2018)

January 8, 2018

You are invited to attend our Science Café on Medicine and Latino Culture: A Kavli BRAIN Event. This event is a collaboration with the Latino Medical Student Association.

Title: Medicine and Latino Culture: Understanding and Addressing Latino Health Issues

Description: Join us for an informal discussion on the role of nutrition and genetics on the risk for diabetes and heart disease in the Latino community.

Speaker: Dr. Annabelle Rodriguez Oquendo, Linda and David Roth Chair of Cardiovascular Research, UConn Health

Date: Saturday, January 27th

Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Location: Costa del Sol, 901 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford, CT 06114 (parking is available at the restaurant and across the street in a gated parking lot)

Food and beverages will be provided. This event is free and open to the general public. Space is limited.

For questions, contact cvalentin@uchc.edu.

Dr. Steven L. Suib Elected as an NAI Fellow

December 14, 2017

CICATS is proud to announce that Dr. Steven L. Suib of the University of Connecticut has been elected as a National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellow. The NAI Fellows Selection Committee chose Dr. Suib because he has “demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.” Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.

“As CEO of the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science and President of the UConn Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), I am thrilled that Dr. Suib has been elected as an NAI fellow,” said Dr. Cato T. Laurencin. “His commitment to innovation and inventorship is inspiring and I congratulate him on this great achievement.”

Dr. Suib has been invited to attend the Fellows Induction Ceremony on April 5, 2018 at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. Andrew H. Hirshfeld, U.S. Commissioner for Patents, will provide the keynote address for the ceremony.

CICATS Science Café on Innovation and Inventorship

December 7, 2017

By Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

The Innovation and Inventorship Science Cafe took place on Friday, September 29 at the Lyceum in downtown Hartford. Facilitated by Dr. Lakshmi Nair, a panel consisting of Dr. Greg Gallo, Dr. Mostafa Analouri, and Mr. Paul Parker discussed their roles in the process of innovation and invention at UConn, as well as the programs and services available in their offices. Over 60 faculty members, researchers, students, engineers, clinicians, and staff attended the event. Through engaging conversation and audience questions, the Science Cafe was well-received and generated positive feedback from attendees.

The event was made possible through the support of the CICATS faculty and staff, the Office of the Vice President for Research at UConn, and especially, The Kavli Foundation.

CICATS Science Café on Innovation and Inventorship

Science Café on Methodology Advances in Patient Centered Outcomes Research (MAPCOR): A Kavli BRAIN Event (12/8/2017)

November 28, 2017

You are invited to attend our Science Café on Methodology Advances in Patient Centered Outcomes Research (MAPCOR): A Kavli BRAIN Event.

Topic: Patient Centered Outcomes Research
Speaker: Dr. Richard Fortinsky, Professor, UConn Center on Aging
Title: Design and Implementation of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research with Cognitively Vulnerable Older Adults and their Families
Date: Friday, December 8th
Time: 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Cell and Genomic Science Building, Grossman Auditorium, 400 Farmington Ave, UConn Health, Farmington CT (Plenty of free parking)

Food and beverages will be provided. This event is free and open to the general public. Space is limited.

Please RSVP to Dr. Helen Wu (zwu@uchc.edu) or Dr. Chia-Ling Kuo (kuo@uchc.edu). We look forward to seeing you at this interactive event with Dr. Fortinsky.

IRE Receives New NSF Grant

By Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Yusuf Khan, a faculty member of the Institute for Regenerative Engineering, has received new funding from the NSF. The research will evaluate the impact in vitro of RGD-modified alginate hydrogel stiffness and low-intensity pulsed ultrasound derived acoustic radiation force on encapsulated osteoblast behavior. It will also assess the efficacy, in vivo, of transdermally applied acoustic radiation force on osteoblasts encapsulated in an RGD-modified alginate hydrogel and implanted into a mouse cranial defect. Combinations of hydrogel stiffness and acoustic radiation force levels will be investigated to determine the optimum levels for upregulating phenotypic markers and mineralization of the encapsulated osteoblasts. The optimum system is then being utilized in a mouse cranial defect model, with ultrasound force applied daily for 20 minutes a four-week period. The healing of the construct is being evaluated through histology and histomorphometry.

A tenured Associate Professor, Dr. Khan received his Masters and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University. He has appointments in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the UConn Health, as well as in the Department of Chemical, Materials, and Biomolecular Engineering and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UConn.

Congratulations to Dr. Khan on funding for this exciting project.

Science Café on Structural Biology Meets Drug Discovery Finds Great Success

November 9, 2017

The UConn Partnership for Excellence in Structural Biology held a Science Café on Structural Biology Meets Drug Discovery on September 11, 2017 at the Nathan Hale Inn on the UConn Storrs campus. The Keynote Speaker was Dr. Jonathan Moore, Senior Research Fellow and Vice President of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston. Dr. Moore’s insightful remarks focused on the intersection of structural biology and drug discovery and touched on targeting disordered proteins as a new mode of action. Dr. Dennis Wright, of UConn Pharmacy, briefed the group on the PITCH and NPDD academic drug discovery initiatives at UConn. The Science Café attracted a broad cross section of interested faculty as well as administrators, who engaged in a lively discussion of challenges and opportunities.

CICATS Core Interest Group Hosts Science Café

November 8, 2017

By Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

The UConn Partnership for Excellence in Structural Biology held “Structural Biology Meets Drug Discovery” on September 11 at the Nathan Hale Inn on the UConn Storrs campus. The keynote speaker was Dr. Jonathan Moore, senior research fellow and vice president of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston. Dr. Moore’s insightful remarks on the intersection of structural biology and drug discovery also touched on targeting disordered proteins as a new mode of action. Dr. Dennis Wright of UConn Pharmacy briefed attendees on the PITCH and NPDD academic drug-discovery initiatives at UConn. The Science Café attracted a broad cross section of interested faculty and administrators who engaged in a lively discussion of challenges and opportunities.

CICATS Core Interest Group Hosts Science Cafe

Dr. Cato T. Laurencin Receives New Appointment

November 6, 2017

We are pleased to announce that CICATS Chief Executive Officer Dr. Cato Laurencin has been appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the National Medal of Technology and Innovation Nomination Evaluation Committee. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement and Dr. Laurencin received this award in May of 2016 at the White House from President Barack Obama. With this appointment, Dr. Laurencin will make recommendations about which nominees should be selected for this distinguished honor.

Connecticut’s First Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors

By Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

The University of Connecticut hosted the inaugural gathering for Connecticut’s first chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) at the Lyceum in Hartford on September 29. New members were inducted at this event.

The NAI was founded at the University of Southern Florida in 2010 to recognize the contributions of scientist-inventors across all disciplines of the university community. The UConn Chapter was just established with three current members/fellows. In addition to UConn, the NAI has 214 member institutions and 15 international affiliates with a combined membership of 4,000+ members. There are 42 chapters in all. An NAI chapter can include faculty, staff, students, alumni, and affiliates. To receive this distinction from NAI, a researcher must be named inventor on patent(s) issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and must be affiliated with a university, non-profit research institute, or other academic entity.

The inauguration ceremony was followed by a Science Café on “Innovation and Inventorship,” a Kavli Brain event, sponsored by Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) and the Kavli Foundation.

Congratulations to everyone on a superb event!

National Academy of Inventors

CICATS Science Cafe Funding Opportunity

November 2, 2017

The Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) is pleased to announce the Science Cafe funding opportunity to UConn Health and UConn Storrs. Funded by The Kavli Foundation, CICATS Science Cafés create a social environment for individuals to interact and discuss innovative ideas about translational science and scientific research in general. The maximum amount of funding available for an approved event is $3000.

Click here to view the guidelines and the upcoming CICATS Science Café events. To submit your application, please download the Science Café Planning Form from this page and send an email with the subject line “Science Café Proposal Submission” to Dr. Kevin Lo at wlo@uchc.edu.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dr. Kevin Lo directly at wlo@uchc.edu.