News

Hossein Abolhassani and Chiao Yun Chen Present Research at the FDA

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

DeLouise lab members, Hossein Abolhassani and Chiao Yun Chen, placed second of 16 teams in the UR's Annual America's Got Regulatory Science Talent Competition. As the 2024 winners, they were hosted by the FDA this May where they again presented their project "3D Organoid-On-A-Chip in a Microphysiological System."  

The competition aimed to foster student interest in regulatory science, the science of developing new tools, standards and approaches to assess the safety, efficacy, quality and performance of FDA‐regulated products. The winning teams were invited to present their proposed solutions to current regulatory science challenges at the FDA. This event provides an opportunity for the students to showcase their work to FDA regulators and experts, and to receive valuable feedback and guidance.

New Microplastics Center Awarded $7.3M

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

A new Rochester-based research center will study the lifecycle of microplastics, including its origin as plastic waste, distribution and movement in the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem, and human exposure and health impact. The research will also focus on how climate change could intensify the environmental and health threats posed by microplastics.

The Lake Ontario Center for Microplastics and Human Health in a Changing Environment is a collaboration between the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and supported by $7.3 million in funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Science Foundation under the federal Oceans and Human Health program. 

“The center will seek to develop a better understanding of the interactions between plastic pollution, the Great Lakes environment, and human health in both current and projected real-world conditions,” said Katrina Korfmacher, PhD, a professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and co-director of the new center. “This research will catalyze a new understanding of both environmental and human health aspects of microplastics, engage new groups in strategies to reduce the source of waste and mitigate exposure, and provide a model for similar approaches in other communities.”