BMI Weekly Newsletter

March 4, 2024

News:

• A few more thoughts from Chelsey Spriggs. Last week’s seminar speaker was Dr. Chelsey Spriggs, from the University of Michigan. In an article that was published at the American Society for Microbiology’s website last week, Dr. Spriggs expands on some of the themes and ideas she discussed during her visit (Link).

   

This Week’s Events:

• Immunology Focus Group: Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00 pm EST, Hudson-Webber 2^nd Floor, Wertz Auditorium. Lunch will be provided.
  Speaker: Alex Huang, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Center for Pediatric Immunotherapy, Director, Medical Scientist Training program, Co-Leader, Immune Oncology Program, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University
   Dr. Huang’s presentation will focus on recent identification of tumor-intrinsic innate sensing pathway in host immune response following local tumor-lytic therapies, and the exploration of orally available small molecule inhibitor targeting TGF-beta Type 1 Receptor Kinase in models of pediatric and adolescent & young adult (AYA) sarcoma.  Additional considerations affecting immune cell recruitment and function in solid tumor TME will also be discussed.
  Title: “Exploring Vulnerabilities in Tumor-Immune Crosstalk Leading to Clinical Translation Opportunities”
  Hosted by: Jennifer Jacob, PhD and Wei-Zen Wei, PhD Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University
  Sponsored by: The Office of Vice President for Research, Wayne State University, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Henry Ford Health System
  
  For all in-person seminars, students need to attend in-person, and for zoom seminars, students need to attend via zoom, in order for attendance to be counted.
• Journal Club: Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 11:30 a.m., 3125 Scott Hall
  Presented by: IM PhD Student, Callen Bleick
  Title: "Assessing bacteriophage-antibiotic synergy (PAS)"
  Mentor: Dr. Michael Rybak

   

Upcoming Events:

• SPRING BREAK - No BMI Seminar or Journal Club scheduled for this week.
• DISSERTATION PUBLIC LECTURE PRESENTATION for the Degree of PhD Doctor of Philosophy
  Monday, March 18, 2024, 11:30 a.m., Margherio Family Conference Center
  Presented by: BMB PhD Student Candidate, Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Homoudi
  Title: “Rational Design of Novel Therapeutics Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Papain-Like Protease”
  Mentor: Dr. Ladislau Kovari

   

• Zoom BMI Seminar: Tuesday, March 26, 2024

  Speaker: Ying H Shen, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Division of Cardiothoratic Surgery, Director, Aortic Disease Research Laboratory, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. https://www.bcm.edu/people-search/ying-shen-30622

  Abstract of the presentation
  Thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD) are extremely lethal interrelated diseases. TAAD occurs either in association with genetic conditions or spontaneously as sporadic TAAD, which accounts for more than 80% of TAAD. Unfortunately, no clinically proven medication is available to prevent TAAD progression, and there is a critical need to understand the underlying mechanisms and develop effective pharmacological strategies to treat TAAD. This presentation will share our recent studies in investigating the molecular pathogenesis of sporadic ATAAD, particularly the mechanisms of smooth muscle cell death, inflammatory cell activation, matrix destruction that leads to aortic dilatation, dissection, and ultimately rupture. Various aspects in signal transduction, epigenetic gene expression regulation, vascular biology, as well as approaches of single cell RNA sequencing and single cell ATAC sequencing will be discussed.
  Title: “Molecular Mechanisms of Sporadic Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections”
  Host: TBA

  For all in-person seminars, students need to attend in-person, and for zoom seminars, students need to attend via zoom, in order for attendance to be counted.

   

Campus News:

• Campus Health Center: CHC 

• Office of President: Campus Resources Link for Student, Faculty and Staff Campus Resource Link