MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2013 Activities by Category - Life Sciences

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A Gap Year in Dermatology

Dr. Louis Kuchnir (MIT Alum '87)

Jan/31 Thu 06:00PM-07:00PM 4-159

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/31

In recent years, pre-medical students have trended toward taking a "gap year" between college and medical school. These future physicians represent a highly qualified and motivated, but often underutilized workforce. At Kuchnir Dermatology, a new program is redefining the gap year by offering future physicians the opportunity to join the practice for a fourteen-month commitment as a Patient Care Coordinator.

Dr. Louis Kuchnir (MIT '87 alum) and his Patient Care Coordinator, Lauren, will answer questions and share experiences in an open dialogue about day to day life in a busy dermatology clinic. There will also be the opportunity to learn more about the gap year program.

For more information and to register visit CareerBridge at https://www.myinterfase.com/mit/student/, click on the "Events" tab, and select "Info Session" from the "Category" drop-down menu.

Contact: Erin Scott, 12-185, 617-715-5328, scotte@mit.edu


A Look Inside the Human Brain: MEG, MRI, PET, & TMS

Dimitrios Pantazis, Head of MEG Lab

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Modern imaging technologies at MIT and MGH provide exciting new ways to understand the structure and function of the human brain. We will provide guided tours of our imaging facilities and show how we use these tools to look inside the brain. Our recently installed MEG scanner, capable of measuring magnetic fields a billionth of the magnetic field of earth, can record the simultaneous firing of thousands of cortical neurons as they form dynamic networks.  Our MRI scanner provides high resolution images of the human brain as subjects perform a wide range of perceptual and cognitive tasks. Our PET scanners can reveal the localization of specific molecules in the brain, revealing pathologies that may underlie many different brain disorders. TMS is a noninvasive method that uses electromagnetic induction to induce weak electric currents and cause depolarization or hyperpolarization in the neurons of the brain. We will introduce these technologies, and discuss their contribution to neuroscience and current projects at MIT and MGH.

Contact: Dimitrios Pantazis, 46-5147, 617 324-6292, PANTAZIS@MIT.EDU


Seminar on Magnetoencephalography

Jan/15 Tue 01:00PM-02:30PM 46-1015

Topics include electrophysiological basis of MEG signals, instrumentation, modeling, cortical rhythms, brain networks, combining MEG with fMRI

Dimitrios Pantazis - Head of MEG Lab, Yu-Teng Chang - Post-doctoral Associate, Radoslaw Cichy - Post-doctoral Associate


A tour at the MEG Lab

Jan/17 Thu 01:00PM-02:30PM 46-1147

A tour at the MEG Lab, demo scan and data analysis of an MEG experiment

MEG Lab: http://mcgovern.mit.edu/technology/meg-lab

Dimitrios Pantazis - Head of MEG Lab, Kleovoulos Tsourides - Research Associate


Seminar on Positron Emission Tomography

Jan/22 Tue 01:00PM-02:30PM 46-3015

Introduction to PET technology and scanners at MGH, and applications in tumor detection, brain metabolic activity, gene expression, neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, pharmacology etc.

Quanzheng Li - Assistant Professor


Seminar on Transcranial Magnetic Stim.

Jan/24 Thu 01:00PM-02:30PM 46-3015

Use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to depolarize and hyperpolarize neurons of the brain, applications to treat depression and examine basic mechanisms of post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, among others.

Tommi Raij - Instructor in Radiology


Seminar on Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Jan/29 Tue 01:00PM-02:30PM 46-3015

Topics include MRI hardware, BOLD responses, diffusion imaging, safety, and more.

Anastasia Yendiki - Assistant Professor, Steven P Shannon - Operations Manager and MR Research Technologist, Sheeba Arnold Anteraper - MR Programmer


A tour at the MRI Lab

Jan/31 Thu 11:00AM-12:00PM 46-1171

A tour at the MRI lab. Demo scan (finger tapping) and data analysis.

MRI Lab: http://mcgovern.mit.edu/technology/martinos-imaging-center/technical-resources

Steven P Shannon - Operations Manager and MR Research Technologist, Sheeba Arnold Anteraper - MR Programmer


Alumni Talk with Dheera Ananthakrishnan 90 MD

Dheera Ananthakrishnan 90 MD, President of Orthopaedic Link

Jan/15 Tue 11:00AM-12:00PM 10-105

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required

From Course 2 to Spinal Reconstruction by way of Africa

Dr. Ananthakrishnan ’90 will share her personal journey from mechanical engineering at MIT, to bioengineering, then to medicine, and orthopaedic spine surgery, culminating in my developing world surgical work and our global distribution center/non-profit, Orthopaedic Link.

This talk is sponsored by the MIT Class Connections program and the MIT Alumni Association.

Register today!

Sponsor(s): Alumni Association
Contact: Elena Byrne, W98-206C, 617 252-1143, EBYRNE@MIT.EDU


Are You In or Out? An Overview of the Material Transfer Process @ MIT

Vibhu Sachdev, Associate Licensing Officer

Jan/24 Thu 12:00PM-01:30PM Room 3-133, Please register at: http://tlo.mit.edu/iapevents

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

The transfer of materials into and out of MIT is steadily increasing each year. Moreover, the providers and recipients for these materials are diversifying. Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) are legal contracts that ensure all parties are permitted to send and receive biological materials, chemical compounds, and other materials. MTAs protect MIT’s intellectual property and freedom to publish, and MTAs record the terms and conditions for the use of the materials. Come and hear members of the Technology Licensing Office discuss MIT's material transfer process. Gain a better understanding of MTAs, MIT’s procedures and policies for MTAs, and how to get your materials expeditiously. Refreshments will be served. Please register at: http://tlo.mit.edu/iapevents

Sponsor(s): Technology Licensing Office
Contact: Kikuyu Daniels, NE18-501, 3-6966, kdaniels@mit.edu


Bioinformatics for Beginners

Courtney Crummett, Bioinformatics and Biosciences Librarian

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Entrez family of databases is the foundation of knowledge for molecular level bioscience research. Class attendees will learn about the organization and interconnectedness of NCBI databases while focusing on several specific databases. The session is a hands-on practicum and an excellent starting point for people who are new to or curious about bioinformatics research tools. This session is offered twice covering the same material; participants welcome at any session. Registration required.

Friday January 11th, 2013 10-11:30AM http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190090

Wednesday January 16th, 2012 3-4:30PM http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190091

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-134, 617 324-8290, CRUMMETT@MIT.EDU


Jan/11 Fri 10:00AM-11:30AM DIRC 14N-132

Register here: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190090


Jan/16 Wed 03:00PM-04:30PM DIRC 14N-132

Register here: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190091


Biology at the Interface

Professor Iain Cheeseman, Member, Whithead Institute

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: none

This series has speakers that have combined approaches and disciplines to study biological problems. This includes Computational Biology, Systems Biology, Chemical Biology, and Physics/Biophysics.

Sponsor(s): Biology
Contact: Prof. Iain Cheeseman, WI-401B, 617-324-2503, icheese@wi.mit.edu


Biology at the Interface

Jan/09 Wed 11:00AM-12:00PM Whitehead Auditorium

Reading & Writing Biology -- & Beyond

George Church - Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School


Biology at the Interface

Jan/14 Mon 11:00AM-12:00PM Whitehead Auditorium

Functional Validation of New Targets in Cancer using Covalent Kinase Inhibitors

Nathanael Gray - Dept Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard


Biology at the Interface

Jan/16 Wed 11:00AM-12:00PM Whitehead Auditorium

Structure and stability of genomes

Job Dekker - Dept Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, UMass Worcester


Biology at the Interface

Jan/28 Mon 11:00AM-12:00PM Whitehead Auditorium

"Anticipating sudden transitions in biological populations: Cooperation, cheating, and collapse"

Jeff Gore - Department of Physics, MIT


Biology at the Interface

Jan/30 Wed 11:00AM-12:00PM Whitehead Auditorium

Timekeeping with a Three-Protein Circadian Clock

Erin O'Shea - HHMI and Dept of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard


Biotech Business Information for Engineers and Scientists

Courtney Crummett, Bioinformatics and Biosciences Librarian

Jan/30 Wed 11:00AM-12:00PM DIRC 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required


It's not brain surgery...it's market research. This session will introduce scientists and engineers to information resources that cover biotechnology industries and markets. We will use realistic examples and hands-on exercises with key resources to demonstrate how to match your ideas and discoveries with the opportunities and realities of the marketplace. Please register for this event. 

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-134, 617 324-8290, CRUMMETT@MIT.EDU


Design Thinking For Scientists

Alorah Harman, Course 1 , THE MEME design

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/10
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: "scientist" self-label, some experience in a wet-lab ideal.

For the scientist who wants an extra shot of creativity in their IAP!

Design thinking is a framework and a process that uses a designer's tools to analyze and characterize ill-defined problems. Using design thinking, we can supplement a linear approach to a problem (in lab for example) with a more fluid and iterative investigation alongside. 

This hands-on class is about idea generation, communication, and team dynamics specialized for scientists. Working in groups, we'll get a primer on how to think like a designer, especially with regard to mindset, group and solo brainstorming, and how to tease out and categorize qualitative insights to inform the design of quantitative experiments.

To learn by doing, we'll apply our human-centered frameworks to a high-energy 2-day exercise of envisioning the future of "the lab," sharing our end results with each other. All disciplines are welcome, but we'll have a focus on wet-lab environments (especially bio-labs).

**ROOM CHANGE** Saturday and Sunday (1/12-1/13)  1pm-4pm in 32-124. 

Now enrolling excited scientists (U/G/etc.) as space allows until Jan 10th. Contact aharman@mit.edu with interest.

Sponsor(s): Biology
Contact: Alorah Harman, AHARMAN@MIT.EDU


Session I

Jan/12 Sat 01:00PM-04:00PM 32-124

Session II

Jan/13 Sun 01:00PM-04:00PM 32-124

Does God Exist? - Building the Scientific Case

Chris Swanson

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Is there evidence for a Creator? This series provides facts and insights from philosophy, cosmology and biology to show that belief in God is rational.  We will survey recent findings in the physical and biological sciences, as well as mathematical probabilities, which provide a compelling case for the existence of God. These lessons also show how God's existence offers a coherent explanation for objective and meaningful morality.  This is a 5 part series, including lecture and discussion.  Optional free dinner before at 5pm.  If you want to come for the dinner email fanqig@mit.edu.  

Sponsor(s): Campus Crusade for Christ
Contact: Chris Swanson, W11-004, 515-451-9542, cswanson@mit.edu


Does God Exist? - Session 1

Jan/08 Tue 05:30PM-07:00PM 4-145

This session will examine how faith and reason are in harmony and start examining the evidence of God's existence from cosmology - is there evidence for a designed universe?  


Does God Exist? - Session 2

Jan/10 Thu 05:30PM-07:00PM 4-145

We will continue to examine the evidence from cosmology - looking at the design, beginnings, and fine tuning of the universe.  


Does God exist? - Session 3

Jan/15 Tue 05:30PM-07:00PM 4-145

This session will look for evidence for God through biology...DNA, life's origin, and more.  


Does God Exist? - Session 4

Jan/17 Thu 05:30PM-07:00PM 4-145

This session will continue our look at evidence from biology.  


Does God Exist? - Session 5

Jan/22 Tue 05:30PM-07:00PM 4-145

Our last session will look more to philisophical ideas that point to God's existence - specifically human morality.  Does our moral experience as humans point to the existence of God?  Is the existence of God the best explanation of human morality?


Educational Opportunities in Medicine and Human Health

Martha L Gray, Professor of Medical and Electrical Engineering

Jan/09 Wed 01:00PM-03:00PM E25-401, RSVP to Traci Anderson (tanderso@mit.edu)

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Join faculty to explore educational opportunities through the new Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES). We offer many options to complement your graduate studies, including hands on training in clinical settings, a certificate program, and formal coursework in biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering, and biomedical enterprise.

This IAP Session will introduce:

A Certificate Program in Graduate Education in Medical Sciences (GEMS) ~ a part-time certificate program to supplement existing MIT PhD curricula. GEMS provides students with the training to translate their basic research to clinical settings. Begins Spring 2013.

Interested candidates should attend this IAP session and pre-register for HST035 Principles and Practice of Human Pathology.

More information: http://hst.mit.edu/go/gems

Elective Coursework ~ IMES offers a wide variety of courses open to the MIT community. This session will include course faculty discussing the following spring courses: HST035 Principles and Practice of Human Pathology; HST212 Biomedical Inventions - Clinical Experience & Selected Success Analysis; HST576
Topics in Neural Signal Processing; HST979 Dynamics of Biomedical Technologies – How to evaluate a clinical need and create a commercial entity.

Pizza and refreshments will be served.

More Information: http://hst.mit.edu/news-and-events/imes-iap-2013

Sponsor(s): Health Sciences & Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science
Contact: Traci Anderson, E25-518, 617-253-7470, tanderso@mit.edu


Gap-free Neural Circuits: From Sensory Input to Motor Output

Tatsuo Okubo, Nikhil Bhatla

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/04
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: None

Why do people act the way that they do?  How sensory input alters the behavioral output of living organisms is a fascinating question in neuroscience.  While this is difficult to study in a gap-free manner at the cellular level in mammals, gap-free neural circuits have been identified and their signal transformation properties characterized in simpler organisms.  On each day of this class we will discuss a single neural circuit that has been worked out at the cellular level, including how each neuron in the circuit transforms the incoming physiological signal using specific molecules.  Circuits will be derived from primary experimental data.  We will focus on circuits for which the neurons that sense the stimuli are known, the interneurons are known, and the motor neurons controlling muscle contraction and the resulting behavior are known.  Circuits will be drawn from several invertebrate organisms, including the genetic organisms C. elegans and Drosophila, as well as the locust, crayfish and cricket.  After this class students will have a precise understanding of several different neural circuits as well as the methods used to identify and analyze these circuits.  By providing several examples of real neural circuits, principles for how circuits function in general may become apparent.  Students, post-docs and professors welcome.

The class will consist of 10 sessions from Monday, January 7, 2013 to Friday, January 18, from 4-5:30p in 46-3015.

Course website and sign-up form.

Sponsor(s): Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Contact: Tatsuo Okubo, 46-5145, okubo@mit.edu


Gap-free Neural Circuits

Jan/07 Mon 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015
Jan/08 Tue 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015
Jan/09 Wed 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015
Jan/10 Thu 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015
Jan/11 Fri 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015
Jan/14 Mon 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015
Jan/15 Tue 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015
Jan/16 Wed 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015
Jan/17 Thu 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015
Jan/18 Fri 04:00PM-05:30PM 46-3015

Tatsuo Okubo, Nikhil Bhatla


Get the most from your "omics" analysis: GeneGo MetaCore Software Training

GeneGo Trainer, Courtney Crummett

Jan/11 Fri 03:00PM-05:00PM DIRC 14N-132, Registration required

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 20 participants

Attend this IAP session and learn how to use GeneGo, a bioinforamtics software tool licensed by MIT Libraries. GeneGo provides a solution for using "omics" gene lists to generate and prioritize hypotheses with MetaCore. Learn how to work with different types of data (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and interaction data) beginning with how to upload gene lists and expression data. Use GeneGo software to: upload, batch upload, store, share and check data properties and signal distribution; extract functional relevance by determining the most enriched processes across several ontologies; emphasize the role of expression data in your analysis; visually predict experimental results, associated disease and possible drug targets; and compare data sets and work with experiment intersections. Registration Required: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=189964

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-M48, x4-8290, crummett@mit.edu


How to: Bootcamps and Survival Guides for your Scientific Adventure

Professor Iain Cheeseman, Member, Whitehead Institute

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance:

MIT Biology presents a selection of talks on the practice of science, navigating academia, and balancing it all with a life outside the lab.

Sponsor(s): Biology
Contact: Prof. Iain Cheeseman, WI-401B, 617-324-2503, icheese@wi.mit.edu


The New Professor Experience

Jan/08 Tue 01:00PM-03:00PM 68-181

What are the biggest challenges when setting up a lab? What things turned out to be easier than expected? What is it like teaching and hiring lab members? Come learn from some faculty about what it's like to be a "new professor", and some of the thrills and challenges of starting a new lab. 

 

Organized by: Paul Fields

Adam Martin, Matt Vander Heiden, Brett Pellock, Michelle Meyer, David Pincus


Finding the Right Postdoc

Jan/14 Mon 02:00PM-04:00PM 68-181

Not sure if you want to do an industry or an academic postdoc?  Want to know how to find a postdoc?  What do people look for when hiring a postdoc?  Come find out all this and more!

 

 

Organized by: Dave Phizicky and David Benjamin

Dr. Tyler Jacks - Director: Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Dr. Francis J. Martin, Dr. Justin Pritchard, Renee George


Thriving at MIT

Jan/23 Wed 01:00PM-03:00PM 68-181

When you're stressed about lab or life in general, do you ever wonder what's available to you to help you de-stress your life? Or even if you're not stressed, want some more information about how to improve different aspects of your mental and physical well-being? If so, come and listen to these knowledgeable panel members discuss how to make your time at MIT more enjoyable.

 

 

Organized by: BioREFS

Frank Solomon, Tejas Kalastavadi - 2011-2012 Vice-President of the MIT Post-Doctoral Assoc, Hannah Blitzblau - President of the Whitehead Postdoctoral Assoc,, Susanna (Zan) Barry - Senior Program Manager, Community Wellness at MIT Medical, Josh Arribere - Member of BioREFS, Graduate Student in Biology


Methods for analyzing neural data

Ethan Meyers, Postdoctoral Associate, BCS, MIBR, Wasim Malik, Instructor in Anesthesia Harvard Medical School, MGH

Jan/28 Mon 03:00PM-04:30PM 46-5056
Jan/30 Wed 03:00PM-04:30PM 46-5056
Feb/01 Fri 03:00PM-04:30PM 46-5056

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/23
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

You have just run an exciting neuroscience experience and sitting in front of you is a pile of data. The only thing stopping you from publishing your results in Nature concerns turning that pile of data into clear insights about how the brain works. Well rest assured, after taking this course you well on your way having that exciting new publication on your CV.

In this course we will cover several useful methods for analyzing neural data including conventional statistics, mutual information, point process models and decoding analyses. The emphasis will be on discussing how to apply methods that work best, and explaining the basic mathematical intuitions behind these methods. The examples used will focus on neural spiking activity but we will also discuss other types of signals including MEG signals, and local field potentials. Some familiarity with neuroscience and basic statistics will be useful, but we will try to keep the background knowledge to a minimum.

 

 

Sponsor(s): Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Contact: Ethan Meyers, 46-5155, 617 447-7814, EMEYERS@MIT.EDU


Next Steps: A Sampling of Careers in Science

Professor Iain Cheeseman, Member, Whitehead Institute

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

This program will cover non-traditional paths for Biology PhDs.  Please join us at seven exciting seminars featuring speakers who are at the top of these respective fields.

Sponsor(s): Biology
Contact: Prof. Iain Cheeseman, WI-401B, 617-324-2503, icheese@wi.mit.edu


A Career in the Biotechnology Industry

Jan/15 Tue 01:00PM-03:00PM 68-181

Are you considering a job in industry, or perhaps starting your own company? What are the main differences between academic and industry labs? Join us for an exciting Q&A session with a panel of scientists who belong to different areas of industry, and find out whether industry is right for you.  

Organized by: Sherry Lee and Xiaofei Gao

Phillip Sharp - co-founder of Biogen, Alnylam and Magen, Teresa Compton, Alessandra Di Bacco, Alexandra Huhalov


A Career in Consulting/Venture Capital

Jan/16 Wed 01:00PM-03:00PM 68-181

The business of Biology is booming! This seminar features capitalists, who finance biological enterprises and consultants, who suggest the best way to merge Biology with business. Come listen and speak with PhDs who have made the transition from bench work to the business world.

 Organized by: Paul Fields

Robert Weisskoff, Sebastian Kraves, Ricardo Brau, Jessica Church


Intellectual Property and Patent Law

Jan/17 Thu 01:00PM-03:00PM 68-181

Commercializing the science that we do and ensuring that is done fairly is an important part of the scientific mission. Come learn from the different perspectives of PhDs who have pursued law-related career paths in the biotech industry, law firms, and academia. What opportunities exist for scientists in law-related professions? What are these careers like and are they right for you?

Organized by: Sherry Lee

Duncan Greenhalgh, Nicholas Mitrokosta, Kristin Konzak, Jennifer Griffin


Science Writing

Jan/24 Thu 01:00PM-02:30PM 68-181

Science Writing and the Spread of a Scientific Idea

Once experiments are completed and the paper submitted, how is that information communicated within a field--and to a larger audience?  Come explore the diverse ways science is communicated outside the lab--in journalism, publishing, and industry.

Organized by David Kern and Zahra Hirji 

Seth Mnookin - Author of the The Panic Virus, Will Knight, Anne Knowlton, Priya Prakash Buddle


Finding a Faculty Position

Jan/28 Mon 01:00PM-02:30PM 68-181

Looking for a professorship is a daunting process. What type of institution is right for you? Where do you find information? What do search committees look for? What should you do at an interview? Come find out from faculty at different institutions and career stages who have experienced all aspects of the process.

Organized by: Wendy Niedelman and Xiaofei Gao

Melissa Kosinski-Collins, Celeste Peterson, Harvey Lodish, Matthew Shoulders


Government & Policy

Jan/30 Wed 01:00PM-03:00PM 68-181

Government and Policy: Decisions beyond laboratories

A scientist's critical evaluation is not limited to the lab bench. Come and find out how scientists can employ their expertise in federal policies and the decision making process, the major determinants of our research infrastructure. Join the discussion!

 Organized by: Grace Chen and Sandhya Sanduja

Mary Yebba, Patrick Wen, Jeffrey Rolands


Education & Outreach

Jan/31 Thu 01:00PM-03:00PM 76-156

Education and Outreach: Helping the next generation of scientists

Do you love teaching and helping people learn? How do I become involved in teaching and outreach? Can there be a balance between running a successful lab and mentoring? Come find out!

Organized by: Grace Chen, Sandhya Sanduja, and Dave Phizicky

 

Dr. Leah Okamura - recent graduate of the Page lab, Dr. Michelle LaBonte, Dr. Patrick Williamson, Dr. Mandana Sassanfar - Instructor and Director of Diversity and Science Outreach


Protocols and Methods: Recipes for research

Howard Silver

Jan/23 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/23
Limited to 30 participants
Prereq: none

A couple hours in the Library can save you a couple of weeks in the lab. Don't waste your time reinventing the gelatin sponge-choriallantoic membrane assay. Improve your efficiency by learning strategies for finding published research protocols and methods. This session is a hands-on practicum that introduces attendees to resources that support bioscience bench research.

Please register for this session.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Howard Silver, 14S-134, 617 253-9319, HSILVER@MIT.EDU


Repair of Basic Laboratory Equipment

Charles Moses

Jan/16 Wed 05:30PM-07:30PM 68-674

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)

Sponsored by Graduate Women in Science.

Engineer Charles Moses will conduct a course on repair of laboratory equipment, geared toward but not limited to beginners. Equipment will include: electrophoresis units, spectrophotometers, motors on shakers and centrifuges, etc. General topics will also include: assessing the tools required to disassemble, fix and reassemble a piece of equipment; tool quality; and rational disassembly of equipment when the function of some component is not known. Bring broken equipment on which to practice. Session starts at 5:30 p.m. in 68-674.


Contact: Brenda Minesinger, 68-647, x3-4721, bminesin@mit.edu or CT Moses, chastmoses@yahoo.com

Sponsor(s): Biology
Contact: Brenda Minesinger, 68-647, 617-253-4721, bminesin@mit.edu


The Joy of Clinical Medicine

Dr. Louis Kuchnir, MD-PhD (MIT Alum '87)

Jan/31 Thu 07:00PM-08:00PM 4-159

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/31

Back when doctors were among the wealthiest Americans, they could have retired early, but instead they tended to work until their own health failed. Lately, clinical medicine is cast as an unrewarding profession. Observers point to how "jackpot justice" is causing a malpractice crisis while cost-savings programs developed by managed care bureaucracies are blamed for destabilizing the doctor-patient relationship.

Louis Kuchnir, MD, PhD and MIT '87 alum will try to inspire those of you interested in becoming clinicians by explaining how the rewards of medical practice are so enormous that they outweigh the indignities that dominate the headlines. In the end, modern doctors are still blessed with the same rewards as our predecessors, while technology expands our potential even beyond their dreams.

For more information and to register visit CareerBridge at https://www.myinterfase.com/mit/student/, click on the "Events" tab, and select "Info Session" from the "Category" drop-down menu.

Contact: Erin Scott, 12-185, 617-715-5328, scotte@mit.edu


Workshop on the Peer Review Process - MIT

Rosy Hosking, Scientific Editor, Cell

Jan/24 Thu 02:00PM-05:00PM 76-559

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required

A unique opportunity to benefit from the experience of a Cell editor, to improve your understanding of Peer Review. The half-day interactive workshop is designed to open up the peer review process for (future) authors and reviewers. The workshop will answer the following questions: What is the purpose of the peer review process? What things are important to remember when reading reports on your own paper, or writing comments on another author’s paper? And how does the Journal Editor fit into the conversation? These points will be under discussion alongside an examination of a published Cell paper and its first and second round reviewer reports. There will also be preparatory and homework components to the workshop to give participants an opportunity for personal editorial feedback on a review assignment. Workshop strictly limited to 20 participants.                  

www.cell.com

Preregistration is required.  To confirm, email both  angelika@mit.edu and joyoung@mit.edu

Sponsor(s): Biology
Contact: Angelika Amon, 76-561, 617 258-8944, angelika@mit.edu