Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women. It claims more women’s lives than all forms of cancer combined. Heart disease and stroke can affect a woman at any age. In fact, new research shows heart attacks are on the rise in younger women.

The members of the Connecticut Convergence Institute wear red to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease and support the American Heart Association.

On the first Friday of every February, which is designated as American Heart Month, the nation comes together, igniting a wave of red from coast to coast. From landmarks to news anchors and neighborhoods to online communities; this annual groundswell unites millions of people for a common goal: the eradication of heart disease and stroke.

The CT Convergence Institute is proud to announce that our CEO, Dr. Cato Laurencin, was selected as one of the top 100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America by Cell Press. Cell Press is a leading publisher of cutting-edge biomedical and physical science research and reviews. They publish over 50 scientific journals across the life, physical, earth, and health sciences. Among the list are 75 investigators that range from Assistant Professors to Professors. He is the only Professor from UConn to make the list.

View the full article

Congratulations Dr. Laurencin!

Dr. Laurencin recently met with the Congressional Black Caucus to discuss the National Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. The Roundtable focuses on the barriers and opportunities encountered by Black men and Black women as they navigate the pathways from K-12 and postsecondary education to careers in science, engineering, and medicine. Roundtable goals are to:

• Compile and discuss quantitative and qualitative data relevant to the representation and experiences of Black men and Black women in science, engineering, and medicine;

• Convene a broad array of stakeholders representing higher education, industry, health care, government, private foundations, and professional societies;

• Highlight promising practices for increasing the representation, retention, and inclusiveness of Black men and Black women in science, engineering, and medicine;
• Advance discussions that can lead to increasing systemic change.

Pictured in the above photo is Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett, who represents the United States Virgin Islands’ at-large Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Stacey currently serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Committee on Agriculture. She is also a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where she serves as Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment.

Dr. Gualberto Ruano, Assistant Director of Special Projects at The Connecticut Convergence Institute, was recently invited to present at the CT Legislative Forum on DNA Testing and Genomic Medicine. The forum took place at the CT Legislature on January 23^rd. Amongst various leading names in medicine, Dr. Ruano represented UConn Health and discussed precision pain management with genetic clinical decision support.

During this forum, the topics of interest were:

• How are genetic tests, genomic medicine and precision medicine changing the landscape of healthcare?
• How can healthcare professionals ensure equal access, treatment, privacy and safety for patients’ health and health data using genomic and precision medicine?
• What are best practices, if any?
• What role does the state have in the ethical, legal, and social implications of testing and genomic and precision medicine?

Panels:

• Researchers from Yale, UConn, The Jackson Laboratory
• Clinicians from UConn/UCH, Hartford Healthcare and others
• Patients and Consumers
• Representatives of genetic testing companies including 23andMe and SEMA4
• Genetic Counselors from My Gene Counsel and others
• Payor organizations including Anthem, CIGNA and DSS
• Health Data Managers from Office of Health Strategy, YNHH and UCONN Health
• Experts on the bioethics of testing

On Thursday, January 16^th The Connecticut Convergence Institute hosted a Health Café on Cultural Psychiatry and Mental Health Services for the Latinx Community in conjunction with the UConn Latino Medical Student Association. The event attracted over 40 attendees and unlike our traditional Health Café format, this event was interactive, allowing participants the opportunity to break off into small groups to gain a more collaborative approach and strike up a conversation. Dr. Esperanza Diaz, Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine provided the keynote speech and inspired this new configuration.

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 Connecticut Convergence Institute congratulates Dr. Kevin Lo on receiving a two year R21 grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and the National Institute of Health. As Assistant Director of the Connecticut Convergence Institute, Dr. Lo contributes his expertise to many grants. Adding to his extensive list of grant contributions, he is the Principal Investigator of the R21 which focuses on “The Molecular Mechanism of the Surface Charge of Piezoelectric Materials for Bone Regenerative Engineering”. The goal is to investigate the detailed mechanism of how surface electrical charges positively influence the degree of healing and promote bone tissue regeneration.

The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases is to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases.

Over the past month members of the Parkville Senior Center in Hartford, CT have joined the JUMP movement! At the program’s inception, participants were given pedometers to track their step count, and return each week to record their achievements. The group was also notified that at the end of the month, the person with the highest step count will be awarded a Fitbit!

Last Friday, Dr. Helen Wu and Michelle Slivinsky of the CT Convergence Institute tallied up the points to see who took the lead. The results impressed and inspired us all. An energetic participant named Thu Hong Luu exceeded the team’s expectations. With over 260,000 steps over the course of the past month, she was walking approximately 10,000 steps per day! Thu was very grateful for her new Fitbit and disclosed that this new tool will help keep her motivated and push every day to maintain her step count and stay healthy!