Vermont Biomedical Research Network

VBRN Professional Development Seminar
2024-01-27 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 85 South Prospect St. Burlington VT 05401, 85 South Prospect St., Burlington, VT, 05405, United States
Please save the date for the VBRN professional development seminar on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 9:00 AM -1:00 PM. The event will be held at UVM Memorial Lounge, 85 South Prospect Street, Burlington in the Waterman building. Breakfast will be available beginning at 9am. The session will take place from 10am-12noon.
Porter Knight https://productivityvermont.com/ is our guest speaker for this year’s session.
Please note that this is a required event for all funded faculty and that a remote option will not be offered.
More details to follow.

“E-Cigarettes and Smoking Cessation: A New Twist on a Familiar Question”
2023-10-13 10:30 - 23:45 | VT
UVM Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds Seminar
10:30-11:45 AM – Join online Meeting ID: 913 3058 6982, Passcode: [REDACTED] or in person in the David Auditorium, UVM campus
“E-Cigarettes and Smoking Cessation: A New Twist on a Familiar Question”
Matthew Carpenter, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

"The 25x5 Initiative to Reduce Clinical Documentation Burden"
2023-10-13 08:00 - 09:00 | VT
UVM Department of Medicine Grand Rounds Seminar
8:00-9:00 AM – Join the seminar online (Passcode: [REDACTED] Meeting ID: 878 850 0732)
“The 25×5 Initiative to Reduce Clinical Documentation Burden”
Trent Rosenbloom, M.D., MPH, FACMI, FAMIA, FAAP
Professor in Biomedical Informatics, Clinical Nursing,
Pediatrics, and Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of
Medicine (SOM) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC)
Director, My Health at Vanderbilt, VUMC
Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs, Department of Biomedical Informatics, VUMC
Director, Clinical Effectiveness Research, Vanderbilt Health Affiliate Network
Associate Director, Medical Innovators Development Program, Vanderbilt University SOM

“Desire, Pleasure, and Addiction in the Brain”
2023-10-12 13:15 - 14:15 | VT
Dartmouth College Psychological and Brain Sciences Colloquium
1:15-2:15 PM – In-person in Filene Auditorium, Moore Hall B03, Dartmouth College campus
“Desire, Pleasure, and Addiction in the Brain”
Kent Berridge, PhD, James Olds Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
University of Michigan

UVM Translational Global Infectious Disease Research (TGIR) Workshop
2023-10-12 10:00 - 11:30 | VT
10:00-11:30 AM – in-person in HSRF 400, UVM campus
“TBD”
David Bernstein, UVM

"To Oklahoma and Beyond: How to turn my preliminary data into an R01”
2023-10-12 09:00 - 10:00 | VT
UVM Vermont Center for Immunology and Infectious Disease (VCIID) Research-in-Progress Meeting
9:00-10:00 AM – Join the meeting or in-person in HSRF 300, UVM campus
“To Oklahoma and Beyond: How to turn my preliminary data into an R01”
Robyn Kent PhD, Postdoc, Ward lab, Larner College of Medicine
University of Vermont

"The impact of Miro1-mediated mitochondrial positioning on subcellular signaling"
2023-10-11 11:00 - 12:00 | VT
UVM Redox Biology and Pathology Program Seminar
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Join the seminar online , Meeting ID: 959 9166 6098, Passcode: [REDACTED] or in-person in HSRF 300, UVM campus
“The impact of Miro1-mediated mitochondrial positioning on subcellular signaling”
Nathaniel Shannon, CMB doctoral candidate, Cunniff Lab, Larner College of Medicine
University of Vermont

“The Next Pediatric Vital Sign? School Attendance and the Link to Health”
2023-10-11 08:00 - 09:00 | VT
UVM Pediatric Grand Rounds
8:00-9:00 AM – Join online (Passcode: [REDACTED] or in person in the Davis Auditorium, UVM campus
“The Next Pediatric Vital Sign? School Attendance and the Link to Health”
Heidi Schumacher, M.D., FAAP, Assistant Professor, Departments of Pediatrics
Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP), UVM Larner College of Medicine
Primary Care Pediatrician, UVM Children’s Hospital

“Investigating Mechanisms for Spatial and Temporal Control of Kinesin Motors”
2023-10-10 11:30 - 12:30 | VT
UVM Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) Seminar Series
11:30 AM-12:30 PM – Join online or in person in the Davis Auditorium, UVM
“Investigating Mechanisms for Spatial and Temporal Control of Kinesin Motors”
Sarah-Catherine Paschall, Doctoral candidate, Dr. Jason Stumpff’s Lab, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
University of Vermont

"Engineering Immunity: Building from Molecules to Therapies"
2023-10-10 08:00 - 17:00 | VT
Dartmouth College 2023 Symposium for the Life Sciences
8:00 AM-5:00 PM – Register now (Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided)
In person in the Ookpik Auditorium, Life Science Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth campus, Hanover, NH
“Engineering Immunity: Building from Molecules to Therapies”
Six speakers

“CRISPR Therapeutics: A new class of medicines for the hemoglobinopathies”
2023-10-10 07:30 - 08:30 | VT
UVM Obstetrics and Gynecology Grand Rounds
7:30-8:30 AM – Join the seminar online
“CRISPR Therapeutics: A new class of medicines for the hemoglobinopathies”
Kyle Cromer, PhD
Assistant Professor, Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery
University of California, San Francisco

“Resilience in a warming world: Lessons from ants and flies”
2023-10-09 12:00 - 13:00 | VT
UVM Department of Biology Seminar Series
Online 12:00-1:00 PM – Teams link, or in person, Terrill 108
“Resilience in a warming world: Lessons from ants and flies”
Sara Helms Cahan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Biology & Associate Vice President for Research
University of Vermont

“Whole Health Transformation in the Veterans Administration"
2023-10-09 08:00 - 09:00 | VT
UVM Department of Family Medicine Grand Rounds Laura Mann Integrative Healthcare Lecture
8:00 – 9:00 am, Join the seminar, Meeting ID: 941 8945 2885
online or in-person, Davis Auditorium
“Whole Health Transformation in the Veterans Administration”
Benjamin Kligler, MD, MPH
Executive Director of the Office of Patient-Centered Care & Cultural Transformation
Veterans Administration

"Developmental Plasticity and Health: The Importance of Good Beginnings"
2023-10-06 16:00 - 17:00 | VT
UVM Department of Psychological Science Department Colloquium
4:00-5:00 PM, In-person John Dewey Hall, Room 314, UVM campus
“Developmental Plasticity and Health: The Importance of Good Beginnings”
Zaneta Thayer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology
Dartmouth College

“Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Targeting of Reward Circuitry in Adolescent Depression”
2023-10-06 10:30 - 11:45 | VT
UVM Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds Seminar
10:30-11:45 AM – Join online Meeting ID: 913 3058 6982, Passcode: [REDACTED] or in person in the David Auditorium, UVM campus
“Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Targeting of Reward Circuitry in Adolescent Depression”
Erika Forbes, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Psychology, and Clinical and Translational Science,
University of Pittsburgh

“Crosstown Traffic: Probing the Intersection of Vesicular Trafficking Pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana”
2023-10-05 16:30 - 17:30 | VT
UVM Department of Plant Biology Marvin Memorial Seminar Series
4:30-5:30 PM – join online with Teams link or in person in Jeffords 110, UVM campus
1–“Crosstown Traffic: Probing the Intersection of Vesicular Trafficking Pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana”
Connor Lewis, Plant Biology Doctoral Candidate
2–“Target Capture Sequencing Reveals Hidden Diversity in the Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina) Species Complex in the Americas”
Bertrand Black, Plant Biology Doctoral Candidate

“Unraveling the Effects of RNA-Mediated Toxicity on the Human Nervous System: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Interventions”
2023-10-05 13:30 - 14:30 | VT
UVM Neurological Sciences Seminar – Faculty Candidate
1:30-2:30 PM – in person HSRF 300, UVM campus
“Unraveling the Effects of RNA-Mediated Toxicity on the Human Nervous System: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Interventions”
Kathryn Morelli, UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
University of California, San Diego

“Virus-host interactions in the infectious microenvironment”
2023-10-05 10:00 - 11:30 | VT
UVM Translational Global Infectious Disease Research (TGIR) Workshop
10:00-11:30 AM – join online or in-person in HSRF 400, UVM campus
“Virus-host interactions in the infectious microenvironment”
Emily Speranza, Case Western Reserve University CCLCM

NIH Director’s Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series (WALS)
2023-10-04 14:00 - 15:00 | VT
2:00-3:00 PM, Join the seminar

“The Intersection of Ethics, Law, and Regulations in Challenging Pediatric Cases”
2023-10-04 08:00 - 09:00 | VT
UVM Pediatric Grand Rounds
8:00-9:00 AM – Join online (Passcode: [REDACTED] or in person in the Davis Auditorium, UVM campus
“The Intersection of Ethics, Law, and Regulations in Challenging Pediatric Cases”
Caroline Hesko, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor,
Department of Pediatrics UVM Larner College of Medicine
Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist, University of Vermont Children’s Hospital
Timothy Lahey, M.D, MMSc,
HEC-C Professor, Department of Medicine,
UVM Larner College of Medicine
Director, Medical Ethics, UVM Medical Center

"Prioritizing Disease Critical Variants, Genes, and Cell Types Using Genetic and Genomic Data"
2023-10-03 15:00 - 16:00 | VT
National Cancer Institute Seminar
3:00-4:00 PM – Join online
“Prioritizing Disease Critical Variants, Genes, and Cell Types Using Genetic and Genomic Data”
Kushal Dey, PhD, Assistant Member and Josie Robertson Investigator, Sloan Kettering Institute
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

"New DNA repair mechanisms revealed from bacterial resistance to genotoxic natural products"
2023-10-03 08:00 - 17:00 | VT
UVM Department of Chemistry Seminar
10:05 – 11:00 AM, In-person Innovation E105
“New DNA repair mechanisms revealed from bacterial resistance to genotoxic natural products”
Brandt Eichman
Professor at Vanderbilt University

“A People’s Mental Health Movement: Sawubona and the Rise of Healing Circles”
2023-09-29 15:00 - 16:00 | VT
UVM Department of Psychological Science Department Colloquium
3:00-4:00 PM, In-person John Dewey Hall, Room 314
“A People’s Mental Health Movement: Sawubona and the Rise of Healing Circles”
Dr. Evan Auguste, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of MA, Boston Ma’at
Psychological Services

"Immune System Optimization in a Variable World"
2023-09-29 14:00 - 15:00 | VT
Dartmouth College Biological Sciences Seminar
2:00-3:00 PM – Join the seminar Meeting ID: 952 7605 0167, (Passcode: [REDACTED] in-person LSC 100, Oopik Auditorium
“Immune System Optimization in a Variable World”
Ann Tate, Vanderbilt University

“Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) - from observations to action.”
2023-09-29 12:30 - 13:00 | VT
UVM Department of Neurological Sciences Grand Rounds Seminar
12:00-1:00 PM – In person only, Davis Auditorium
“Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) – from observations to action.”
Samden Dorjee Lhatoo MBBS, MD, FRCP(Lon), John P and Kathrine G McGovern Distinguished University Professor of Neurology, Executive Vice Chair, Department of Neurology, Director, Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Co-Director, Texas Institute of Epilepsy, Neurotechnologies and Neuroinformatics

VBRN Grant Writing Workshop
2023-09-29 11:30 - 17:00 | DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, 870 Williston Rd, South Burlington, VT, 05403, United States
The VBRN Grant Writing Workshop will be held from 11:30-5:00 PM Friday, September 29, 2023 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington, VT. Attendance at this workshop will be required for all faculty intending to apply for Exploratory, Pilot or Project Award funding for June 1, 2024-May 31, 2025. Attendance is recommended for a faculty who have received VBRN funding in the past and are interested in applying for individual NIH support in the future. The program consists of an informational session followed by small group breakouts to review the submitted pitch papers described below. Lunch is included prior to the start of the program.
Note the following key dates and information on the pitch paper or draft Specific Aims page.
Key dates for 2024 VBRN applications:

RSVP for Grant Writing Workshop: Friday, September 1, 2023

Include 2-3 key words for your intended research. Also provide contact information for any suggested reviewers. This workshop is a mandatory requirement to apply for VBRN funding

Pitch paper due: Friday, September 15, 2023

Email pitch paper to your coordinator with a working title for your proposal. This is a mandatory requirement to participate in the grant writing workshop.

Grant Writing Workshop: Friday, September 29, 2023
Letter of Intent due: Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to VBRN with a working title. VBRN will distribute the LOI template to those who attended the Grant Writing Workshop.

VBRN Application due: Friday, January 12, 2024

Tentative program schedule

11:30-12:00 PM
Registration

12:00-1:00 PM
Lunch and informal networking

1:00-1:15 PM
Welcome remarks

1:15-1:50 PM
Corporate and Private Funding Opportunities (Jay Caporale, Corporate and Foundation Relations, UVM Foundation)

1:50-2:25 PM

Funding for Experiential Learning (Dr. Delphine Quenet, UVM)
“Where to find help to develop a CURE and how to fund it?”

2:25-3:00 PM

NSF Award PI and Reviewer Insights (Dr. Matt Liptak, UVM)
“Differences between the NSF and NIH review criteria: perspective of an NSF PI and reviewer.”

3:00-3:15 PM
Break

3:15-5:00 PM
Pitch paper review panel and concluding remarks

Details on the Pitch Paper (draft Specific Aims page)
Faculty submit a NIH-style proposal to apply for VBRN funding. Because our network is comprised of primarily undergraduate institutions, VBRN encourages faculty to submit AREA R15 grants for extramural funding. As such, the NIH AREA R15 review criteria are used in the VBRN review process and for the pitch papers.
For the pitch paper, faculty are asked to include at a minimum Specific Aims of the proposed research (one-page total). Optionally and additionally, faculty may include draft Significance and Innovation components of an AREA R15 application (two-pages total, including the Specific Aims page).
VBRN’s goal is to recruit outside reviewers to participate in the small group breakouts. If you have any suggested reviewers you would like to recommend, please share their contact information when you email your RSVP to your BPI Coordinator. VBRN will then reach out to any suggested reviewers.
The Specific Aims page:
The Specific Aims page is particularly critical as your “calling card” to your readers. During a Study Section, only the three reviewers will read your full application, but most panelists will only see the Specific Aims page. Hence, your Specific Aims page is critical for selling your application to the whole panel. There is a formal structure to a Specific Aims page. It starts with an introductory paragraph that serves several key functions including introduction of the main scientific question, and statement of the central hypothesis that your work will test. Then, you write a short paragraph for each of the 2-4 principal objectives (Aims) of the study. Each Aim should include the premise behind the Aim, a description of how the Aim will be achieved, and what the likely impact of successful completion of the Aim will be to the field at large. Some PIs conclude their Specific Aims page with a brief impact statement describing how completion of the research will positively impact on the NIH Mission. A good Specific Aims page convinces the reader of the importance of your question, the logical strength of your central hypothesis, and the strength of your approach in testing this hypothesis.
For additional resources on writing a Specific Aims page contact VBRN (vbrn@uvm.edu).
Significance and Innovation components:
The Significance and Innovation sections function to convince the reader of the overall urgency of your scientific question, and whether you have devised a novel and forward-looking approach to test your main questions. Essentially, a well written significance section answers the why of your grant and convinces the reader that the problem needs further research. It should support your premise for the importance of the question and help frame why your hypothesis is reasonable. The Innovation section is an argument for the novelty of your approach. Typically, novelty is expressed in the form of a novel hypothesis, a new scientific approach or technique, and a novel conceptual framework to study and analysis.
For additional resources on writing Significance and Innovation sections contact VBRN (vbrn@uvm.edu).
An excellent guide for writing NIH grant proposals:
Robertson, John D. et al. The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook: National Institutes of Health Version. January 2019 edition. Buellton, CA: Grant Writers’ Seminars and Workshops, LLC, 2019. Print.
NIH Review Criteria include the following components. Consider these in the preparation of your pitch paper.

Overall Impact
Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to make useful scientific contributions to the research field(s) involved, to provide research opportunities to undergraduate students by engaging them in primary research activities, and to strengthen the research environment of the institution, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Significance
Does the project address an important problem or a barrier to progress in the field? Is the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project rigorous? If the aims of the project are achieved, will the data be publishable and useful to the field? If funded, will the AREA grant have a substantial effect on the applicant institution in terms of strengthening the research environment and exposing undergraduate students to research?
Innovation
Does the application take advantage of, challenge or build on current research concepts and models or research techniques? Are innovative approaches to engaging undergraduate students in research proposed?
If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact your BPI Coordinator or vbrn@uvm.edu.

“Brucella Type IV effectors: Strength in numbers.”
2023-09-29 11:00 - 12:00 | VT
UVM Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
11:00-12:00 PM, Join the seminar, Passcode: [REDACTED] or in person Stafford Hall, Rm 410
“Brucella Type IV effectors: Strength in numbers.”
Jean Celli, PhD, Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Department (MMG).

"Immunogenicity and protective mechanisms for a live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine”
2023-09-29 08:00 - 09:00 | VT
UVM Department of Medicine Grand Rounds Seminar
8:00-9:00 AM – Join the seminar online (Passcode: [REDACTED] Meeting ID: 878 850 0732)
Immunogenicity and protective mechanisms for a live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine”
Sean Diehl, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of MMG, Vaccine Testing Center, UVM Larner College of Medicine

“Finding the Hidden Genomic Structural Variation Involved in Poplar Tree Hybridization”
2023-09-28 16:30 - 17:30 | VT
UVM Department of Plant Biology Marvin Memorial Seminar Series
4:30-5:30 PM Jeffords 110 or join online with Teams link
“Finding the Hidden Genomic Structural Variation Involved in Poplar Tree Hybridization”
Baxter Worthing and Rachel Wilson, UVM Plant
&
“TBA”
Biology graduate students

UVM Department of Chemistry Seminar
2023-09-28 10:00 - 11:00 | VT
10:05 – 11:00 AM, In-person Innovation E105
Burack Lecture – John Warner
Host: Rory Waterman
