University News

Columbia's Center for Research on Environmental Decisions Launched

A new center to investigate individual and group decision making under climate uncertainty and environmental risk has been created with a five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant of $5.9 million. The Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED), based at Columbia University, celebrated its official launch in a ceremony at Low Library on Wednesday, May 4. The launch featured speaker Michael Oppenheimer, the Albert G. Milbank Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. The event was followed by CRED's first annual meeting of affiliated researchers and advisory boards.

CRED is led by David Krantz, professor of psychology and statistics at Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS); Elke Weber, Jerome A. Chazen Professor of Management, International Business and Psychology at Columbia Business School; Roberta Balstad, director of Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN); and Kenneth Broad, assistant professor at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy at the University of Miami.

The work of the center is coordinated by Director Elke Weber, Associate Director Sabine Marx and Assistant Director Debika Shome. Bridging the social and natural sciences, CRED is a joint center of the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP) and the Earth Institute, and is affiliated with ISERP's Center for the Decision Sciences. CRED currently serves as an umbrella for 16 projects, conducted by 24 researchers at eight universities. Research projects include a wide range of decision makers -- farmers, water resource managers, policy makers -- in a variety of geographical regions around the globe.

Decisions based on weather and climate predictions impact critical matters such as agricultural production, water supply and usage, and public health. Yet the uncertainty surrounding climate change and climate variability, and the potential threats associated with it, complicate the decision-making process. If how people deal with such uncertainty can be better understood, the way people adapt to increased variability and change can be improved with better decision tools, including improvements in the format and delivery of climate forecasts.

CRED will produce basic research on environmental decision making. According to Krantz and Weber, individual and group decision mechanisms have generally been studied separately, the first by cognitive and social psychologists, the second by other social scientists such as sociologists or anthropologists. CRED will integrate these approaches and provide research based in the laboratory and in field sites.

Building on its research, CRED will develop new interventions and decision tools to improve decision making. By educating scientists, CRED directors aim to improve the flow of information between the fields of decision making and climate change. The center will also develop educational programming for audiences ranging from high-school students to academic researchers and policy makers.

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UTD's Center for BrainHealth Receives Two Gifts Totaling $1 Million

The University of Texas at Dallas' Center for BrainHealth, which has begun building a national reputation for groundbreaking research in the brain sciences, has received gifts from two Dallas couples totaling $1 million. The monies, in part, will be used to aid in the completion of the center's new 63,000-square-foot research facility, located at 2200 Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, near the campus of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

The donors are Jean Ann and Steve Brock and Claudia and Jerry Stool. The Brocks contributed $500,000, half of which will be applied toward the purchase, expansion and renovation of the building. The remainder of their gift will be earmarked to fund research on learning problems facing children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), in collaboration with the Shelton School, a private, co-ed school in Dallas that serves children with learning differences.

The Stools also gave $500,000. Of that, $50,000 will be applied toward the building, $200,000 will be used for research with the Shelton School and $250,000 will be designated for research about Alzheimer's disease.

When the renovation and expansion of the building are completed in May of next year, the Mockingbird Lane facility will house more than 80 researchers, post-doctoral fellows, doctoral and master's students and research clinicians. The center's director, Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, who also holds the Dee Wyly Distinguished Chair for Brain Health, anticipates that as many as 50 projects will be ongoing at any given time, ranging from translating neuroscience breakthroughs into new treatments for children and adults affected by brain dysfunction to research about stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, normal aging complications and psychiatric diseases.

The center's new home will be named the Frances and Mildred Goad Building and will have 24 pillars at its façade, recognizing the founding donors and their generous support. The Brocks and the Stools each will have a pillar.

The campaign to provide the Center for BrainHealth, which is part of UTD's School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, with a building of its own began last fall, when philanthropist Dianne Cash pledged $5 million to the cause. Ms. Cash's mother is Frances Goad Cecil, and her grandmother is Mildred Crews Goad. Although UTD matched that amount and others have contributed along the way, an additional $2 million still is needed to complete the renovations and to fund equipment. Currently, the center is housed at UTD's Callier Center for Communication Disorders, which also is located near downtown Dallas and U. T. Southwestern.

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Ronald J. Daniels Named Provost at The University of Pennsylvania

Ronald J. Daniels, Dean of the Faculty of Law and the James M. Tory Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, has been named the 28th Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn President Amy Gutmann has announced.

Daniels is an internationally accomplished legal scholar, specializing in corporate and securities law, regulation and government reform and the legal and institutional challenges of economic development.

During his tenure as Dean, Daniels expanded the school faculty, recruiting many new scholars from both Canada and abroad, thereby increasing the student-faculty ratio from 18:1 to 9:1. Under his leadership, the Law School's endowment increased from $1 million in 1995 to more than $57 million in 2004. Working closely with colleagues at the Faculty of Law, he implemented a comprehensive review and reform of virtually every aspect of the Faculty academic program, including undergraduate and graduate curricula, student services, financial aid and faculty research standards.

Active in promoting the ideal of pro bono service in the legal profession, Daniels founded Pro Bono Students Canada, a national organization headquartered at the Law School that each year places more than 2,000 law students from every Canadian law school with local community-based organizations.

Daniels' appointment as Penn's next Provost concludes an international search chaired by Arthur Rubenstein, Dean of Penn's School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Daniels is the author or editor of numerous scholarly articles and books, including Rethinking the Welfare State: The Prospects for Government by Voucher, with Michael Trebilcock (Routledge, 2005), Corporate Decision-Making In Canada, with Randall Morck (University of Calgary Press, 1995), Special Issue on the Corporate Stakeholder Debate: The Classical Theory and its Critics (1993, University of Toronto Law Journal) and he Role of Debt in Interactive Corporate Governance,with George Triantis (1995, University of California Law Review).

In the wake of 9/11, he spearheaded a major international conference at the University of Toronto focusing on the federal government proposed anti-terrorism legislation. The conference was held in early November 2001, and the proceedings were published one week later in a 490-page book published by the University of Toronto Press entitled The Security of Freedom (edited by R.J. Daniels et. al). The book was distributed to every Member of Parliament, and the project was credited with having promoted several critical amendments to the draft legislation before final enactment. He is currently working on a manuscript, with Michael Trebilcock, that addresses the role of law and legal institutions in economic and political development.

Daniels is active in public policy formulation and has contributed to several Canadian public task forces. These include: Chair of the Provincial Government Panel on the Future of Government (2004), Special Advisor to the Ontario Government on Reform of Public Accounting Regulation (2003), Chair of the Ontario Electricity Market Design Committee (1998-99), Chair of the Ontario Task Force on Securities Regulation (1994) and member of the Toronto Stock Exchange Committee on Corporate Governance (1994). Daniels is past-President of the Council of Canadian Law Deans and of the Council of Ontario Law Deans. He is a member of the Board of Governors of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

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MIT's Langer Wins Top Prize in Medicine

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor Robert S. Langer has won the $500,000 Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, America's top prize in medicine.

The Albany Medical Center Prize is one of the largest prizes in medicine worldwide, second only to the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Previous recipients include Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a scientific leader who was recognized for his seminal work on AIDS and other diseases of the immune system, and Dr. Arnold J. Levine, who co-discovered the p53 protein, described as perhaps the most important tumor suppressor gene in human cancer.

Langer was selected for the Albany Medical Center Prize for his entire body of scientific work, most notably his seminal research on polymer-based drug delivery systems, which has allowed clinicians to control the release of large molecules in a slow, steady and controlled manner. Prior to Langer's groundbreaking discovery, many large molecules could not be used therapeutically because they could not be given orally nor could they be delivered via injection since the body's enzymes attacked and destroyed them.

The practical application of Langer's work has led to the development of an array of plastic devices that are surgically implanted to deliver medicines and hormones in precisely regulated amounts over long periods of time.

The polymer-coated, drug-eluting stent that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2003 for use in the treatment of cardiovascular disease is one of the more celebrated examples of the translational benefits of this research. Other well-known applications include the development of a controlled-release system that was approved for use with a large molecule peptide drug that combats advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis and other diseases in more than 300,000 patients each year.

Langer's research is credited with paving the way for the advent of a radical new discipline called tissue engineering, which scientists hope will one day obviate the need for donor organs.

He is also credited with helping to develop the concept of local chemotherapy, whereby neurosurgeons are able to use dime-size wafers to deliver potent drugs to the exact spot where a tumor was removed, severely limiting side effects and extending the lives of patients.

The Albany Medical Center Prize was established in November 2000 following a $50 million gift commitment to Albany Medical Center from Morris "Marty" Silverman, a New York City businessman and philanthropist who was born in Troy, N.Y., and educated in nearby Albany.

The annual prize was created to encourage and recognize extraordinary and sustained contributions to improving health care and promoting biomedical research to improve patient care.

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Argonne National Laboratory Focus of New Alliance Between University of Chicago, Northwestern, University of Illinois

The University of Chicago has established a new Science Policy Council in collaboration with Northwestern University and the University of Illinois that will oversee the scientific mission of Argonne National Laboratory. The Council is expected to enhance Argonne's scientific capabilities, strengthen the state's technological base and workforce preparation, and improve Illinois' ability to receive federal research funding.

By strengthening ties between Argonne and its academic partners in Illinois, the Council will open new vistas for research at the Laboratory and within the region, said Thomas Rosenbaum, the University of Chicago's vice president for research and for Argonne. A closer relationship between Argonne and Illinois universities could also trigger new scientific, technological and economic benefits while providing a larger role for Illinois students in research at the laboratory.

The University of Chicago will continue as the sole manager of the Laboratory for the Department of Energy, but the presidents and a senior administrator from both Northwestern and Illinois will join Argonne's Board of Governors. The presidents of Northwestern, Illinois and the University of Chicago will serve as members of the executive and nominating committees of the Argonne Board, helping recruit prominent new members to the board from industry, academia and the national laboratory system.

At Northwestern University, vice president for research C. Bradley Moore said the Argonne collaboration brings together regional institutions to tackle problems too difficult for any one institution to handle alone.

Argonne is a direct descendant of the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory, which created the first controlled, nuclear chain reaction in 1942. The University has operated Argonne since the latter was established as the nation's first national laboratory in 1946. Argonne is one of 10 national laboratories managed by the DOE's Office of Science.

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US Congress Praises IITs

The Indian Institutes of Technology, in particular, and the Indian-American community, in general, came in for impassioned praise from the US Congress – the first time the US Congress has honored a foreign university in this manner – for their significant contributions to society in every profession and discipline.

The US Congress passed House Resolution 227 -- introduced by Congressman Tom Davis and co-sponsored by Congressman Bobby Jindal -- praising the stellar work done by IIT-ians in all walks of life.

Davis said that the United States must take leaf out of India's book and devise a strategy to focus on and improve studies in math and sciences.

Experts say that this rare recognition will help IITs solicit US government grants and promote industry collaboration with the IITs for sponsored research and faculty/student exchange programs

The Congressional debate ran live on CSPAN with speeches by several Congressmen on the IITs, and when the speaker brought it to vote, it was passed unanimously.

Rep. Joseph Crowley, a Democrat from New York and the chief deputy whip, submitted a statement to the congressional record in support of House Resolution 227.

In a statement, Crowley said: "As the former co-chair of the Caucus on India and Indian-Americans and the representative of one of the largest concentrations of Indian-Americans in the United States, I have seen first hand the contributions my friends from India have made."

He said the IITs have for long groomed fine minds that have gone on to achieve incredible success in India and overseas.

The full text of House Resolution 227 is as follows:

In the House of Representatives, US, April 26, 2005.

Whereas the United States is deeply enriched by its Indian-American residents;

Whereas the Indian-American community and the graduates of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in the United States have made valuable and significant contributions to society in every profession and discipline; and

Whereas IIT graduates are highly committed and dedicated to research, innovation, and promotion of trade and international cooperation between India and the United States:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, that the House of Representatives–

1. Recognizes the valuable and significant contributions of Indian-Americans to American society;
2. Honors the economic innovation attributable to graduates of the Indian Institutes of Technology; and
3. Urges all Americans to recognize the contributions of Indian-Americans and have a greater appreciation of the role Indian-Americans have played in helping to advance and enrich American society.

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Vanderbilt Scientists Discover Early Universe Behaved like a Liquid After Big Bang

Research reported April 20 at a meeting of the American Physical Society reveals that the early universe may have behaved like a liquid in the first few microseconds after the Big Bang. Physicists from Vanderbilt University were part of a prestigious international team that made the surprising findings. The experiments were done using the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC, pronounced "Rick") at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y.

Greene and her Vanderbilt colleagues, Professor of Physics Charles Maguire and Assistant Professor of Physics Julia Velkovska, use the PHENIX detector at RHIC. RHIC operates by accelerating two beams of heavy ions, such as gold nuclei, to nearly the speed of light in opposite directions around a ring 2.4 miles in circumference. At four different places around the collider's path, the two beams are brought together so that the ions will crash into one another. At each of these "interaction points," different teams of scientists have designed and built elaborate detectors that track the showers of subatomic particles that are produced in these collisions.

PHENIX is the largest of the four instruments that make up RHIC. It weighs 2,000 tons, is 40 feet wide and four stories tall. By analyzing the information produced by PHENIX, the Vanderbilt physicists and their colleagues have been able to bring the nuclei of the gold atoms together at such force that their energy briefly generated trillion-degree temperatures, temperatures that are 300 times that of the solar surface and that last existed at the birth of the universe.

The results from PHENIX and the other experiments over the past three years were compiled into four papers, which have been accepted for publication in the journal Nuclear Physics A.

In the papers, the researchers report that quarks and gluons - subatomic particles which are usually only found bound into larger particles like protons and neutrons - behaved like a liquid at the extreme temperatures produced in the experiments. The findings are contrary to expectations that the particles would produce a gas.

Unlike ordinary liquids in which individual molecules move about randomly, the hot matter formed at RHIC seems to move in a pattern that exhibits a high degree of coordination among the particles - somewhat like a school of fish that responds as one entity while moving through a changing environment.

One area that has captured the attention of physicists is the potential that these results have to validate string theory, which approaches fundamental physics using 10 dimensions rather than the usual three spatial dimensions plus time.

For Greene and her colleagues, the findings are just one step - though a very large one - along the path to understanding matter at both the smallest and the largest scales.

The Vanderbilt researchers' work at RHIC is supported by funding from the Department of Energy.

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SGH-NTU Robot Improves Diagnosis, Treatment of Prostate Cancer

The Singapore General Hospital and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have jointly developed a Prostate Robotic System that will improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostrate cancer, the fifth most common cancer in Singaporean men.

The Prostate Robotic System is a robotic biopsy and potential radioactive seed treatment delivery system designed by a group of professors and students from NTU's School of Mechanical and Production Engineering, in collaboration with clinicians at SGH's Department of Urology. The 15-member SGH-NTU team is jointly led by Dr Christopher Cheng, Head of Department of Urology, SGH and Associate Professor Ng Wan Sing from NTU's School of Mechanical and Production Engineering.

The Prostate Robotic System can be used to define cancerous areas in the prostate and guide biopsy protocols. This improves upon present diagnosis methods for prostate cancer, which is difficult to detect due to the location and behavior of the prostate gland. The system has potential use in the localized treatment of prostate cancer by placing radioactive seeds into cancerous areas in the prostate.

With the Robotic System, ultrasound images obtained will be used to generate a three-dimensional computerized model of the prostate. The 3-D model can then be rotated and magnified, allowing the urologist to obtain a comprehensive perspective of the prostate and hence better define biopsy sampling areas.

Based on the selected biopsy areas, the Robotic System will recommend suitable needle trajectories (pathways) in order to arrive at the defined positions. These planned trajectories can be computer-simulated, allowing the urologist to review the planned procedure before giving the go-ahead for the robot to perform the actual biopsy. By making it possible to accurately place a needle according to a biopsy protocol, the Robotic System is expected to significantly increase the reliability of prostate biopsy for cancer detection.

Initial clinical trials conducted at SGH's Urology Department have shown that the Robotic System achieved a consistent accuracy of ±1.5mm from the intended biopsy spot, a significant improvement over current manual methods.

In cases where multiple areas in a prostate are suspected to be cancerous, the Robotic System requires only a single puncture point to perform multiple biopsies unlike current methods which require multiple punctures. This results in less damage to healthy tissue, less pain and trauma for the patient, and a faster recovery time.

In addition to applications in prostate cancer diagnosis, the Prostate Robotic System can also be used in localized radioactive treatment of prostate cancer. The system can accurately place radioactive particles ("seeds ") into cancerous areas in the prostate. This will allow an improved distribution of radiotherapy for the prostate and hence maximize treatment effects on cancerous cells, while reducing damage to normal, healthy cells.

The SGH-NTU team started developing this system in mid-2001, leveraging on SGH's clinical knowledge of the disease and NTU's engineering expertise in robotics technology. Funding of some half a million dollars came from the National Medical Research Council and SingHealth.

The team has filed a provisional US patent for the Prostate Robotic System and plans to have the system commercially available within the next five years. In the meantime, the team has embarked on further enhancement on the Robotic System and plans to incorporate a new method of guidance for even more accurate biopsies. The team members are hopeful of obtaining additional funding and are currently seeking possible development partnerships with medical instrumentation companies.