WELCOME new employees:
Martha S. Johnson
Martha S. Johnson, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Jean Cook’s lab
Holly Shepherd
Holly Shepherd, Student Services Specialist joining us on May 26, 2020
Congratulations on BCBP Appointments and Promotions:
Robert H. Lee
Robert Lee was promoted to Research Assistant Professor on March 1st
Leslie Parise
Parise named Dean of the University of Vermont’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Brian Strahl
Strahl named Interim Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
RECENT EVENTS:
Thesis Defenses and Graduations
3/6 Hanna Trzeciakiewicz (Todd Cohen lab)
Title: “The Regulation of Tau Pathogenesis in Neurodegeneration”
Julia DiFiore
3/13 Julia DiFiore, GMB graduate student (Brian Strahl lab)
Title: “Examining the Role of Histone H3 Lysine 36 Methylation in Preventing Aberrant Transcription”
Graduate Student Julia DiFiore receives her PhD!
Edhirz Siraliev-Perez
3/27 Edhirz Siraliev-Perez, Biophysics graduate student (John Sondek lab)
Title: “Dynamics of Allosteric Activation of PLC-gamma Isozymes” (Zoom)
Aspen Gutgsell
3/30 Aspen Gutgsell, Biochemistry and Biophyscis gradaute student (Saskia Neher lab)
Title: “Novel Strategies to Enhance LPL Activity In Vivo” (Zoom)
Jared Baisden
4/9 Jared Baisden, Biochemistry and Biophyscis gradaute student (Qi Zhang lab)
Title: “Probing Excited Conformational States Involved in microRNA Biogenesis.” (Zoom)
Hashem Meriesh
4/10 Hashem Meriesh, Biochemistry and Biophyscis gradaute student (Brian Strahl lab)
Title: “Elucidating the Function of the Histone H4 Basic Patch in SAGA-mediated Hiistone H2B Deubiquitination and Histone Acetylation” (Zoom)
5/6 Courtney Vaughn, GMB graduate student (Aziz Sancar Lab)
Title, “Exploring the role of DNA damage, nucleotide excision repair, and circadian rhythm on cellular response to platinums” (Zoom)
BCBP First Year Graduate Student Talks on April 28 (Zoom)
8 students presented research talks on April 28 to a large Zoom audience from 11 am – 1 pm.
Abigail Ballard
Abigail Ballard, Bergmeier lab, Biochemistry
“4-D Imaging of Hemostatic Plug Formation”
Matthew Begley
Matt Begley, Baker lab, Biochemistry
“Analysis of Microtubule Binding Proteins via Cryo-EM”
Brandy Curtis
Brandy Curtis, Gladfelter lab, Biochemistry
“An investigation of plastic degradation by coral-associated marine fungi”
Dalia Fleifel
Dalia Fleifel, Cook lab, Biochemistry
“An in vitro system mimicking Osteoarthritis”
Sarah Harris
Sarah Harris, Dominguez lab, Biophysics
“Determination of RNA binding motifs in the histone mRNA stem-loop with SLBP”
Christopher Shelby
Christopher Shelby, Kuhlman lab, Biophysics
“Microbiome Engineering”
Aubrie Weyhmiller
Aubrie Weyhmiller, Kuhlman lab, Biophysics
“Modeling Protein-DNA Interactions In MATLAB”
Anna Wheless
Anna Wheless, Neher lab, Biochemistry
“Nanobodies for Enhancing LPL Activity”
Bagel Breakfast on March 4th
Our graduate students hosted a Bagel Breakfast on March 4th before the social distancing begun. We had a large turn out!
BCBP Synergy groups met in mid-March
BCBP Synergy groups met up again for networking in mid-March. We hope to start these back up in the Fall.
4/02 All Department Town Hall
On April 2, our department met to discuss Q & A regarding guidance and resources for these COVID-19 times.
4/03 Admin Meeting
Lynn Ray, Associate Chair for Administration, hosts first virtual administrative staff meeting in our history over Zoom to discuss projects in the areas of grants, human resources, accounting, events, and communications.
4/03 Student Town Hall
Our BCBP graduate students and administrators met for our Spring town hall meeting to discuss the courses all going virtual and for Q & A.
4/14 BCBP Research in Progress Seminar
BCBP Research in Progress Seminar: Aleksandra Skrajna, PhD (Postdoctoral Researcher, McGinty Lab) “Deciphering the Nucleosome Interactome” (Zoom).
Aleksandra Skrajna
April Student Seminars
Our Student Seminars resumed on April 16 with presenters: Adil Muneer (Chen lab) and Rodney Park (Kuhlman lab)
This series was abruptly paused last month because of Covid19. Special thanks to Odessa, Amelia, and Rodney who worked out the new schedule through May.
4/17 Admin Business Meeting
Our business staff met virtually this Spring. Lynn said they will celebrate Administrative Professionals Day when they all return to their offices in the future. Thank you staff for all you do!
4/21 BCBP Seminar: Neil King, PhD (UW)
On April 21, our seminar speaker presented over Zoom to a large audience. Talk title, “Computational Design of Protein-based Nanomaterials for Medical Applications”
Speaker: Neil King, PhD Assistant Professor, Institute for Protein Design University of Washington, Host: Brian Kuhlman
Neil is at the Protein Design Institute at the University of Washington and has done some beautiful work designing proteins that self-assemble into multi-subunit protein cages. They are using these for a variety of applications including scaffolding proteins from SARS-CoV-2 for use as vaccines.
Our seminar went virtual special thanks to Jamie DeSoto.
4/22 Student Town Hall
Our BCBP graduate students and administrators met on April 22 to discuss COVID-19 updates and to address questions for the close of the Spring semester.
4/24 Admin Happy Hour with games
Lynn Ray lead the admin staff in a happy hour. They competed in on-line games while discussing business projects.
4/30 Genome Stability Group Meeting
Dale Ramsden
April Genome Stability Group Meeting hosted by Dale Ramsden. Our speakers were: Andrea Kaminski, “Polymerase μ: A rigid scaffold for dynamic DNA substrates,” and
Jessica Williams, “DNA Ligase 1 regulates the fidelity of DNA replication.”
5/09 Doctoral Hooding was postponed.
Message from Wolfgang Bergmeier, PhD, Director of Graduate Studies
UNC 2020 Hooding ceremony for our department’s newly minted PhDs: We are all very sorry that this fun and important event to celebrate our new PhDs cannot happen as planned! We are proud of you, CONGRATULATIONS again! Hi everybody. Please see the message below by Jean Cook concerning the postponed 2020 Hooding Ceremony! We are all very sorry that this fun and important event to celebrate our new PhDs cannot happen as planned! We are proud of you, CONGRATULATIONS again!
Message from Jean Cook, PhD, Associate Dean for Graduate Education, School of Medicine
Among the many disappointments of our current situation is the fact that the doctoral hooding ceremony that would have been this weekend has been postponed. I know that many of our recent graduates, their friends, and their families had been looking forward to walking across the stage in the Smith Center in full regalia to mark this career milestone. We are so incredibly impressed with these graduates’ accomplishments and discoveries, and we are enormously proud to have contributed to their development as scientific leaders and professionals. They join the ranks of UNC PhD alumni who are pushing the boundaries of research, teaching the next generation of science students, developing new tools, leading policy, communicating the importance of science, and filling many other important roles in scientific society.
There may be additional ways to celebrate as a campus community in the future, but in the meantime please receive these heartfelt congratulations from the School of Medicine leaders. This link is a 30 second “Virtual Applause” from the Deans, Chairs, and Center Directors.
5/10 2020 UNC Commencement – Virtual watch party
Youtube video. Graduates can celebrate their achievements with a video watch party on Sunday May 10th; plans in the works to host graduation ceremony at a later date. Read more here, “Marking a milestone.”
5/11 Postdoc Town Hall
At our virtual postdoc town hall, administrators addressed important Q & A from research scholars and postdoctoral fellows during these changing times in our research labs.
All of our university meetings occurred virtually instead of in-person these over these last two months, such as, Weekly Monday meetings for Researchers with the VCR COVID-19 Q&A, Weekly Graduate Student Circles hosted by the Graduate School, university Communications meetings, Human Resources meetings, Grant Administration, Accounting, & Business Administrative meetings all shifted to online. Our department has been very busy and productive even through the challenges that faces us all. Thank you all for your quick learning of these new technologies and for your flexibility and resilience. Please see the end of this blog for more research resources, health and wellness resources for COVID-19 and other useful inks.
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
5/13 Virtual Happy Hour and Farewell Party
On May 13, we will be gathering to toast and share stories over the past 13.5 years.
May Student Seminars
5/14 Student Seminars for students only – Nicholas Martinez (Campbell lab), Shu Zhang (Dohlman lab), and Gage Leighton (Williams lab) Please contact Rodney Park for Zoom details for the May 14 meeting at 12 noon.
7/2 Virtual Student Thesis Defense: Stephan Kudlacek (Campbell lab)
Please save-the-date for Stephan’s Defense. Tentatively scheduled for 3:30 pm.
Fall Seminars
Announcing our BCBP Fall 2020 Seminar Series. Stay tuned, in person or virtual Zoom meetings will be announced as we approach event dates.
Awards:
Student Awards
Congratulations to our excellent graduate students!
Aspen Gutgsell has been awarded the 2020 Diane Harris Leadership Award for exemplary public service.
Hanna Trzeciakiewicz was selected to receive the 2020 Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award in the area of Biological and Life Sciences.
Hanna Trzeciakiewicz also received the 2020 Horizon Award.
Faculty Awards and Honors
Robert H. Lee
Congrats Robert H Lee, Brinkhous Early Career Investigator Award winner at American Heart Association’s Vascular Discovery 2020!
Ron Swanstrom
Meet UNC School of Medicine’s COVID-19 Research Heroes
Jack Griffith
Jack Griffith Wins Photographic Society of America’s Progress Award!
Past winners of the award include Walt Disney, Ansel Adams and Nick Woodman.
Griffith’s lab at UNC focuses on DNA-protein interactions combining electron microscope, biochemistry, genetics, and modern molecular approaches. Here he answers a few questions about his work.
Funding Announcements:
Chancellor’s Message to Students, Research Community
Guskiewicz Announces UNC COVID-19 Research Accelerator Fund
COVID-19 Funding Opportunities
NEW GRANTS:
Pengda Liu
Breast Cancer Alliance awards Pengda Liu 2020 Young Investigator grant
Guochung Jiang
Guochun Jiang received a Traditional CFAR Developmental Award for the project “HIV reservoirs in the central nervous system.”
Jonathan Fay, Patricia Maness, Brian Strahl, and Qi Zhang
SOM Biomedical Research Core Voucher Program – FY20 Awarded Projects
Congratulations to 4 faculty who received grants: Jonathan Fay, Patricia Maness, Brian Strahl, and Qi Zhang! Read more at the link above.
Saskia Neher and Qi Zhang
Congrats Qi Zhang and Saskia Neher on Teams Receiving Emerging Challenges Grants
Ash Tripathy
MacInFac Wins NCBC IIG Grant (Ash Tripathy)
Dale Ramsden
Congrats to Dale Ramsden (in advance) who has a large grant announcement coming soon.
Noteworthy research:
(Please click blue links to read the full news posts.)
UNC Ranked Highest U.S. University in Coronavirus Research
Kathryn Gunn, PhD, postdoctoral researcher, and Ben Roberts, graduate student
Neher lab publishes CryoEM structure in PNAS
Sharon Campbell and Wolfgang Bergmeier
Campbell and Bergmeier labs collaborative research makes cover of JTH!
Megan Justice, graduate student in Dowen lab
Grad student Megan Justice in Dowen lab first-authored paper in Cell Reports!
Gaorav Gupta, MD, PhD.
Researchers implicate gene in DNA errors in aggressive breast cancer (Gaorav Gupta, MD, PhD)
Test could simplify cervical cancer screenings (Gaorav Gupta)
Wolfgang Bergmeier
Wolfgang Bergmeier, Ph.D., in Collaboration With A Multi-Institutional Team, Publish In Science Advances
Anna Wheless
Graduate student Anna Wheless writes for NC DNA Day program: “A Portrait of a protein”
COVID-19 Research:
Ron Swanstrom
Meet UNC School of Medicine’s COVID-19 Research Heroes (Ron Swanstrom)
Michael Johnson
Our Alumnus Michael Johnson in the news: Identifying prevention or treatment strategies for COVID-19: Could Copper Disable the Virus Behind COVID-19?
Disseminating Coronavirus Research
Disseminating Coronavirus Research
Working remotely from their home offices, the University’s librarians are helping the world’s virologists fight coronavirus by making faculty research more accessible online through the Carolina Digital Repository.
Work from home #WFH Fun and activities:
Some department members shared WFH photos, virtual meetings, online socials, and other activities they did unrelated to the coronavirus.
COVID-19 Resources:
If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, please contact the UNC Health COVID-19 Helpline: 1-888-850-2684 for assistance.
Virtual UNC Health Coronavirus Self-Assessment and Resource Tool
Request or Offer Help through the UNC SOM Support Exchange Website
The stress and anxiety of uncertainty and the isolation that can come with social distancing measures can impact your mental and physical health.
SOM Mental Health, Emotional Support Resources
UNC Student Resources: CV19 Student Care Hub
UNC Teaching Resources: Keep Teaching
School of Medicine’s Intranet FAQs and Resources Webpage
Other UNC Healthcare COVID-19 resources
UNC Healthcare Resources for coping with COVID-19
UNC HR: COVID-19: FAQs for Faculty and Staff
BCBP Mental Health and Wellness Resources
UNC Research: COVID-19 Updates for Researchers
Global & National COVID-19 tracker with maps – – Most up-to-date data with live updates throughout the day, interactive maps including by U.S. county with hospital bed capacity and other data tracked and analyzed by the Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Click on the United States at the top of the list on the left to get live US totals. The US Map page provides US County data. Update May 4: Lists on World Map page now include cumulative death and recovered counts for US States.
The Active Cases tab below the world map, shows totals for confirmed cases, deaths, recovered and active cases for US States and other countries. When you click on an orange circle on the map, a data window opens up.
COVID-19 in the US
US Covid-19 Case Updates – CDC website
Information about COVID-19 in the United States – on the CDC website
Symptoms & testing – on the CDC website
Other Live Updates on Covid-19 in NC
NC Coronavirus Live Updates on Raleigh News & Observer – includes live updates on coronavirus cases in NC, including a map by county, and other data
Live updates on NC and US Covid-19 counts and has Announcements by the Governor on Raleigh News & Observer – usually on the front page
NCDHHS NC Case Count, updated daily at 11 am.
https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/covid19/covid-19-nc-case-count