Dear Colleagues, 

I am pleased to include another issue of RFS Briefings with some timely and encouraging updates on women in science.

Rosalind Franklin Society Medal

Submission deadline: Extended to May 31st
Submit Nomination Now!                                    

The Genome Writers Guild (GWG) and Rosalind Franklin Society have joined forces again to recognize amazing scientists by awarding the Rosalind Franklin Medal.

This award marries together GWG’s core objectives of facilitating genome writing conversation, collaboration, and exposure with the Rosalind Franklin Society’s goals of enabling more women to achieve higher recognition, visibility, appointments, and success in industry, academia, or government. The recipient of this award will embody the missions of both organizations. 

The Rosalind Franklin Medal will not only recognize the outstanding body of research of a woman in the field of genome engineering and nucleic acids research, it also offers a platform to share that work with members and colleagues worldwide of both organizations. The recipient will be an invited speaker at the Genome Writers Guild annual conference this summer and annual Rosalind Franklin Board Meeting and Colloquium later this year. We invite the nominations of women working in the fields of genome engineering and synthetic biology. The researcher should be in an early stage of their career, including graduate students, post-docs and assistant professors. Nominees from all walks of genomics and nucleic acid research, including academia, industry, and government are welcome. Criteria used to identify the winner will include: scientific Impact; contribution to the fields of genome editing or nucleic acid research; contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion; community outreach; and overall strength of support letter(s).

To nominate (or self-nominate):

• Send name

• CV and/or Biosketch

• Brief statement of support/ justification for review context

Contact us for questions
Erin Nolan: [email protected]
Dr.Shondra Pruett-Miller: [email protected]

Stay safe and sound,
 
Karla Shepard Rubinger
Executive Director
Rosalind Franklin Society
www.rosalindfranklinsociety.org

Novel Innovations for Tissue Regeneration in Osteoarthritis.
ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, has launched a new program. The goal of NITRO (Novel Innovations for Tissue Regeneration in Osteoarthritis) is to find ways for the human body to repair its own joints. Osteoarthritis affects more than 32 million Americans, is the third most common type of disability, and has an estimated economic burden of more than $136 billion per year. A Proposers' Day for research teams interested in NITRO is scheduled for June 15 – learn more and register.

Research!America Calls for Entries for Discovery | Innovation | Health Prize.
Research!America’s 2023 Discovery | Innovation | Health Prize will recognize and provide support for a researcher or clinician with a bold vision for progress against pandemic threats. Applications are open through June 15 for the $200,000 prize. Read more.

Charting an Equity-Centered Public Health Data System.
Building a public health data system rooted in health equity is key to building a Culture of Health, where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to live a long and healthy life. This special publication, Charting an Equity-Centered Public Health Data System, highlights what can be done to create a modern public health data system that advances equity. Read more.

OMRF’s Montgomery to lead Center for Biomedical Data Sciences.

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has named Courtney Montgomery, Ph.D., as the founding director of its Center for Biomedical Data Sciences. “Data science plays an enormous role in biomedical research,” she said. “A single experiment can generate enough data to fill 75 laptops. Our scientists need extensive computing resources and skilled mathematicians and computer scientists to make discoveries from that much information.” Read more. Image: The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.

Also at OMRF,  EVP Dr. Judith James selected for induction to Oklahoma Hall of Fame.  

OMRF Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., has been named a member of the 2023 class of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Considered among the highest honors in the state, James is the first woman from OMRF and just the third scientist in the foundation’s 76-year history to be selected for induction into the hall of fame. OMRF is a member of our Council of Academic Institutions. Read more. Image: OMRF.

Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists.
Recent PhD? Boost your career by applying to the Science and SciLifeLab’s Prize for young scientists, an annual prize awarded to early-career scientists, this year celebrating its 10th anniversary. As a winner, you will have your essay published by Science, receive up to 30,000 USD and be invited to Sweden where you receive your award, present your research and meet with leading scientists in your field. Read more.

Baszucki Group Partners with Stony Brook University on Neuroblox Platform to Revolutionize Treatments for Brain Disorders.

Stony Brook University announced a philanthropic gift to develop Neuroblox, a software platform developed by biomedical engineer and neuroscientist Lilianne “Lily” Mujica-Parodi that will model brain circuits to treat brain disorders. The gift was made possible by David Baszucki, founder and chief executive officer of Roblox, and his wife, bestselling author Jan Ellison Baszucki. Read more. Image: Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi, Stony Brook University.

Dr. Edna Adan Ismail Receives 2023 Templeton Prize.

The winner of the 2023 Templeton Prize is Dr. Edna Adan Ismail, a nurse-midwife, hospital founder, and healthcare advocate who has worked courageously to change cultural, religious, and medical norms surrounding women’s health in East Africa, improving the lives of thousands of women and girls in the region and beyond. Read more. Image: 2023 Templeton Prize Winner Edna Adan Ismail photographed in London by Tim Cole for the Templeton Prize. 

Bernadine Strik, Whose Insights Helped Blueberries Thrive, Dies at 60.
Bernadine Strik, a horticulture professor at Oregon State University whose innovative cultivation strategies shook up the American blueberry industry, died on April 14 at a hospital in Corvallis, Ore. She was 60. Dr. Strik helped organic growers maximize their yields by planting on raised beds instead of flat ground, a technique that also benefited conventional farms. She persuaded many berry producers, in Oregon and beyond, to accept her research and adopt her measures, writes Daniel E. Slotnik for The New York Times. Read more.

The Female Turn: How Evolutionary Science Shifted Perceptions About Females.
Evolutionary biology has historically rendered female animals as passive recipients of sexual selection, but that view has shifted as researchers have begun to focus more on female anatomy and behavior. This week on the Science podcast, Malin Ah-King describes how new research is revealing the active sexual strategies used by females across the animal kingdom. Read more.

Women (probably) make for better astronauts. So should the first crew to Mars be all-female?
A recent study by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) medical team concluded that “there may be a number of operational advantages to all-female crews [for future long-duration missions]”. But as Angela Saini, a journalist and author who has researched the impacts of sex-based research says: “There is actually no real-life 'default' male – every man is different from the next, just like every woman is. "While it's great that women have been studied, the more important takeaway is that individual astronauts should obviously be considered.” Read more.

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Written by Marianna Limas, Social Media Manager
Nilda Rivera, Partnership and Events Manager