Events

Lynne E. Maquat, PhD - J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair and Professor, Departments of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Oncology, and Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Dentistry; Founding Director, UR Center for RNA Biology; Founding Chair, UR Graduate Women in Science, University of Rochester

The J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair of Biochemistry & Biophysics and founding director of the UR Center for RNA Biology will present “Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay and Human Disease” from 4-5 pm, December 12 in the Ryan Case Method Room (1-9576) or via Zoom: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/93349851917.

The Dean’s Lecture Series showcases high caliber research and high impact topics in clinical medicine and related biomedical fields.

Maquat’s work has elucidated the role of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) in destroying faulty, disease-causing mRNAs. She’ll discuss recent efforts that have revealed surprising mechanisms by which NMD influences normal and disease-associated metabolism, possibly opening new avenues for the development of therapeutics.

Mark Taubman, dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Jeff Hayes, Shohei Koide Professor and chair of biochemistry and biophysics will welcome and introduce Maquat. The talk will be followed by a reception on the Forbes Mezzanine (1-9580).

 Dec 12, 2022 @ 4:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Ryan Case Method Room (1-9576)

Devrim Acehan, PhD - Research Scientist, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY

 Dec 07, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K-307 (3-6408)

Host: Dr. Clara Kielkopf

Isabel Aznarez, PhD - Co-Founder and Group VP, Discovery Research, Stoke Therapeutics, Inc., Bedford, MA

 Dec 01, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Adolph Lower Aud (1-7619)

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat

Isabel Aznarez, PhD - Co-Founder and Group VP, Discovery Research, Stoke Therapeutics, Inc., Bedford, MA

 Nov 30, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat and Dr. John Lueck (co-sponsored by Graduate Women in Science)

Kermin Martínez-Hernández, PhD - *Mandatory for T32 in CBMS Faculty; open to all faculty who train graduate students.*, Principal Facilitator, Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER); Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, St. John Fisher University, Rochester, NY

NIH NIGMS T32 Training Grant in Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences (CBMS)
Fall 2022 Workshop Series Presents:

Kermin Martínez-Hernández, PhD

Principal Facilitator, Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER); Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry,
St. John Fisher University, Rochester, NY

Hosts: Dr. Jeffrey Hayes and Dr. Paul Boutz; sponsored by a supplement to the
NIH NIGMS T32 in CBMS

Wellness and Resilience Workshop for Faculty

* Mandatory for T32 in CBMS Faculty; open to all faculty who train graduate students.*

The learning objectives for this session will be: (a) Increase understanding of wellness and resilience and their influence on mentor-mentee interactions; (b) Recognize the impact of traumatic experiences on the mentor-mentee relationship and acquire skills to manage them, and (c) Identify concrete strategies for learning about and building resilience. As part of the case study discussion, faculty will be able to come up with a better understanding of dealing with these situations and learning strategies to reframe their thinking.

Thursday, November 17, 2022

4:15 – 5:30 p.m.

Adolph Lower Aud (1-7619)

Refreshments will be served.

 Nov 17, 2022 @ 4:15 p.m.

 Medical Center | Adolph Lower Aud 1-7619

Host: Hosts: Dr. Jeffrey Hayes and Dr. Paul Boutz; sponsored by a supplement to the NIH NIGMS Predoctoral T32 in Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences (CBMS)

Kermin Martínez-Hernández, PhD - *Mandatory for past and current T32 in CBMS Trainees and open to everyone.*, Principal Facilitator, Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research CIMER); Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, St. John Fisher University, Rochester, NY

Graduate Women in Science (GWIS)

2022 Fall Seminar Series

Kermin Martínez-Hernández, PhD

Principal Facilitator, Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research CIMER); Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry,
St. John Fisher University, Rochester, NY

Host: Dr. Paul Boutz; co-sponsored by a supplement to the NIH NIGMS Predoctoral T32 Training Grant in Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences (CBMS)
(Lynne Maquat, PI; Jeffrey Hayes, Co-PI)

“Building mentee self-efficacy:

a toolbox for wellness and resilience”

*Mandatory for past and current T32 in CBMS Trainees and open to everyone.*

Thursday, November 17, 2022

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Adolph Lower Aud (1-7619)

Refreshments will be served.

GWIS is chaired by Lynne Maquat, PhD and
co-chaired by Catherine Ovitt, PhD

 Nov 17, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Adolph Lower Aud 1-7619

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat and Dr. Paul Boutz; co-sponsored by a supplement to the NIH T32 Training Grant in Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences

Brian D. Strahl, PhD - Oliver Smithies Investigator; Professor & Interim Chair, Faculty Director, Peptide Synthesis and Arraying Facility, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC

 Nov 16, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K-307 (3-6408)

Host: Dr. Jeffrey Hayes

Anita Corbett, PhD; Karin Musier-Forsyth, PhD; Kimberly Mowry, PhD - Robin Chemers Neustein Professor of Biomedicine; Chair, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI; Samuel C. Dobbs Professor, Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA; Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

 Nov 09, 2022 @ 9:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | Class of '62 Aud. (G-9425)

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat (PI) and Dr. Jeff Hayes (Co-PI); co-sponsored by the NIH T32 Training Grant in Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences

Eric Westhof, PhD - Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

 Nov 03, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Adolph Auditorium (1-7619)

Host: Dr. Eric Phizicky (co-sponsored by the RNA Structure and Function Cluster and the Bioinformatics Cluster)

Sebastian M. Fica, PhD - Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, England, United Kingdom

 Oct 26, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Clara Kielkopf (co-sponsored by the RNA Structure and Function Cluster)

Madeline (Maddie) Sofia, PhD - Science Communicator, National Public Radio (NPR), Boulder, CO

 Oct 20, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Class of '62 Aud. (G-9425)

Host: Dr. Elaine Smolock

Yury Polikanov, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

 Oct 19, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Dmitri Ermolenko (co-sponsored by the Protein Synthesis Cluster and the RNA Structure and Function Cluster)

Kathy Fange Liu, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

 Oct 12, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K-307 (3-6408)

Host: Dr. Eric Phizicky (co-sponsored by the RNA Structure and Function Cluster)

Robert T. Batey, PhD - Professor; Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs, Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO

 Oct 05, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Joseph Wedekind and Dr. Doug Anderson (co-sponsored by the Protein Synthesis Cluster and the RNA Structure and Function Cluster)

Thomas A. Cooper, MD - S. Donald Greenberg and R. Clarence and Irene H. Fulbright Professor, Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

 Sep 28, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K-307 (3-6408)

Host: Dr. Peng Yao (co-sponsored by the RNA Structure and Function Cluster)

Paul Boutz, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics; Member, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY

 Sep 15, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Adolph Lower Auditorium (1-7619)

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat

Steve L. Bonilla, PhD - HHMI Hanna H. Gray Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO

 Sep 14, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K-207 (2-6408)

Host: Dr. Eric Wagner and Dr. Lynne Maquat

Melanie Ohi, PhD - Rowena G. Matthews Collegiate Professor in the Life Sciences; Research Professor, University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute; Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology,, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI

 Sep 07, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Clara Kielkopf

J. Andrew Berglund, PhD - Professor, Department of Biological Sciences; Director of the RNA Institute, University at Albany, Albany, NY

 May 11, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Upper S-Wing Auditorium (3-7619)

Host: Dr. Clara Kielkopf and Dr. Joseph Wedekind (Co-sponsored by the RNA Structure and Function Cluster)

Karen Adelman, PhD - Professor, Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School; Associate Member, Broad Institute, Boston, MA

 May 05, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat and Xavier Rambout

Karen Adelman, PhD - Professor, Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

 May 04, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat & Dr. Xavier Rambout (Co-sponsored by Graduate Women in Science (GWIS), the RNA Society, and Lexogen)

Serdal Kirmizialtin, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, NYU Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

 Apr 27, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K-307 (3-6408)

Host: Dr. Mitchell O’Connell (Co-sponsored by the Bioinformatics Cluster)

Joe Palca, PhD - Science Correspondent, NPR

 Apr 21, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Adolph Lower Aud, 1-769

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat

Joe Palca, PhD - Science Correspondent, NPR

 Apr 21, 2022 @ 1:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Class of ‘62 Aud, G-9425

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat

Byron Rubin, PhD - Adjunct Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester

 Apr 13, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Ryan Case Method Room (1-9576)

Host: Dr. Mark Dumont

Sam Sternberg, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY

 Apr 06, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K-307 (3-6408)

Host: Dr. Mitchell O’Connell (Co-sponsored by the RNA Structure and Function Cluster, the RNA Society, and Lexogen)

Liang Huang, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science; Principal Scientist, Baidu Research USA, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR; Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale, CA

 Mar 30, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. David Mathews (Co-sponsored by the Bioinformatics Cluster and the RNA Structure and Function Cluster)

Catherine Wu, MD - Professor of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School; Chief, Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, Department of Medical Oncology; Institute Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA

 Mar 23, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: T32 Training Graduate Student, Wesley Chiang and Dr. Lynne Maquat

Eva Nogales, PhD - Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA

 Mar 17, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat (Co-sponsored by Graduate Student NIH T32 Retreat in Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences)

Eva Nogales, PhD - Professor; Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA

 Mar 16, 2022 @ 1:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | Class of '62 (G-9425)

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat, PI, and Dr. Jeffrey Hayes, Co-PI, NIH T32 in Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences (Co-sponsored by GWIS)

Eckhard Jankowsky, PhD - Director, Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics; Professor, Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

 Mar 09, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)

Host: Dr. Peng Yao (Co-sponsored by the RNA Structure and Function Cluster)

Mainak Bose, PhD; Pravin Jagtap, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow, Ephrussi Group, EMBL Heidelberg, Germany; Postdoctoral Fellow, Hennig Group, EMBL Heidelberg, Germany

 Mar 09, 2022 @ 10:00 a.m.

Host: Janosch Hennig, PhD, Group Leader, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Germany

Janusz Bujnicki, PhD - Professor of Biological Sciences, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Poland

 Mar 02, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. David Mathews (Co-sponsored by the Bioinformatics Cluster)

Peng Yao, PhD; Eric J. Wagner, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute; Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics; Member, UR Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Center for RNA Biology; Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics; Member, Wilmot Cancer Institute; Member, UR Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Center for RNA Biology

 Feb 23, 2022 @ 4:00 p.m.

Host: Lynne E. Maquat, PhD, J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair and Professor, Departments of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Oncology, and Pediatrics; Director, UR Center for RNA Biology; Chair, UR GWIS

Bil Clemons, PhD - Arthur and Marian Hanisch Memorial Professor of Biochemistry, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA

 Feb 17, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat and Dr. Clara Kielkopf

Bil Clemons, PhD - Arthur and Marian Hanisch Memorial Professor of Biochemistry, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA

 Feb 16, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat and Dr. Eric Wagner (Co-sponsored by Graduate Women in Science (GWIS), the RNA Society, and Lexogen)

Ge Shan, PhD; Xiaoyuan Song, PhD - Professor, Laboratory of Functional Study for noncoding RNAs, School of Life Sciences, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China; Professor, Laboratory of Aging and Transcriptional Regulation, School of Life Sciences, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, China

 Feb 09, 2022 @ 10:00 a.m.

Host: Shouhong Guang, PhD, Professor, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, University of Science & Technology of China (USTC) RNA Institute, Hefei, China

Adrienne L. Morgan, PhD - Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, University of Rochester Medical Center; Senior Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion, School of Medicine and Dentistry; Associate Professor, Division of Medical Humanities and Bioethics; Associate Professor, Warner School of Education, University of Rochester

 Feb 03, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

Host: Dr. Lynne Maquat

Kristin Koutmou, PhD; Peter Todd, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan Center for RNA Biomedicine; Professor and Associate Chair for Research, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan Center for RNA Biomedicine

 Jan 26, 2022 @ 4:00 p.m.

Host: Mats Ljungman, Ph.D., Co-Director, University of Michigan Center for RNA Biomedicine; Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School

Adrián Moisés Molina Vargas; Li Xie - Genetics Graduate Student, O'Connell Lab (Biochemistry & Biophysics), Biomedical Genetics, “From prokaryote immunity to the newest RNA targeting tool. Unveiling the nature and opportunities of the Cas13 CRISPR RNA-nuclease”; Genetics Graduate Student, Pröschel Lab, Biomedical Genetics, "Deciphering eIF2B deficiencies in a neurodegenerative disorder"

The RNA Contest judging committee has selected a lineup of four oral contestants for the UR Center for RNA Biology’s RNA Presentation Competition, sponsored by the RNA Society & Lexogen!

Virtual presentations will be held Wednesdays at 2pm EST on January 12^th & 26^th during the usual Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics Seminar. There will be 2 presentations per date (~15-min slots). The oral presenters were selected by an anonymous faculty committee, based on the contestants’ abstract submissions. Contestants will present a 2-min introduction and lay talk, followed by an 8-min powerpoint presentation of their favorite RNA or RNA-binding protein and a 3-min Q&A session. Winners will be determined by the anonymous panel of judges based on the quality of contestants’ lay talk, research presentations, and ability to address questions during Q&A.

RNA Presentations:
Convince us why your favorite RNA or RNA-binding protein is worthy of our admiration

Day 2: Wednesday, January 26^th, 2022

2:00 – 2:30pm EST

Adrián Moisés Molina Vargas
Genetics Graduate Student, O'Connell Lab (Biochemistry & Biophysics), Biomedical Genetics

“From prokaryote immunity to the newest RNA targeting tool. Unveiling the nature and opportunities of the Cas13 CRISPR RNA-nuclease”

Li Xie
Genetics Graduate Student, Pröschel Lab, Biomedical Genetics

"Deciphering eIF2B deficiencies in a neurodegenerative disorder"

 Jan 26, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Lynne Maquat, PhD, Director, Center for RNA Biology

Justin Mabin; Bo Peng; Brian Carrick - “Human spliceosomal snRNA sequence variants generate variant spliceosomes”, PhD Candidate, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, Peter Lewis and David Brow Labs, Department of Biomolecular Chemistry; “Characterization of RNA binding protein regulation in neural stem cell quiescence exit”, MD/PhD Candidate, MSTP and Cellular and Molecular Biology Programs, Darcie Moore Lab, Department of Neuroscience; “Unraveling the multiple key roles of a single RBP in development”, PhD Candidate, Marvin Wickens and Judith Kimble Labs, Department of Biochemistry

Wednesday, Jan 12^th, 2022 at 3 PM CST / 4 PM EST

Hosted by: RNA MaxiGroup, University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Human spliceosomal snRNA sequence variants generate variant spliceosomes”

Justin Mabin

PhD Candidate, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, Peter Lewis and David Brow Labs, Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

“Characterization of RNA binding protein regulation in neural stem cell quiescence exit”

Bo Peng

MD/PhD Candidate, MSTP and Cellular and Molecular Biology Programs, Darcie Moore Lab, Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

“Unraveling the multiple key roles of a single RBP in development”

Brian Carrick

PhD Candidate, Marvin Wickens and Judith Kimble Labs, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

Moderator: Aaron Hoskins, PhD, Wasson Professor in Biochemistry of Higher Animals, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

 Jan 12, 2022 @ 4:00 p.m.

Host: Aaron Hoskins, PhD, RNA MaxiGroup, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Xueyang He; Perinthottathil Sreejith, PhD (“Sreejith”) - Biophysics Graduate Student, Boutz Lab, Biochemistry & Biophysics, “Modeling the effects of cancer-associated spliceosome mutations and identifying driving intronic features using deep-learning neural networks”; Staff Scientist, Bharadwaj Lab, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine; presenting on his previous work as a Postdoc in the Biteau Lab in Biomedical Genetics:, “Imp interacts with Lin28 to regulate adult stem cell proliferation in the Drosophila intestine”

The RNA Contest judging committee has selected a lineup of four oral contestants for the UR Center for RNA Biology’s RNA Presentation Competition, sponsored by the RNA Society & Lexogen!

Virtual presentations will be held Wednesdays at 2pm EST on January 12^th & 26^th during the usual Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics Seminar. There will be 2 presentations per date (~15-min slots). The oral presenters were selected by an anonymous faculty committee, based on the contestants’ abstract submissions. Contestants will present a 2-min introduction and lay talk, followed by an 8-min powerpoint presentation of their favorite RNA or RNA-binding protein and a 3-min Q&A session. Winners will be determined by the anonymous panel of judges based on the quality of contestants’ lay talk, research presentations, and ability to address questions during Q&A.

RNA Presentations:
Convince us why your favorite RNA or RNA-binding protein is worthy of our admiration

Day 1: Wednesday, January 12^th, 2022

2:00 – 2:30pm EST

Xueyang He
Biophysics Graduate Student, Boutz Lab, Biochemistry & Biophysics

“Modeling the effects of cancer-associated spliceosome mutations and identifying driving intronic features using deep-learning neural networks”

Perinthottathil Sreejith, PhD (“Sreejith”)
Staff Scientist, Bharadwaj Lab, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Presenting on his previous work as a Postdoc in the Biteau Lab in Biomedical Genetics:

“Imp interacts with Lin28 to regulate adult stem cell proliferation in the Drosophila intestine”

 Jan 12, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m.

Host: Lynne Maquat, PhD, Director, Center for RNA Biology