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Mary Cassatt at Work at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Mary Cassatt at Work at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco From October 5,...




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Round Table Insight Sessions: A series of open discussions with ME students (November 13, 2024 6:00pm)

Event Begins: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 6:00pm
Location:
Organized By: Sessions @ Michigan


We invite you to participate in a series of student roundtable discussions, centering and exploring the experiences of ME students. Students at all levels are welcome to join, from undergraduate to Masters to PhD. These sessions are meant to bridge gaps in our community and show commitment of mutual support. 
Share Your TruthThis is your platform to express your experiences, aspirations, and concerns within our department. Your stories matter, and we are here to actively listen and learn from each other.
Forge ConnectionsConnect with fellow students who understand your journey. Build supportive networks, exchange ideas, and foster a sense of belonging within our community.
Inclusivity in ActionWhile our focus is on amplifying the voices of marginalized students, we embrace and celebrate the diversity within our community. Allies and friends committed to creating an inclusive environment are warmly encouraged to join us.
Each session will provide a meal and a ME swag item to all participants. To help us plan times for sessions please fill out the interest form by clicking on the button below. We look forward to connecting with you.




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Deutschtisch im Max Kade Haus (November 13, 2024 6:00pm)

Event Begins: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 6:00pm
Location: North Quad
Organized By: Germanic Languages & Literatures


Deutschtisch is a weekly event in the North Quad dining hall for Max Kade residents and visitors from outside of Max Kade Haus to speak German during a meal.



  • Social / Informal Gathering

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Donia Human Rights Center Panel Discussion | Reproductive Rights as Human Rights: International Perspectives (November 13, 2024 4:00pm)

Event Begins: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 4:00pm
Location: Lane Hall
Organized By: Donia Human Rights Center


Payal Shah, JD, Director, Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Physicians for Human Rights; Tamara Dávila, Human Rights Fellow at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership in Kalamazoo College, Michigan; Seda Saluk, Assistant Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Michigan.

Co-sponsored by: U-M Global Feminisms Project, Department of Women's and Gender Studies, Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan, and Center for Middle East and North African Studies

This interdisciplinary panel will discuss ongoing efforts around the world to defend reproductive justice as an essential human right, tied to the rights to life, health, equality and autonomy. Speakers will address the role of legal and medical professionals as well as scholars and activists in documenting the harm of restrictions on reproductive rights and advocating for victims with particular focus on the U.S., Nicaragua and Turkey.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required if you intend to participate virtually.

Register at: https://myumi.ch/qV9xg

CHAIR:

Professor Michele Heisler, MD, MPA

Professor, Internal Medicine, Health Behavior and Health Equity; Medical Director, Physicians for Human Rights.

Dr. Michele Heisler is renowned for her work in advancing health through respect for human rights and addressing social determinants of health. Internationally recognized for her research on the health consequences of human rights violations, she has authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles and has been instrumental in developing protocols, legislation, and partnerships aimed at preventing violence and discrimination.

PANELISTS:

Payal Shah, JD

Director, Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Physicians for Human Rights (participating virtually via Zoom)

Payal Shah, a distinguished human rights lawyer with over 15 years in gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights advocacy, currently directs a major initiative on reproductive rights at Physicians for Human Rights. Her work focuses on training and advocacy to support survivors of sexual violence and improve forensic evidence collection globally.

Tamara Dávila

Human Rights Fellow, Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, Kalamazoo College, Michigan

Tamara Dávila, a Nicaraguan psychologist, feminist activist, and human rights defender, has dedicated her career to advocating for sexual and reproductive rights and supporting survivors of violence. Dávila's activism has led to her imprisonment, and she continues her advocacy work from exile in the United States, focusing on empowering marginalized communities.

Seda Saluk, PhD

Assistant Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Michigan

Feminist anthropologist Seda Saluk specializes in medical anthropology, science and technology studies, and Middle East studies. Her current book project, “Monitoring Reproduction: Surveillance and Care in Turkey”, investigates the complexities of reproductive surveillance against the backdrop of demographic changes. Her research has been widely supported and published in several leading academic journals.

If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.




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(Mon, May 2 2022 to TBD) #36 service to Desplaines/Harrison will be temporarily discontinued.




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Los Bitchos' 'Talkie Talkie' is a raucous 1980s discotheque

Heavily inspired by cumbia, the London-based band has a straightforward ethos: have fun.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Finland’s President to present scholarships and have discussions with U of T experts

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University of Toronto cell biologists discover on-off switch for key stem cell gene - Discovery may propel advances in regenerative medicine

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Should I Disclose My ADHD Diagnosis?

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  • ADHD Adults
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Canadian Blood Services discovery research lab contributes to new knowledge on neutrophils

Canadian Blood Services discovery research lab contributes to new knowledge on neutrophils


Thursday, August 29, 2024 Abby Wolfe

Dr. Donald R. Branch’s work as a discovery scientist at Canadian Blood Services focuses on immunotherapy, seeking to further enhance understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in autoimmune diseases. Based in Toronto, Dr. Branch’s laboratory develops models of rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and multiple sclerosis in mice. These models are particularly useful in examining how cells affected by these conditions respond to current therapeutic agents like intravenous immunoglobulin – a blood product made from human plasma commonly known as IVIg – and investigating potential alternative therapeutics.  

Over the years, Dr. Branch’s lab research findings have included the discovery of a special reagent that makes identification of antibodies easier by “zapping" autoantibodies,answers around unexpected side effects of IVIg therapy, and insights around recipients’ responses to bone marrow transplantation. It has also earned him numerous awards and accolades, including four from AABB, the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies.

Dr. Don Branch, Canadian Blood Services senior scientist

New knowledge about neutrophils

Recently, contributions from Dr. Branch’s lab helped a U.K.-based team of researchers discover new information about how neutrophil function and activity is regulated. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that are part of the body’s normal immune response. A person’s neutrophil levels may be affected by infections as well as chronic or acute illnesses. Patients who have very low neutrophil counts and/or persistent infections may receive a boost to their neutrophil levels via granulocyte transfusion therapy. However, in some diseases, overactivation of neutrophils can also create an inflammatory environment and harm healthy tissue.

The research has been published in the high-impact scientific journal, Nature. This publication has filled a gap in knowledge about the mechanisms involved in maintaining balance between neutrophils’ infection-fighting power and inflammation-causing potential. As Dr. Branch describes: “This research by Dr. Brown and team shows that the myeloid inhibitory C-type lectin enzyme, which is known as MICL, controls neutrophil activity in rheumatoid arthritis. It is likely that MICL also regulates neutrophil activity in general. This suggests that if therapeutics can be designed to target MICL, they may be useful in controlling inflammation and infection. It is a fundamental finding that will change our understanding of the biology of neutrophils.”  

Discovery research, like the study to which Don and Ruqayyah contributed, is essential to improving patient care in the long run. New biomedical insights are essential to crafting new drugs and new therapeutic approaches in a rational way.

Dr. William (Bill) Sheffield, Canadian Blood Services senior scientist and associate director of research

Discovery research expertise leads to new collaboration  

The special mouse model that Dr. Branch’s lab uses is known as K/BxN. In this model, two mouse populations are selectively bred to produce offspring whose genetic material carry an antibody that destroys bone cartilage. An arthritis-causing serum containing this destructive antibody can then be obtained from the mice for use as a reagent in research. This process is termed “serum-transfer arthritis” and has been used by many investigators in the study of treatments that may alleviate the condition. 

Knowledge of Dr. Branch’s lab’s expertise in this area prompted a connection to the team of researchers at the Universities of Exeter and Aberdeen in the U.K. for this study. Says Dr. Branch, “In 2021, I supported a successful application to Canadian Blood Services’ Blood Efficiency Accelerator Program (BEAP) by Dr. Maria Fernandes, a researcher from  Héma-Québec who works with neutrophils. Through this collaboration, Dr. Fernandes was aware that I work on rheumatoid arthritis with K/BxN mice, and she also knew that Dr. Gordon Brown in the U.K. was looking to collaborate with a researcher in this area for some planned neutrophil research. My lab, which included postdoctoral fellow Dr. Ruqayyah Almizraq at the time, contributed to Dr. Brown’s research by providing the sera from our K/BxN mice. With this sera, Dr. Brown and his collaborators were able to induce rheumatoid arthritis and show that it could be resolved by removing the inhibition of a specific enzyme.”  

Science that is never boring

The Branch lab is currently using these same mouse models to investigate whether a recombinant protein called IgG1 Fc hexamer could be an effective replacement for IVIg in the treatment of autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and ITP. While early results are promising, continued work is needed. In fact, back in 2018, Dr. Branch was asked in a previous R.E.D. blog post to describe what he found to be the most exciting part of science. Reflecting on the same question now, he reiterates that his response still rings true after 50 years in the field:   

The most exciting part of science is that when you do good science, you get more questions than you get answers, which means it is never boring. There is no end to imagination; new ideas, theories, experiments and discoveries occur often and provide a level of excitement to which many other professions cannot attest.

Dr. Donald (Don) Branch, Canadian Blood Services senior scientist


Canadian Blood Services – Driving world-class innovation 

Through discovery, development and applied research, Canadian Blood Services drives world-class innovation in blood transfusion, cellular therapy and transplantation—bringing clarity and insight to an increasingly complex healthcare future. Our dedicated research team and extended network of partners engage in exploratory and applied research to create new knowledge, inform and enhance best practices, contribute to the development of new services and technologies, and build capacity through training and collaboration. Find out more about our research impact.   

The opinions reflected in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Canadian Blood Services nor do they reflect the views of Health Canada or any other funding agency. 

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