Research Connections :: 暗网吃瓜

暗网吃瓜 researchers hope to demonstrate ways to measure鈥攁nd thereby better understand鈥攈ow viscosity drives the turbulence and mixing of hot plasmas that form during high-energy-density experiments such as this one using the Omega laser at the University鈥檚 Laboratory for Laser Energetics. (Photo by Eugene Kowaluk/Laboratory for Laser Energetics)

A sticky plasma problem for fusion, high density experiments

Ideally, the onslaught of 60 converging, pulsed laser beams would cause a tiny fuel pellet to implode uniformly during fusion experiments at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), causing deuterium and tritium isotopes to fuse and ignite into a controlled burn.

Instead, execution of this carefully orchestrated scheme is hindered by several complications, including instabilities and mixing between the capsule and the fuel plasmas, which are at very different temperatures and densities, interfering with the laser鈥檚 ability to achieve the compression needed for ignition.

Viscosity can be critically important in the implosion. With support of a $590,000 grant from the Department of Energy鈥檚 National Nuclear Security Administration, a team of 暗网吃瓜 researchers led by principal investigator Jessica Shang, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, hope to demonstrate ways to measure鈥攁nd thereby better understand鈥攈ow viscosity dissipates energy in these plasmas.

The findings could lead to improvements in the design of experiments aimed at achieving fusion and a better understanding of the dynamics of warm dense matter in the formation and evolution of planets, including Earth, Shang says. Learn more.

University updating research security program per federal mandates

Research security has emerged as a priority for US research institutions receiving sponsored project funds from federal agencies. Research security is a broad term that refers primarily to national security concerns surrounding research involving certain types of sensitive data, intellectual property, export-controlled information, and other risks.

In effort to start to establish more secure, uniform, and transparent processes for funding and conducting federally sponsored research, the White House issued the National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33) in January 2021, which was followed up in January 2022 with , issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

OSTP鈥檚 guidance specifies how high research activity institutions like Rochester need to establish a research security program. As an original requirement of NSPM-33, any research institution receiving $50 million or more in federal research funding for the previous two fiscal years must establish such a program touching on four main areas of focus: research security training, cybersecurity, foreign travel security,听and (as appropriate) export control training.

As one of the nation鈥檚 leading research universities, the University of Rochester is expanding its research security program to align with these requirements. The effort is aimed at upholding safety and security in our research endeavors while continuing to foster the open global exchange of ideas.

In the coming months, the University鈥檚 Office of the Vice President of Research will be fully developing the components of a robust research security program in collaboration with several other campus units, including the Office for Global Engagement, the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA), University IT, and Finance and University Audit.

Find additional information here on steps the University is taking to expand its research security program.

University launches Institute for Human Health and the Environment

Building off a long history as a leader in research and education in environmental health and toxicology, the University-wide Institute for Human Health and the Environment (IHHE) will serve as a local and national hub to catalyze new scientific discoveries related to environmental impacts on health.

Led by B. Paige Lawrence, a professor of environmental medicine who also holds the Wright Family Research Professorship, the institute will transform this information into actions that will promote healthier lives, particularly for communities of color that are disproportionately affected by environmental risks.

With an emphasis on research, education, and engagement, the IHHE will focus on:

climate change and health
environmental justice
how water and air pollution impact health
how environmental factors shape health across our whole lifetime

Visit the to learn more and reach out to if you are interested in getting involved.

PhD dissertation defenses

Felicia Gilels, pathology, January 24, 2023.
鈥淭he Role of JAG1-Notch Signaling in the Maturation and Function of the Inner Ear.鈥�
Advisor: Amy Kiernan.

Jeremiah Jones, statistics, 1 p.m. today, January 27, 2023, 1W-502 Helen Wood Hall.
The Partial Linear Model in Causal Inference: Estimation, Selection, and Inference Leveraging Machine Learning.
Host: Ashkan Ertefaie.

Berke Karaahmet, neuroscience, noon, February 1, 2023, 1-7619 (Lower Adolph Auditorium) Medical Center.
Immunomodulatory approaches to Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease.
Advisor: Kerry O鈥橞anion.

Josh Bridges, earth and environmental sciences, 9 a.m. February 3, 2023, Gavett 202.
Diving Deep into the Dust: Paleo- and Environmental Magnetic Studies of North Pacific Ocean Sediments and their Implications for Shifts in Paleoclimate over the Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene.
Advisor: John Tarduno.

Love Data Month begins today

暗网吃瓜 Libraries have scheduled events throughout February鈥攁nd one in January鈥攖o appreciate data and help the community use and manage it better.

Today, Friday, January 27: in this virtual workshop
Thursday, February 2: Drop in to Lam Square to learn for your research
Monday, February 6:听Get metadata basics from Maggie Dull, director of metadata strategies for River Campus Libraries, at 鈥溾€�
Thursday, February 9: Join a
Tuesday, February 14:听Do some to learn how to plan, find, manage, analyze, and share your data
Wednesday, February 15:听Attend a
Wednesday, February 22:听Get an overview of simple
Friday, February 24:听Become a master of creating
Monday, February 27:听 in a virtual workshop to help you brush up on and hone your skills
Tuesday, February 28:听Attend a beginner-level workshop to learn how to

Register for CIRC winter bootcamp

The Center for Integrated Research Computing (CIRC) will be hosting workshop training sessions for a 5 week period starting on January 31. Known as the “CIRC Winter Bootcamp,” these workshops will be divided into 8 topics. Each week will feature 2 topics, and each topic will span over 3 days of instruction, with the exception of weeks 4 and 5 that will each feature a single topic.Topics will include basic training in脗听Linux, programming languages, data analytics tools, and visualization.脗听The courses are designed for beginners脗听and extra emphasis will be placed on using these languages, libraries,脗听applications, etc. specifically on BlueHive. The classes will take place on脗听Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday脗听mornings and afternoons and will be conducted as Zoom webinars.脗听Register . Please note that the registration site is only accessible from a UR/URMC trusted network or VPN if connecting from off-campus. If you have any questions, please contact circ@rochester.edu.

AS&E grad student research symposium accepting abstracts

Masters and doctoral students from Arts, Sciences & Engineering are invited to submit abstracts to participate in a graduate student research symposium from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23 in the Feldman Ballroom of Douglass Commons.

The symposium, sponsored by the Office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA), will include a poster session and several $300 cash prizes, including best posters in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering. It will also feature a networking/awards reception.

If you have something of your own to share with your colleagues鈥�a thesis proposal, new research finding, or independent study鈥攑lease consider submitting an abstract. Submissions should include a title, list of authors, and a brief abstract (250 words or less) of your research. Presenters should be willing to provide a 2-5 minute “talk-through” of their poster at the symposium.

your abstract by听Friday, February 3, 2023.听Submissions will be reviewed and applicants notified by February 8.听There is limited funding for poster printing support available through GEPA on a first come, first served basis. Questions? Contact Katie Ferruzza at k.ferruzza@rochester.edu

Register for Three Minute Thesis competition

Can you describe your thesis to a stranger in three minutes?

The Three Minute Thesis competition is an opportunity for doctoral students to sharpen their research focus, improve their presentation skills, and perfect their elevator pitches. Explore this page for more details about the competition, including eligibility, prizes, and presentation rules and guidance. Register by Monday, February 13, to compete in this year鈥檚 contest.听The sub-heat schedule is as follows:

Social sciences:听Tuesday, March 14, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Meliora Hall, Room 203
Humanities and music:听Wednesday, March 15, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Humanities Center D
Natural sciences: Monday, March 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Landers Auditorium, Hutchison Hall
Engineering:听Tuesday, March 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Computer Science Building, Room 209
Life sciences: Wednesday, March 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Lower Adolph Auditorium (1-7619), Medical Center

Competition finalists will present on Tuesday, April 4, from 3:45 to 6 p.m. Location details will be shared online once they are available.

Deadline extended for population health research postdoc fellowship

Interested in population health research? Take your career to the next level with the UR CTSI’s Population Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship.

With an individual development plan, our program is customized to your goals. Over the course of one year, you will develop and complete a population health research project with the guidance of an interdisciplinary team of mentors.

Apply by Wednesday, February 15.

Learn more .

锘�