{"id":12859,"date":"2020-03-15T16:00:29","date_gmt":"2020-03-15T20:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/biochem\/?p=12859"},"modified":"2023-09-12T12:06:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T16:06:57","slug":"stay-safe-in-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/biochem\/news\/stay-safe-in-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Stay safe in 2020!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"photo<\/p>\n

Stay safe in 2020!
\nLive with LP is back on the air. This edition will cover events from November 2019 through February 2020. As you all know, COVID-19 has taken over our lives. However, so many wonderful things have happened in the department over the past few months. Since we anticipate significant changes in our operations<\/span> for the foreseeable future, please follow university coronavirus updates<\/a> closely and stay safe! Many thanks to Carolyn Clabo for helping me assemble this edition.<\/p>\n

GOODBYES<\/h2>\n

\"LisaLisa Phillippie in student services departed after 31 years on Feb 28.<\/h3>\n

It was only<\/em> 27 years ago that Lisa started working with Barry Lentz to create the very successful Biophysics training program and more recently oversaw all of student services for the department along with overseeing the accounting staff. Lisa\u2019s dedication to our students, to the department and to UNC will be missed. Because Lisa so enjoys working with students, she plans to help at-risk students transition successfully into college. A search for her replacement is ongoing.<\/p>\n

Best wishes to our former HR Consultant, Susan Sarvis.<\/h3>\n

\"Susan<\/h2>\n

Susan Sarvis spent over 17 years in the department. She recently traded places with Steven Torchio to become the HR Consultant for M\/I and the BRIC. Susan’s last day with us was Thursday, February 6th. Many thanks, Susan for all her dedicated and caring work with us over the years in skillfully guiding us though many HR issues.<\/p>\n

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WELCOME new BCBP employees:<\/h2>\n

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\"Audrey<\/p>\n

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Audrey Allen, temp Research Technician joined the Baker lab in February 2020.<\/p>\n

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\"Rick<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rick Baker, Assistant Professor, an expert in the technique of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) joined our department in December 2019.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Venkat<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Venkat Chirasani started as a postdoc in the Campbell and Meissner labs as of February 2020.<\/p>\n

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\"James<\/p>\n

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James Emerson, Temp Research Technician joined the Button lab in February 2020.<\/p>\n

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\"Huani<\/p>\n

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Huani Leng, Temp Research Technician joined the Cook lab in January 2020.<\/p>\n

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\"SteveWELCOME to our new HR Consultant, Steven Torchio.<\/p>\n

Steven Torchio was an HR Consultant with the Department of Microbiology and Immunology (M\/I) and the Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC) for the past 5 years. He received his bachelor\u2019s degree in Exercise Science from UNC-CH. Afterwards, he spent many years in the restaurant industry, where he gained a passion for supporting people and building relationships. Steven is originally from Boston, joined the Navy after High School, where he appreciated the experience and lessons learned. In his free time, Steven loves love to play ice hockey and soccer, watch the Patriots, Bruins and Hurricanes, see live music and watch movies, and spend time with his son.<\/p>\n

\"Hailey<\/p>\n

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Hailey Wallace, Temp Research Technician joined the Kuhlman lab in January 2020.<\/p>\n

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\"Rob<\/p>\n

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Robert Whitaker, Postdoctoral fellow joined the Cook lab in January 2020.<\/p>\n

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Congratulations on BCBP Appointments and Promotions:<\/h2>\n

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\"wolfgang<\/p>\n

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Wolfgang Bergmeier is our new Director of Graduate Studies beginning in January 2020.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Joshua<\/p>\n

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Joshua Boyer was promoted to Research Associate in Zhang lab on November 5, 2019.<\/p>\n

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\"Carolyn<\/p>\n

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Carolyn Clabo was promoted to Director of Communications and Development on February 3, 2020.<\/p>\n

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\"Guochun<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Guochun Jiang<\/a>, specializing in HIV research, was promoted to Assistant Professor in December 2019.<\/p>\n

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\"Yanyan<\/p>\n

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YanYan Yang was promoted to Research Associate in Sancar lab in January 2020.<\/p>\n

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RECENT EVENTS:<\/h2>\n

We have hosted many<\/em> professional and social events.<\/p>\n

Thesis Defenses and Graduations<\/h3>\n

\"photo<\/p>\n

Frank Teets, under the direction of Klaus Hahn and Brian Kuhlman, successfully defended his dissertation and received his PhD on November 1, 2019. The title of his dissertation was \u201cFunction-Driven Approaches to the Design of Optogenetic Tools\u201d.<\/p>\n

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\"photo<\/p>\n

Jack Maguire, under the direction of Brian Kuhlman, successfully defended his dissertation and received his Ph.D. on January 24, 2020.\u00a0 The title of his dissertation was “Improving Computational Methods for Designing Polar Protein-Protein Interfaces.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Our graduate students presented their research at our 2-day Annual Student Symposium.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Student Symposium Day 1 held on 11\/7.<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"Jessica<\/p>\n

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\u201cUrzyme Characterization\u201d Jessica Hobson<\/a>, Carter Lab<\/p>\n

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\"Gabrielle<\/p>\n

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\u201cElucidating a role for VRK1 recognition of the nucleosome acidic patch in genome-templated processes\u201d Gabrielle (Gabby) Budziszewski<\/a>, McGinty Lab<\/p>\n

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\"Jimmy<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Application of Nano-formulated, Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor to a Cellular Model of Parkinson\u2019s disease\u201d Jimmy Fay<\/a>, Kabanov Lab<\/p>\n

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Student Symposium Day 2 and happy hour held on 11\/14.<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"Justin\u201cDesign and Application of Focused DNA-Encoded Libraries for Multivalent<\/p>\n

Chromatin Reader Proteins\u201d Justin Rectenwald<\/a>, Pearce and Frye Lab<\/p>\n

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\"Graduate
Graduate student Cathy Anderson (McGinty Lab)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u201cStructural Basis for Recognition of Ubiquitylated Nucleosome by Dot1L Methyltransferase\u201d<\/p>\n

Cathy Anderson<\/a>, McGinty Lab<\/p>\n

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\"Jibo
Graduate student Dylan Zhang (Strahl lab)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u201cRecognition of Histone Crotonylation by Taf14 links Metabolic State to Gene Expression\u201d Jibo (Dylan) Zhang<\/a>, Strahl Lab<\/p>\n

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\"bagel
11\/4 Bagel Breakfast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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November Bagel Breakfast<\/h3>\n

Our department faculty, postdocs, research scholars, staff, and students munched and mingled at our monthly Bagel breakfast on November 4th, organized by our graduate student leaders and Lisa Phillippie.<\/p>\n

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CryoEM Open House<\/h3>\n

\"open \"\"<\/p>\n

The CryoEM Open House<\/span> on November 8 was a featured event during Research Week. It was a success! See more photos on Facebook for the open house.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\" \"lined<\/p>\n

Thanksgiving Potluck Feast<\/h3>\n

On November 15, we had a very tasty Thanksgiving Potluck Feast. See the complete Thanksgiving Potluck photo album on Facebook.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"bagel
12\/4 Bagel Breakfast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

December Bagel Breakfast on 12\/4<\/h3>\n

Other events of interest for our department were:<\/p>\n

3rd Annual Chromatin and Epigenetics Symposium on 12\/5<\/a><\/h3>\n

Jointly sponsored by the Carolina Chromatin Consortium, Cancer Epigenetics Training Program, IBGS, NIEHS, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. The keynote talk \u201cEpigenetic Inheritance: Beyond DNA and Back\u201d was presented by Danesh Moazed of Harvard. Brian Strahl was involved in the planning of this symposium.<\/p>\n

2019 World Aids Day Symposium on 12\/6<\/a><\/h3>\n

The UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID) and the UNC Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) will host an event Friday December 6 to commemorate World AIDS Day. Ron Swanstrom gave the welcome and introduction to the World AIDS Day Symposium.<\/p>\n

2019 Triangle Area Cryo-EM Symposium on 12\/16 and 17<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"CryoStructural Biologists, from across the Piedmont, attended the first-ever 2019 Triangle Area Cryo-EM Symposium in Durham, NC. The event, funded in part by an Interdisciplinary Colloquium Grant from the Duke School of Medicine, allowed researchers from Duke, UNC at Chapel Hill and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to share scientific data and discoveries in the field of Cryo-EM technology. Many of our department members presented talks. Read the complete program for participants: CryoEM_Symposium_Program<\/a><\/p>\n

2019 BCBP Holiday Party<\/h3>\n

\"holiday<\/p>\n

Many thanks to the organizers of the BCBP holiday party<\/span>, which was held on December 17 at the Carolina Club. We had so much fun with staff awards and a gingerbread house competition (see below for more photos)!<\/p>\n

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2019 Staff Awards go to Lisa and Jeff!<\/h4>\n

A big congratulations to Lisa Phillippie who received the Administrative Staff award and Jeff Jones who received the Research Staff Award at our BCBP holiday party.<\/p>\n

\"Lisa
Lisa Phillipie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lisa Phillippie<\/span> has provided many years of dedication and service to our department.\u00a0 Her contributions span working with the Department\u2019s Graduate Education Committee, Biophysics training grant, Biophysics Summer program, and Accounting staff. She has stepped up recently to take on the additional duty of overseeing common equipment in the department. Lisa has incredible knowledge of department precedents and policies, which has made her to go-to-person for advice on various situations that graduate students encounter during their graduate training. She has dedicated herself to working with young people, not only our biophysics and biochemistry track students, but also the young minority students who participate in our biophysics summer program. Lisa has taken initiative to energetically set up team building activities for the staff that have brought them closer together and has helped our department maintain a sense of cohesiveness.<\/p>\n

\"Jeff
Jeff Jones<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Jeff<\/a><\/p>\n

Jeff Jones<\/span> is the lab manager for the Cook, Kuhlman and Strahl labs. His nominating letters highlighted many attributes that meet the criteria for receiving this award and emphasized how he is an indispensable team member of all three labs. Jeff possesses a seamless ability to maintain a professional and technical environment that is conducive to productivity for everyone in all three labs. He consistently identified and trained talented undergrads to perform a multitude of vital lab support tasks. Jeff created a website that is an all in one resource for information on \u201cHow Lab Workers Accomplish Lab Management Tasks in the department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.\u201d He is a warm and caring champion for everyone in the department regardless of seniority or stature.<\/p>\n

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2019 Gingerbread House Competition<\/h4>\n

Our gingerbread house competition was very interactive and fun. Teams of all ages unleashed their creativity and teamwork.Here are some gingerbread house photos of the very creative house-building efforts, with more on Facebook.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"gingerbread<\/a>\"for<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Frosted
Frosted tips<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"There's
There’s snow place like lab<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Congratulations to the creators of Frosted Tips for being voted Overall Favorite and Most Creative and\u00a0 There’s snow place like lab for the holidays for Most festive.<\/p>\n

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Lab Clean-up Day on 1\/8<\/h3>\n

Not to be missed was Lisa Phillippie’s suggested Lab Clean-up Day on January 8th<\/span>, in advance of the arrival of graduate student recruits. Pizza spurred us on. Special Thanks Lisa!<\/p>\n

\"Lisa\"crowded\"lisa\"cake<\/p>\n

Lisa Phillippie’s retirement on 2\/26<\/h3>\n

On the evening of February 26, we all gathered to celebrate Lisa Phillippie’s retirement<\/span> with Moe’s catering, a photo booth, and lots of reminiscing. Special thanks to Jamie DeSoto for planning this event.<\/p>\n

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SPRING 2020 BCBP SYNERGY MEETUPS<\/h3>\n

BCBP Synergy – February 2020<\/h4>\n
\"Group
BCBP Synergy – February 2020<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

BCBP SYNERGY has returned and are going on now! If you are not on the email list for this, please let Adam Luthman know.<\/p>\n

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Awards<\/h2>\n

Greg Wang – The Hettleman Prize and Yang Scholar Award<\/h3>\n

Special congratulations to Greg Wang for winning two major UNC awards, first, The Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement.<\/a> Greg presented his work Understanding Chromatin for Cancer Therapy, along with 3 other investigators on November 4, 2019. We also congratulate Greg Wang for receiving the Yang Family Biomedical Scholars Award<\/a>. Greg presented his work on February 14, 2020.<\/p>\n

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2019 Hettleman Prizes awarded to promising early-career faculty<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n