• Highlights 2009-2010

  The young scientists of ReMIND hosted and participated in numerous events in their first year, including monthly journal clubs, the first Emerging Scientists Symposium, walks to support disease research, and outreach events at local schools.

  
  Over 150 people attended the first annual Emerging Scientists Symposium in March of 2010, with 18 graduate student and young post doctoral speakers and a keynote address from Dr. Rudi Tanzi, the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University. Students discussed an impressive array of topics relating to neurodegeneration, including cardiovascular risks, the contributions of inflammation and stress, the benefits of stem cells, and protein aggregation in Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer disease. The symposium was held in one day at the UCI Student Center.

  ReMIND also hosted a round table discussion with Dr. Claudia Kawas, a prominent neurologist at UC Irvine and leader of the 90+ study. Graduate students were able to ask questions about Dr. Kawas’ research, and almost more importantly discover her thoughts on how she got to the successful position she is in today. We were fortunate to get her advice on decision making along the scientific career path, and she also presented each attendee with the book “Advice to a Young Scientist”, by P.B. Medawar.

  In another effort to provide guidance to young scientists, ReMIND hosted a career panel of three successful scientists in different fields: Dr. Brian Cummings, Associate Professor at UCI, Dr. Veena Viswanath, Senior Scientist at Allergan, and Dr. Dan Keys, Patent Agent at Beckman Coulter. This provided an excellent environment to ask about how to get into these fields, the work involved in each position, and pointed questions about salary and lifestyle, which are important concerns for graduate students! We received a lot of positive feedback about this event, and hope to bring in a new panel of scientists in future years to continue the panel.

  The graduate students of ReMIND also ventured outside of UCI to participate in numerous volunteer activities. We brought human and sheep brains to the “Astounding Innovations Fair”, where K-12 kids could come and learn about the brain, and get to touch one! We help raise awareness of Alzheimer disease at the Memory Walk in Dana Point, encouraging people to sign the Alzheimer Act to present to Congress in support of increased funding for Alzheimer research. Similarly, we joined the Team Hope at the Orange County HD Walk for the Cure, to raise awareness about Huntington’s disease and the current status of research for a cure.

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