minority scientists, Laurencin is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for New Voices in Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Laurencin is known internationally for his research in biomaterials, drug delivery, nanotechnology, stem cell science, and a field he has pioneered, regenerative engineering. In 2012, his breakthrough work on engineering the anterior cruciate ligament was highlighted by National Geographic Magazine in its “100 Discoveries That Have Changed Our World” edition. Laurencin is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Laurencin was also elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2011. He is the first to receive both the Simon Ramo Founders Award from the National Academy of Engineering and the Walsh McDermott Medal from the National Academy of Medicine. As a practicing orthopedic surgeon and an engineer, he has brought a unique multidisciplinary perspective and innovative design and systems thinking approaches to all activities.

The National Academy of Medicine, established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Dr. Laurencin Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Laurencin shaking hands with Academy President, David Oxtoby.
Dr. Laurencin hugging Chair of the Board of Directors, Nancy Andrews.
Dr. Laurencin pictured with Academy Secretary, Geri Richmond.

 

CAMBRIDGE, MA – On Saturday, October 12th, Dr. Cato T. Laurencin was formally inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Newly elected members received the honor amongst more than 200 outstanding individuals chosen for their achievements in academia, the arts, business, government, and public affairs.

Dr. Laurencin is currently the only Orthopaedic Surgeon in America who is an active member of the Academy, and the fifth inducted in the Academy’s history.

The Academy was founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and others who believed the new republic should honor exceptionally accomplished individuals and engage them in advancing the public good. The Academy’s dual mission remains essentially the same century’s years later with honorees from increasingly diverse fields and with the work focused on the arts, democracy, education, global affairs, and science.

“With the election of these members, the Academy upholds the ideals of research and scholarship, creativity and imagination, intellectual exchange and civil discourse, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge in all its forms,” said David W. Oxtoby, President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Laurencin is the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons an elected member of the American Surgical Association. He has been named to the list of America’s Top Doctors for the past consecutive 15 years. In 2016, Laurencin received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor bestowed in America for technological achievement, presented by the President of the United States. He is the recipient of the Philip Hauge Abelson Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science ‘for signal contributions to the advancement of science in the United States’.

Laurencin is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Laurencin received his B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University, his M.D., Magna Cum Laude, from the Harvard Medical School, and his Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was named a Hugh Hampton Young Fellow.

The CT Convergence Institute Hosts Successful Health Café on Gestational Diabetes

10-10 Health Cafe 10-10 Health cCafe

 

On Thursday, October 10th The Connecticut Convergence Institute hosted an educational Health Café on gestational diabetes at the Hartford Public Library in conjunction with the YWCA of Greater Hartford. The event’s topic was suggested by YWCA community members, and attracted over 40 attendees eager to learn more about diabetes.

Dr. Victor Fang, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UConn Health enlightened the crowd with his engaging and informational keynote speech. Dr. Fang provided an easy to understand overview of gestational diabetes, the symptoms, and treatment. All Health Café attendees were provided a free dinner and giveaways.

We would like to thank the Aetna Foundation for making this event possible.