Alumni
NSM Alumnus Begins Harvard PhD Program
As an undergraduate student pursuing degrees in physics and chemistry, NSM alumnus Don Dressen explored some of the mysteries behind debilitating diseases. That proved to be the preparation he needed to secure a spot in Harvard University’s highly competitive graduate-level biophysics program.
While at DU, Dressen, who graduated in June 2008, worked closely with two professors affiliated with NSM’s Molecular Life Sciences and Biophysics Initiative: Assistant Professor Sean Shaheen of the Physics Department and Professor David Patterson of the biological sciences department, an affiliated researcher with the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. Collaborating with professors from different disciplines, he explains, “allowed me to explore research topics that I would have otherwise overlooked. … The combination of the different ideas that Dr. Shaheen and Dr. Patterson each brought to the table is really what made my work possible.”
Dressen’s project involved analyzing a human enzyme called adenylosuccinate lyase, or ADSL. “Certain people are born with a mutation in this enzyme that leads to symptoms such as muscle wasting, autistic behavior, mental retardation and epilepsy,” Dressen explains. “ADSL is a protein composed of four identical subunits, and the disease-causing mutation is often located at the interface of these subunits, not at the enzyme's active sites. My goal was to determine the types of intermolecular interactions holding the subunits together.”
At Harvard, Dressen hopes to continue on the path forged at DU. “The biophysics program at Harvard is based on collaborative research between many of the physical science departments at Harvard and MIT as well as Harvard Medical School and the Boston-area research hospitals. My experience in collaboration between the DU Physics and Astronomy Department and ERI has given me an excellent preview of what my experience at Harvard will entail.”
DU Alumni Symposium
Five NSM faculty members will be participating in the third annual Alumni Symposium, October 2-3, 2009, and there lecture topics will be:
The Conquest of the Universe: 21st Century Astrophysics
Robert Stencel
Associate Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy
In this talk, you will be updated on the amazing developments underway and planned that have transformed our classical view of the cosmos - including spaceflight and non-traditional means of observing and exploring the universe. Dark Energy probes, gamma ray and cosmic ray observatories, nightly terabit sky surveys and incredible numerical simulations have changed the way DU students engage in astrophysics since the dawn of the 21st century.
Alzheimer’s Therapy: The Facts and Cures
Christina Coughlin
Professor
Biology Department
Dr. Coughlan will discuss with you Alzheimer’s disease, its symptoms and its believed causes. She will also describe how the current therapeutic approaches work and will explain what researchers believe is needed to cure this disease.
Crime, Mass Disasters and Missing Persons: Forensic Analysis of Human DNA
Phillip B. Danielson
Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
More than a century ago, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle popularized the use of scientific crime-detection methods through his stories of Sherlock Holmes. In modern times, the wildly popular CSI television series has continued to intrigue viewers with the power of forensic science. This presentation will examine human DNA analysis - the cutting edge of modern criminal and missing person investigations. This technology has been used to identify skeletal remains from the Vietnam War and Czar Nicholas II, to link suspects to shed head hairs and saliva from robbery caps and to reassemble the remains the remains of human mass disaster fatalities fragmented by explosions and air crashes. You will be introduced to the fundamentals of human DNA analysis including the unusual types of evidence that can be collected and new issues that arise in court over the reliability of and ethics of DNA testing.
Chemical Senses
John C. Kinnamon
Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Learn about the senses of taste, smell and the common chemical sense (burn from chili peppers or mustard). Using jelly beans, we will find out how we distinguish these senses and discuss how each of these senses works. There will be numerous audience participation demonstrations involving ice cream, Doritos, chili peppers, bitter stimuli etc.
Is there such a thing as a bad plant? Invasive species and ecological change
Anna A. Sher
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
There are considerable federal and state funds allocated to killing invasive plants and animals each year; for example, the Colorado legislature has allocated $1 million toward the control of tamarisk trees alone. But is there a good side to these species? In this lecture we will learn about invasives specific to Colorado, and explore the scientific evidence regarding their role in ecosystems, featuring tamarisk tree- what many consider the most devastating, and certainly most controversial species.
To find out more information and how you can attend the symposium please view the invitation.
Calling all Alumni
We don’t mean to brag, but our alumni make us proud.
At NSM, we find it a constant challenge to keep up with our many on-the-go graduates. If you’ve changed jobs, received a promotion or celebrated an accomplishment, please let us know, so we can share the news.
Please contact Erin Hegel in the Office of the Dean at 303-871-4385 or by email.