science wire

Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute Awarded $10 Million Grant
Grant to Support ISCI's Mission to Translate Stem Cell Discoveries Into Pipeline of Therapies for Debilitating Conditions MIAMI, May 3, 2012 — The University of Miami Miller School of Med

Pap Corps Makes $3.2 Million Gift
Fueled by the work of more than 21,000 volunteers, The Pap Corps: Champions for Cancer Research, presented its annual gift to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine - a check in the amount of $3.2 million.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Neuroscience Building

President Shalala Joins Brookings Institution

$7.5M Gift Creates Collaborative Institute in Biomedical Nanotechnology
Propelled by a transformative gift from a longtime contributor, the University of Miami is announcing the creation of the John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute, a collaboration of key scientific disciplines that will harness the field of nanotechnology for clinical applications.

UM Scientist to Lead Arctic Expedition
— Coral Gables — Led by a University of Miami scientist, a multinational team of researchers will travel to the Arctic Ocean to conduct experiments that could lead to a better understanding of the effects of global climate change in the region. Established by the U.S. GEOTRACES Science Steering Committee, the U.S. Arctic GEOTRACES initiative will use multiple icebreakers - anticipated to be provided initially by the United States and Germany - and will include scientists from several nations who will conduct sampling of the Arctic Ocean.

Facebook, Twitter Icons Influence Buyers
The display of a social media icon such as a Facebook “Like” button or a Twitter symbol on a shopping website increases the likelihood that consumers will buy some products, and reduces the likelihood that they will buy others. That is a key finding of a study conducted by the School of Business, Empirica Research, and StyleCaster Media Group as part of the State of Style Report.

NIH-Funded Researchers Honored
— Miami — More than 200 National Institutes of Health-supported principal investigators and their lab members at the Miller School of Medicine were honored at a February 29 reception cel

University of Miami Launches Momentum2
— Coral Gables — In a five-story simulation hospital, students dressed in surgical scrubs tend to a lifelike pregnant robotic mannequin, monitoring her vital signs and counting her contractions.

Possible Link Between Diet Soda and Vascular Risks
— People who drink diet soft drinks on a daily basis may be at increased risk of suffering vascular events such as stroke, heart attack, and vascular death, according to a new study led by Hannah Gardener, Sc.D., epidemiologist in the Miller School's Department of Neurology.

Grant to Support Purchase of Helicopter
— The University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science announced that it has received a challenge grant for $700,000 from the Miami-based Batchelor Foundation to support its exploration research efforts.

Psychologist Charles S. Carver Receives Prestigious Jack Block Award

Study Offers Clues to What Happened Prior to ‘Snowball’ Earth
— Coral Gables — In a study published in the journal Geology, scientists at the University of Miami suggest that significant changes in the carbon isotopic composition of carbonates, which occurred prior to the major climatic event (Snowball Earth) of more than 500 million years ago, are unrelated to worldwide glacial events.

How the Brain Cell Works: A Dive Into Its Inner Network
— University of Miami (UM) biology professor Akira Chiba is leading a multidisciplinary team to develop the first systematic survey of protein interactions within brain cells.

Researcher Develops New Way to Assess Risk for Chemicals
— Coral Gables — Approximately 80,000 industrial chemicals are in use and about 700 new chemicals are introduced to commerce each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Secrets of Sharks Revealed
— Coral Gables — A new study examining the complex and dynamic interactions between white sharks and Cape fur seals in False Bay, South Africa, offers new insights on the physical conditions and biological factors underlying predator-prey interactions in the marine environment. Neil Hammerschlag, an assistant professor at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and a colleague from the University of British Columbia describe how sharks are camouflaged as they stalk their prey from below.

Study Links Tropical Cyclones to Earthquakes
— Coral Gables — A groundbreaking study led by University of Miami scientist Shimon Wdowinski shows that earthquakes, including the recent 2010 temblors in Haiti and Taiwan, may be triggered by tropical cyclones (hurricanes and typhoons).

UM Unveils State-of-the-Art Cath Lab
— University of Miami Hospital and Miller School of Medicine leadership, staff, supporters, and members of the media gathered at the Elaine and Sydney Sussman Cardiac Catheterization Lab on December 2 for the unveiling of UMH's new state-of-the-art hybrid catheterization laboratory.