Dr. Georas (left) and Gordon Wong

Medical Student Gordon Wong presented a poster at the annual URMC Medical School poster session, describing his summer research project. Gordon studied how protein kinase D regulates airway inflammation and epithelial barrier integrity in mouse models of airway inflammation and viral infections. He made some very exciting discoveries, working with graduate student Janelle Veazey, specifically elucidating how protein kinase D controls the recruitment of neutrophils to the lungs.

Janelle Veazey

Immunology Graduate Student Janelle Veazey received the Outstanding Student Mentor Award at the School of Medicine and Dentistry Convocation Ceremony on Wednesday, September 4th, Janelle was selected by the faculty of the Graduate Program in Microbiology & Immunology, in recognition of her outstanding commitment and dedication to mentoring undergraduate or graduate students. Congratulations Janelle!

On July 1 2019, Dr. Georas became the P.I. of the NIH/NHLBI sponsored Pulmonary T32 Training Grant, replacing Dr. Patricia Sime. Dr. Michael O'Reilly, Professor of Pediatrics and Environmental Medicine, became co-P.I. The Rochester Pulmonary T32 Training Grant is one of the longest continually-funded training grants in the U.S. dedicated to pulmonary research. Drs. Georas and O'Reilly are excited to continue the tradition of excellence in mentorship and training of the next generation of researchers in lung biology and pulmonary medicine.

The 2019 EHSC Center Directors Meeting was hosted by the University of Iowa in Iowa City on June 20, 21, 2019. University of Rochester's Environmental Health Sciences Center faculty, Irfan Rahman, PhD, CEC Director Katrina Korfmacher, PhD, IHSFC Co-Director Steve Georas, MD, Center Director Paige Lawrence, PhD, and new Center member Daniel Croft, MD, MPH, as well as Center Administrator Pat Noonan Sullivan attended the meeting.

Each faculty member played a role in the meeting, contributing expertise of their work. Rahman spoke on Human health studies of E-cigarette use at the meeting. Discussants included Dana Haine, MS from UNC and Judith Zelikoff, PhD, from NYU, moderated by Alejandro Comellas, MD. Katrina Korfmacher facilitated sessions on policy engagement by CECs and report back of research results to participants and communities. At a break out session on translational research in environmental health sciences, Georas shared the centers experience with the highly successful IHSFC Translational Mini-Pilot Program. Croft presented a poster on his research showing an association between air pollution exposure and hospital admissions for respiratory viral infections.

The 2020 EHSC Center Directors Meeting will be hosted by Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan July 22nd- 24th, 2020.