FEATURES
New Dental Clinic Patient Hours
The new hours will give patients greater access to care and additional chair time for dental students. » PAGE 2
COLUMNS
Tell Your Story
The skills you already have from years at the bench are actually transferrable to many fields outside academia. » PAGE 5
IN THIS ISSUE
Events » PAGE 2 Features » PAGE 3 Columns » PAGE 4 Puzzles » PAGE 8
SynapseNewspaper
The UCSF Student
synapse.ucsf.edu | Thursday, May 14, 2015 | Volume 59, Number 15
Dr. Hiten Madhani Wins SNPhA Takes on Chronic Kidney Disease 2015 Outstanding Faculty Alysha Fahmi Mentor Award Contributing Writer N early 26 million people in the United States may have chronic kidney disease
(CKD) and many of them are unaware of this. CKD is a condition that affects the kidney’s ability to filter blood effectively, leaving many waste and toxins in the body’s blood circulation that can lead to other health complications. Since CKD is a condition that rarely makes a person feel ill or show any symptoms, it becomes even more imperative to raise awareness of it. After diagnosis by a blood or urine test, simple lifestyle changes can help slow
down the disease progression and prevent kidney failure. While the UCSF School of Pharmacy is deeply involved in community outreach for diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases, the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) identified a need for CKD awareness and strives to initiate a call to action. As an organization aimed at improving health education and literacy in the community,
KIDNEY DISEASE » PAGE 6
Jenny Qi & Clint Cario Editor-in-Chief & Contributing Writer
E ach year, the ASGD and GDAA call for students and alumni to nominate faculty who have gone above and beyond their duties as professors, providing academic, professional and personal support and dedication to student mentorship. The Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award is an exceptional opportunity for trainees to express their appreciation for the faculty mentors who have changed their lives.
between organisms that drive the evolution of eukaryotic organisms,” as described on his lab website. Specifically, the lab studies the mechanisms of chromatin- and RNAbased gene control and mechanisms of fungal virulence. Elected to the American Academy of Microbiology last year, he is the author of a textbook on yeast as a model organism, and Nature Genetics described it as “one of the most pleasantly readable books in biology...a ‘must read’ for anyone beginning to experiment with yeast.”
The Associated Students of the Graduate Division (ASGD) and the Graduate Division Dr. Madhani received Alumni Association glowing nomination (GDAA) have selected letters from former Photo courtesy of Madhani Lab Website. Dr. Hiten Madhani, MD, students, and it is clear PhD, as this year’s Outstanding Faculty that he is deeply committed to both his Mentorship Awardee. science and the scientists in his lab. Dr. Madhani is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. A graduate of UCSF himself, Madhani now focuses on researching “the battles within and
In keeping with the clarity of his book, Madhani’s nomination letters describe him
see dentists as technicians who just drill, fill, and bill patients, and pull out teeth whenever they hear the word “toothache.” We are seen as a very isolated profession, both anatomically and professionally - our activities are bounded within the mouth,
while we also have limited interaction with the other healthcare professions.
OUTSTANDING FACULTY » PAGE 6
What It Means To Be a Dental Student Wendy Fu Contributing Writer
Ifirstamyeara firststudents year dental student, and all at UCSF are required
to participate in the Interprofessional Education Curriculum (IPE). For one of the exercises I teamed up with a medical and a nursing student to interpret a patient’s note written by a pharmacist. The conversation went something like this: “The patient has had two CABG and is currently taking statin and albuterol,” said the nursing student. “Yes the patient has hyperlipidemia and asthma. Have you guys
learned this stuff yet?” The medical student asked me. I replied, “We just finished lipid metabolism this past week, so I am still slow on picking up these terms.” “Oh! Cool. What do you guys learn in dental school anyways? I have no idea.” “Yeah I wondered that too. I wasn’t sure if you guys needed to know these for dentistry,” the nursing student said.
What I concluded from that IPE session was that there is still a big misconception about dentistry being entirely a technical field, not only among the general public but also within healthcare professions. People
So it was no surprise that the other graduate students were curious, as I would like to think, about what us dental students learn in dental school. And I would love to enlighten anyone who is inquisitive by busting these myths about dental students. Myth #1: Dental students only learn how to drill the teeth. The irony about dental school is that even though we are learning how to use the drill, we are also taught to avoid using it. We are
DENTAL STUDENT » PAGE 6
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Events » VOCAL CHORDS SPRING CONCERT
Thursday, May 14, 4:30-8:30 p.m., Genentech Hall Auditorium Come join the Vocal Chords as they showcase their repertoire of fun musical numbers! There will be food, fun and frivolity!
FAMILY MEDICINE MATCH PANEL
Thursday, May 14, 7-8:30 p.m., Library, CL213 Two concurrent panels of MS4s who have matched into Family Medicine: one targeting MS1s and rising MS3s, and one centered on questions rising MS4s have on Family Medicine.
MUSLIM FRIDAY PRAYER SERVICES
Friday, May 15, 1-1:30 p.m., Medical Sciences, 159, Parnassus Friday, May 15, 1:30-2 p.m., Helen Diller, 160, Mission Bay The Muslim Community at UCSF holds regular Friday prayer services (Jum’a) every week. Come join your fellow brothers and sisters for prayer and socializing. All are welcome!
MISSION BAY RIPS
Friday, May 15, 3:30-5 p.m., Genentech Hall, N114, Mission Bay RIPS is a seminar series wherein one student and one postdoc present their current research. Talks are 15 minutes in length and are preceded by a 20-minute social. Snacks and beverages are provided.
THE LAUGH LAB FEAT. JOEY GUILA
Friday, May 15, 6-8 p.m., The Pub, Mission Bay If laughter is medicine, comedian Joey Guila has your prescription. This San Francisco native brings happiness to any event just as long as you donate him in rolls of nickels. He is a complete entertainer that takes you through a journey of Old School and New School, his multicultural style of comedy hits home for all audiences.
CAMPUS EVANGELISTIC FELLOWSHIP
Friday, May 15, 7-10:30 p.m., Nursing, 517, Parnassus Join the Campus Evangelistic Fellowship for their weekly meeting with Bible study, hymn singing, and fellowship.
time. Learn how everyone, including you, can take small actions to ensure a more sustainable future for life on our planet.
BREAKING THE TIDE: ADDRESSING SEX TRAFFICKING IN SEA COMMUNITIES
Monday, May 18, noon-1 p.m., Nursing, 417, Parnassus Baneay Srei, an Oakland based community organization, will come to talk about their work in addressing the issues of sex trafficking of young women in East Bay Southeast Asian American communities as a part of a three part lecture series on Asian American Health issues for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
FG2C ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Monday, May 18, 4-5 p.m., Nursing Mezzanine, Parnassus First Generation 2 College (FG2C) is hosting an ice cream social for anyone who identifies as first gen or wants to learn more about the group. The purpose is to foster a supportive community at UCSF for first gen students and allow them to connect with others and access campus resources. Tuesday, May 19, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Medical Science, Nobel Wall, Parnassus The Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA), in collaboration with the Asian American Donor Program, will be holding the a Bone Marrow Drive at UCSF. The goal of the drive is to recruit donors to the Be the Match Registry, in hopes of increasing the availability of potential stem cells donors for patients with life threatening diseases that are curable by a stem cell transplant.
CARRY THE ONE RADIO WORKSHOP
Tuesday, May 19, 5 -7 p.m., Mission Hall, 1107, Mission Bay Carry the One Radio is a UCSF-based science podcast. The show is run completely by a dedicated group of young scientists who want to share their enthusiasm for research with a wider audience. The group meets weekly to workshop various pieces. All are welcome, no radio experience needed.
UC WALKS DAY AT UCSF
Saturday, May 16, 2015 5-7 p.m., Cole Hall, Parnassus Chamber groups from UCSF’s Chamber Music Society will play in a masterclass led by Joseph Maile professor at the SF Conservatory of Music. Program includes movements from the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio and Mendelssohn Piano Trios 1 and 2. Open to the public and refreshments will be served!
BAY TO BREAKERS 2015
MUSIC IN THE LIBRARY
Sunday, May 17, 7 a.m.-noon, Embarcadero to Golden Gate Park Bring your tortillas, your costume, your beverages and participate in one of the largest races in America, and also one of the strangest and “San Francentric.” Even if you don’t run, it is worth being a spectator!
Wednesday, May 20, noon-1 p.m., Library, Lange Reading Room, Parnassus Campus Life Services Arts and Events presents Music in the Library. Bring your books and study or just sit back and relax while listing to acoustic music. Enjoy free chair massage and lunch. First come, first served. Produced by Campus Life Services. Sponsored by the Sarah B. Childs fund.
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: SYNAPSE MEETING EXTINCTION NIGHTLIFE Thursday, May 21, 6-10 p.m., Cal Academy, Golden Gate Park Explore the science of extinction as NightLife digs deep into the species and environments that have disappeared over
Wednesday, May 20, noon-1 p.m., Health Sciences West, 301 Take a mid-week break and join Student Health and Counseling for the Spring Hump Day Student Wellness Series! Topics focus on staying well throughout the year.
UCSF RUN CLUB
Wednesday, May 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Millberry Union Central Desk, Parnassus Please drop by and join UCSF Fit & Rec for a run! Each Wednesday night the Run Club runs various distances (3-6 miles) at a 9-11 minute per mile.
IMN MIDWEEK MEDITATION HOUR
Wednesday, May 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Library, CL211, Parnassus The Integrative Medicine Network invites everyone in the UCSF community to experience a weekly guided meditation. All are welcome, whether you are looking to combat day-to-day stress using meditation or you’d like to uncover subtle layers of your self by diving deep! No experience in meditation is necessary.
INVESTMENT & STARTUP ACROSS US AND CHINA
GPSA & AADP BONE MARROW DRIVE Wednesday, May 20, 5:30-8:30 p.m.,
Wednesday, May 20, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m., Various locations UC Walks Day is May 20 and events will be held at Parnassus, Mission Bay, Mt. Zion, Laurel Heights, MCB, SFGH, VAMC, Executive Park and Fresno. Drop in between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the following starting locations to go for a 2030 minute walk. Free UC Walks t-shirts while supplies last! More info: http:// livingwell.ucsf.edu/events/uc_walks_ day_2015
CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY MASTERCLASS EVENT: PIANO TRIOS
SPRING HUMP DAY SERIES
Wednesday, May 20, noon-1 p.m., Millberry Union, 111W, Parnassus Synapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, photographers, and designers. Come to the lunch meeting and share your story ideas.
Genentech Hall, N114, Mission Bay Join the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars for a seminar and panel discussion on investment and startup landscape across the US and China.
ANNUAL KOREAN CULTURE SHOW
Wednesday, May 20, 5:30-9 p.m., Cole Hall, Parnassus The annual Korean Culture show will be comprised of a series of performances. The performances will be from traditional fan dance, musical ensembles, martial arts to contemporary music and K-pop! This event aims to enrich the awareness of Korean pop culture to thepublic.
ENGLISH CORNER
Wednesday, May 20, 6-8:30 p.m., Medical Sciences, 159, Parnassus English Corner is an informal Conversational English Class given as a free community service and provided on a voluntary basis by both people born and raised in the United States as well as many people who have, at one time in their lives, experienced life as a new immigrant to the US.
CHANCELLOR’S CONCERT SERIES
Thursday, May 21, noon-1 p.m., Cole Hall, Parnassus Looking for a place to study or relax between classes? CLS Arts & Events has got just what you need. The Chancellor’s Concert Series on Thursdays is a great place to set up your laptop and study or just take a break from classes while listening to classical music. Seating begins at noon. Lunch will be served while supplies last.
CULTURE OF BOUTIQUE CONSULTING
Thursday, May 21, 6-8 p.m., Genentech Hall, N114, Mission Bay Come find out about the culture of consulting at boutique firms in the Bay Area. Hear from current consultants and learn how to go through the application process.
SACNAS MONTHLY MEETING
Thursday, May 21, 6-7:30 p.m., Byers Hall, 215, Mission Bay Join SACNAS at UCSF as we welcome Dr. Steven L. Weinstein from San Francisco State University. This meeting is a continuation of our seminar series on
career choices for PhDs in the sciences. Dr. Weinstein, at UCSF alum, will discuss his career path to his current position as Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at SF State. Food and drinks will be provided!
UC ORACLES TOASTMASTERS OPEN HOUSE
Thursday, May 28, noon-1 p.m., Medical Sciences, 214 UC Oracles, a Toastmasters International Club based at UCSF, is holding an Open House. The club is open to UCSF staff, faculty, students, researchers, post-docs and residents. UC Oracles provides every member the opportunity to develop outstanding communication and leadership skills, fostering self-confidence and personal growth. If you have any questions, contact Patty.Nguyen@ucsf.edu. Have an event that you would like to submit? Please email to synapse@ucsf.edu.
Announcements »
UCSF STUDENT PEER SUPPORT CENTER NOW OPEN
Graduate students and postdocs can get help from peers one-on-one or in a group! Become a peer leader, join a peer group, or network on diverse topics (women in life sciences, the job market, scientists/parents, and others). SPSC leaders meet Thursdays at 1 p.m., in Mission Hall, 1405. Get involved by liking the SPSC Facebook or email StudentPeerSupportCenterUCSF@ ucsf.edu.
JOIN THE UCSF CONTINGENT AT THE SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE PARADE
Sunday, June 28, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Market Street between Beale and 8th Street Come join friends and family of UCSF and be a part of the San Francisco Pride Parade 2014. This year’s theme is, “Equality Without Exception” » Register http://ucsf-pride2015.eventbrite.com
ARE YOU A FIRST GENERATION TO COLLEGE STUDENT (FG2C)?
Register with the First Generation Support Services office to give you access to all of the First Generation Support Services and help the office advocate for you! http://bit.ly/firstgenregister
TRIPLE VOODOO BREWERY AND TAP ROOM is donating a
portion of sales for every pint sold of the “Hugs for Tugs” beer to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco. Come have a taste! They are located at 2245 3rd St. (cross with 19th St), just two blocks from the new hospitals at Mission Bay . Get involved! Local businesses and their customers have been raising money for the new UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco through the Big Give for Kids (BGFK) community Initiative. If you know of any businesses that may be interested in being part of the BGFK, please contact linda.cam@ucsf.edu or 415502-1885.
Correction
In the article titled “Survey of Student Expenses Reveals Strained Finances” published on April 30, 2015 the average reported monthly rent for students who live off campus and responded to the survey is $1,323 not $1,343.
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Features » UCSF School of Dentistry Reaches Informational Interviews to Explore Unfamiliar Career Paths Out to a New Patient Population Anna Nonaka Staff Writer
Sara Ayazi Contributing Writer
L ooking to explore a particular specialty or career path? Interested in learning about
how other professionals have positioned themselves for nontraditional opportunities in your field? If so, conducting informational interviews can help you achieve those goals. An informational interview is just another name for a conversation you have with someone else to gain more information about their professional experience. The purpose of conducting informational interviews is to gather information about a career field. Informational interviews are beneficial because they provide you with an opportunity to explore career options, gain strategies to enter into and succeed in a particular field, and expand your network. Here are suggested steps for conducting a successful informational interview. Identify and Reach Out to Individuals to Interview: The first step of an informational interview is to identify individuals who have an expertise in the area that you are interested in exploring. LinkedIn is an effective resource to identify these individuals because it allows you to search UCSF alums and other professionals in your field of interest. For example, joining the UCSF Alumni group on LinkedIn will give you access to a network of over 2,000 members, including current and past students, postdocs, fellows, and faculty of the University of California, San Francisco. If you have questions about how to create a LinkedIn profile, feel free to make an appointment with an OCPD counselor at (415) 4764986. Once you have identified individuals with whom you would like to interview, you can approach them via email, phone, or in person. In approaching them, provide a brief introduction of who you are (e.g., UCSF pharmacy student), information regarding how you obtained their name (e.g., referral, LinkedIn), the purpose of the meeting (e.g., to explore a career in regulatory affairs), and the length of time you would like to meet (informational interviews are typically 30-60 minutes in length). If you do not receive a response, you can follow up within 1-2 weeks of your request. The Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) website (http://career.ucsf.edu/) provides
sample language to use for informational interview requests. Prepare for the Informational Interview: Once you set up an informational interview, research the individual with whom you will be interviewing. You can do so by reviewing their profile on LinkedIn and bio on their organization’s website to get a sense of their academic training, career path, and current job duties. Most of the informational interview will be focused on the individual being interviewed. However, be prepared to answer questions about your background and your career interests. Also, create a list of questions to ask during the informational interview. Depending on the purpose of the informational interview, questions generally revolve around four areas: 1) the present (individual’s day-to-day responsibilities), 2) the past (individual’s career trajectory), 3) the future (future trends in the field), and 4) advice (resources that can help you gain more information about the field). For example, below are questions a pharmacy student interested in a career in regulatory affairs could ask during an informational interview: •• Present: What is a typical day for a regulatory pharmacist? •• Past: How did you enter into this career path? •• Future: What are some future career paths for someone in your position 5-10 years down the road? •• Advice: Can you recommend anyone else who might be willing to talk to me about their career path? Never ask for a job during an informational interview because this question will put the person that you are interviewing in an awkward position. Remember, an informational interview is not a job interview. Rather, it is opportunity to gather information. By the time you are done with an informational interview, you should have an understanding of the person’s job responsibilities and background, a better
DENTAL CLINIC » PAGE 6
Dental work after work or school UCSF Dental Center now offers high quality dental care in the evening. Get the care you need, on your schedule.
At UCSF Dental Center, dental students provide state-of-the-art care, supervised by experienced UCSF faculty. Our patients pay 40 to 60 percent less than other dental offices. • Convenient evening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. • Easy parking • 99 percent satisfied patients Call us for a screening appointment today. We look forward to serving you! (415) 476-1891, Option 3 • • • • • • • •
New
Evening Dental Clinic Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m.
Exams X-rays Cleanings Fillings Crowns Dentures Teeth whitening Implants and more
(415) 476-1891, Option 3 UCSF Dental Center 707 Parnassus Ave. San Francisco 94143 dentistry.ucsf.edu/patients
500 Parnassus Avenue, Millberry Union 108W, San Francisco, CA 94143 tel: 476-2211 | fax: 502-4537 synapse@ucsf.edu | synapse.ucsf.edu
The UCSF Student Newspaper Jenny Qi | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Taylor LaFlam | SCIENCE EDITOR Bryne Ulmschneider | ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hanna Starobinets | STAFF WRITER Akshay Govind | STAFF WRITER Ilka Fensen | STAFF WRITER Yarrow Madrona | STAFF WRITER Yi Lu | STAFF WRITER Anna Nokana | STAFF WRITER Lauren Shields | STAFF WRITER Mayya Shveygert | STAFF WRITER Charllotte Anderson | STAFF WRITER Andrea Villaroman | STAFF WRITER
hours always overlap with our work and education. You might find a practice open on Saturdays, but those more convenient times will always be filled, and you may be stuck waiting for weeks. Often times, we also find that patients who need the most care are the patients with jobs that make it difficult to take time off – even for essential dental care. Not to worry students and tireless workers! The UCSF School of Dentistry is working to provide more accessible clinic hours to you in their new UCSF Evening Dental Clinic.
On May 18th, the UCSF Evening Dental Clinic will begin accepting patients for the same quality of dental care and protocol as the regular clinic hours but on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The School of Dentistry hopes it will be a win-win situation with more patients having greater access to care and additional chair time that the dental students have been asking for in the past years. On average, the D3, D4, and ID3 (international) students should receive the equivalent of an additional month in chair time compared to the current schedule.
CAREER » PAGE 6
Synapse Staff
G oing to the dentist can be extremely inconvenient, and it seems like their office
About
Synapse is the UCSF student-run biweekly newspaper which runs on Thursdays during the academic year and publishes online in between print issues. Synapse seeks to serve as a forum for the campus community. Articles and columns represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Board of Publications or the University of California.
Advertising
Paid advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of Synapse. Synapse and its editorial board reserve the right to decline advertisements promoting false or misleading claims, known health risks, or content deemed by the editors to be antithetical to the interests of UCSF students or the UCSF community. Synapse does not accept advertisements from tobacco or alcohol manufacturers, or sexually oriented personal ads. Synapse reserves the right to run any ad Submissions Announcements and letters should be submitted with a disclaimer. seven days before publication. All submissions must be emailed to synapse@ucsf.edu. All material is Visit synapse.ucsf.edu to view the publication schedule and to submit an ad. subjected to editing.
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Columns »
This Date in UCSF History [Exit, Pursued by Science] Taylor LaFlam Science Editor
F rom 40 Years Ago: Vol. 19, No. 29, May 8, 1975: In California, a medical malpractice lawsuit cannot lead to an award of more than $250,000 in non-economic damages-i.e. for pain and suffering--one of the lowest such caps of any state. Indeed, many states have no cap at all. Four decades ago, the Synapse front page captured the discontent that would lead to this cap, which was just one of several measures in the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975. “Legislature Stymied: Malpractice Crisis Threatens Hospital Jobs,” declared the headline of an article by Jacquelyn Brown. An accompanying article by Peter Bissell was headlined “Bay Area Doctor Protests Soaring Malpractice Rates.” Earlier in 1975, the prominent malpractice insurance provider Argonaut Insurance Company, after first declaring it would stop offering coverage, ultimately simply greatly increased its premiums, as much as quadrupling them in some cases. Although this did not affect doctors at Kaiser or at public institutions, including UCSF, most Bay Area private hospitals were affected. In response to these rate increases, which took effect on May 1, many anesthesiologists went on strike, leading to the postponement of elective surgeries as well as layoffs of many other hospital employees, such as nurses and kitchen
workers (due to decreased demand for their services since there were fewer patients). The articles describe how many physicians were pushing for a legislative solution, with the hope that by restricting medical malpractice payouts they would also decrease the insurance premiums. “The San Francisco Medical Society has demanded the passage of three bills now pending in the legislature to alleviate the present situation. These bills would limit attorney’s fees in malpractice cases, impose a three-year statute of limitations. . . and necessitate a view of the suing patient’s collateral sources of income” In May, however, such a legislative cure seemed unlikely. Reacting to the absence of legislative action, hospital worker union leader Robert Cooper sent “a strongly worded telegram to Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr.” urging action, reported Brown. For those keeping track at home, this Edmund G. Brown, Jr., is none other than our current governor, Jerry Brown. And for the California political junkies out there, I’ll also note that the Synapse article includes a quote from “Brown’s aide, Gray Davis”. This strike and other sources of pressure helped move things forward, though, and several months later the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act mentioned above, most of which is still currently in effect, was passed.
Tomorrowland is Around the Corner Hanna Starobinets Staff Writer
F abulous innovation is all around us. A typical day in 2015 would be so
fundamentally unrecognizable to someone in 2000 that the phrase “I’ll snap a picture on my phone and send it to you through my watch” would probably not go down well in most social situations. The difference between my childhood and my younger sisters’ is more pronounced than between mine and my mother’s. I haven’t even gone to my ten-year high school reunion yet, and already school essays are being passed in and corrected on Google Docs, kids are wearing GoPro cameras to their high school graduation, and everyone seems to have forgotten how to use a map. There was certainly innovation in my childhood, but it felt like it came on more slowly. Computers already existed before our time, they just weren’t home
research on plant biology that is uncovering new and better ways to meet global food requirements. None of these, however, were U.S.-led achievements… Hence the wide-spread concern over a growing U.S. innovation deficit, attributable in part to declining investment in research.” This is the opening statement of a report published in April 2015 by MIT called “The Future Postponed: Why Declining Investment in Basic Research Threatens a U.S. Innovation Deficit.” The report was assembled by a committee of MIT professors representing science, engineering, technology, mathematics and economics disciplines and highlights the increased need for progress in this country in areas of research and development including Alzheimer’s disease, cybersecurity, space exploration, plant sciences, fusion energy, infectious disease, robotics and energy.
Taylor LaFlam is a fourth-year BMS / sixth-year MSTP student.
UCSF Journal Club Taylor LaFlam Science Editor
P HYSIOLOGY: Genetic and functional characterization of clonally derived adult human brown adipocytes. Shinoda, K., et al. (Kajimura, S.). Nat Med. 2015. 21(4):389-394.
Not all fat cells are created equal. Unlike white adipose tissue, which specializes in energy storage, brown adipose tissue, which is much less abundant, is specialized for producing heat. Although first identified in other mammals, brown adipose tissue is present in adult humans as well. Scarce and only recently discovered, human brown adipocytes remain poorly understood. This paper from the Kajimura lab provides major new insights into the molecular details of these cells. Using single-cell analysis of human brown adipocytes, which express UCP1, they identified a subset of cells that appear to be beige adipocytes -- that is, cells that can differentiate into actively thermogenic brown adipocytes. They also found genes that are highly enriched in brown adipocytes, including KCNK3 and MTUS1, both of which they show to be necessary for thermogenesis. DEVELOPMENTAL and EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY: Continuously growing rodent molars result from a predictable quantitative evolutionary change over 50 million years. Tapaltsvan, V., et al. (Klein, O.D.). Cell Rep. 2015. Epub ahead of print.
Mice kept in captivity must be given access to hard food or other substances to chew, to allow wearing of their continuously growing incisors, which are characteristic of rodents. Many rodents also have continuously growing molars, which rely on proliferation and differentiation of dental stem cells throughout life. Tapaltsvan and colleagues have taken advantage of the ability of extensive fossil records to study the evolution of molars in rodents. They observed that although 50 million years ago rodents all had short molars, over time many rodents evolved every taller molars and then continuously growing molars. They used a Markov model to simulate the observed changes in molar height. They found that the evolution of continously growing molars--that is, the evolution of maintained dental stem cell activity throughout adulthood--appears to be predictable rather than the result of a onetime fluke. IMMUNOLOGY: The ubiquitinmodifying enzyme A20 restricts ubiquitination of the kinase RIPK3 and protects cells from necroptosis. Onizawa, M., et al. (Ma, A.). Nat Immunol. 2015. Epub ahead of print.
JOURNAL CLUB » PAGE 6
Computer Practice. Hanna Starobinets uses a computer in 1989, while her mother waits her turn to work on her PhD thesis.
devices until the 1980s. Car phones very gradually ushered in the cell phone. Even the internet was an offshoot of an email system my mother already used before I was born. I don’t know who coined the phrase “The Future is Coming,” but while that expression previously expressed an urgency akin to “go to the bathroom, our train will be here in fifteen minutes”, lately it feels a lot more like someone yelling “think fast!” and throwing something at your face. Given the speed with which the future is flying directly toward our faces, we have a lot less time to respond when deciding how to fund important new ideas or adopt and implement new technologies. Funding Innovation: “2014 was a year of notable scientific highlights, including: the first landing on a comet, which has already shed important light on the formation of the Earth; the discovery of a new fundamental particle, which provides critical information on the origin of the universe; development of the world’s fastest supercomputer; a surge in
The report specifically highlights the relationship between the need for progress, lack of recent breakthroughs, and current funding structures in the U.S. While innovative lines of research are ready to take off in laboratories and companies across the country, there is extremely limited funding to support new research and development ideas. Not only are there plenty of innovative ideas out there, but they are not necessarily novel: some research has already been poised to solve problems for years but has been overlooked or undervalued. “As the world struggles to contain the current [Ebola] epidemic in Western Africa, it is clear that there have been many missed opportunities to prepare the tools we now desperately need to detect, treat, and immunize against this still poorly understood disease. How did we come to be so little prepared to confront a disease that posed such an obvious risk to global health?”
EXIT SCIENCE » PAGE 7
synapse.ucsf.edu
Features »
| May 14, 2015 | 5
Tell Your Story:
How to Stand Out During Your Next Job Interview Mayya Shveygert, PhD Staff Writer
B reaking into a new field can seem daunting, especially since academic
training rarely prepares trainees for anything beyond the tenure track. However, the good news is that the skills you already have from years at the bench are actually transferrable to many fields outside academia. Whether you’ve got your eye on that industry research position, or think you could be successful in business development, you’ve got some explaining to do first. Getting hired requires the ability to craft a compelling story, with you as the protagonist. To learn how to create a personal narrative, local groups Biotech Connection – Bay Area and Curium recently hosted a workshop for grad students and postdocs at all stages of their career search. The workshop was led by guest instructor Luke Kreinberg, Associate Director of the Career Management Team at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Kreinberg also has years of experience working in industry, and has served as a business coach for Bain, McKinsey, Google, and Yahoo. More than 50 attendees came to UCSF Mission Bay Campus to network and listen to Luke speak about how to tell their story to prospective employers. Starting your journey Before you can tell your story, Kreinberg says you need to have a good idea of where you’re going, which he calls “your North Star.” Your North Star is a career goal that drives all of your other decisions along the way. It’s not necessary to know what your North Star is when you first start your career search, but the sooner you identify it, the easier things will be. Try these steps to get started: Self-assess honestly: Start with an honest examination of your values, as well as the skills and competencies that you possess. What makes your heart beat faster? What are you good at? These answers will help define your ideal career. Demystify your career choice: Early on, many people tend to hold an idealized view of their dream job. Reach out to people with your dream job and demystify the role, learning the reality of it. Treat researching future jobs as a scientific experiment – talk to as many people as you can to collect multiple data points. During this process, you will organically move from a romantic theoretical notion of your desired career path to a real understanding of skills, competencies, and experiences that you will need to succeed. You will start seeing gaps between you and your dream job, which in turn will inform you on how to best use your time to fill these gaps. Meeting with people also expands your network. Like it or not, your next job offer is likely to come through a personal connection. Define your message: Now that you have carefully looked at your skill set and gained an extensive knowledge of the
field, it is time to develop your message. What do you have to offer? What is that you have that can be of value to a future employer?
experience and expanding on each of them following a simple framework:
Own it: ‘Since junior high I loved working in science education.
• Own it – describe your longstanding passion for something • Ground it – add specific information (numbers, names, details of a project, etc.) • Point to impact – explain how what you’ve done impacted you or your organization
Ground it: ‘Over the last six months, I’ve worked with high school students, as well as undergrads on an initiative that was funded by the NIH.’
Let’s say you are talking with somebody about your interest in science education. To demonstrate this, you could say:
Point to impact: ‘At the end of the day, I am known in my organization as someone who is not only advocating for science education, but takes action. And that’s why I went back to school to get my PhD.’ Mayya Shveygert is a third-year postdoctoral fellow.
Don’t make people guess, explain how what you have done in the past connects to what you want to do in the future. Equally important, what is that need, what are you asking for? Being specific about what you want creates a very strong impression.
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Get the gig: Don’t be timid about asking for mentorship or advice. Don’t shy away from asking your advocates to help you, whether through making phone calls or by forwarding your resume to a hiring manager. Get people on your side. Remember, many people are genuinely happy to help someone in need, especially if some time ago they were in your exact shoes.
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Tailor your story to your audience Now that you’ve identified your dream job and gotten your foot in the door, convince your listener that you are a great match for this opportunity. When crafting a story, the first thing to consider is: who is your audience? Whether you are facing an informational interview or an employment interview, always do your homework and come prepared. Kreinberg recommends making sure you know enough about the person sitting across from you that you can tailor your narrative to make it interesting and relevant to them. Make sure that your questions are thoughtful and demonstrate that you have done your research.
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Stand out from the crowd Kreinberg says the last thing a recruiter wants to hear are platitudes like ‘I am very innovative and I believe in collaborations.’ Recruiters don’t want key words; they want stories that describe your unique journey. In academia, it is easy to feel that you are no different from anyone else. It can seem like everyone comes from the same background, and has more or less the same interests. Learn to tease out the interesting details of your biography; these will spice up your story and make you memorable. Your goal is for a recruiter to look at your name at the end of their day and remember at least one thing about you. Help your listener understand the context and impact of your narrative Focus on details and be specific, but give the right amount of detail. Even if your CV is ten pages long, don’t try to unload all of its content on an interviewer. Instead, Kreinberg recommends highlighting just a few items from your professional
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Articles continued » Kidney Disease » FROM FRONT PAGE SNPhA at UCSF hopes to raise awareness both in the upcoming group of health care professionals and the community at large. On Thursday, May 12, 2015, students at UCSF School of Pharmacy wore green to support World Kidney Day. Pictures were posted through social media using the hashtag “#worldkidneyday” to join the national movement created by the World Kidney Day joint initiative of ISN and IKFK. As a step towards taking on the CKD challenge, we will be participating in The
Outstanding Faculty » FROM FRONT PAGE as “a superb lecturer, presenting topics thoroughly, cogently, and in a historical context.” Beyond his thorough knowledge of scientific history and current inquiries, his deep “admiration for scientific ingenuity and clever experiments is contagious.” On a more personal level, one letter described Hiten as “a truly life-altering mentor…[whose] deep intellectual curiosity and pure excitement for science kept me excited about my work, even when things were going slowly.” Madhani is deeply committed to his students’ work, sending emails even on nights and weekends because he is hard at work thinking about what experiments to do and “contacting intellectual or scientific collaborators…from all over the world” for even small questions. As a scientist, Madhani leads by example, working hard even though he has already “made it” because he is simply that excited about the science. Importantly, as physician-scientist, Madhani is supportive of his MSTP students who have to return to medical school well beyond their time in his lab. Dr. Madhani will unfortunately be traveling during the Graduate Division
Dental Student » FROM FRONT PAGE taught to practice conservative dentistry, by examining and treating the underlying cause of the disease before removing any decayed tooth structure. For example, caries is a disease that results in carious lesion (cavity) in the mouth. To treat cavities, a dentist must evaluate various components of the patient’s past medical history and current health status, formulate a plan to treat the underlying invasion of cariogenic bacteria, if necessary, and then finally decide whether or not to treat the cavity. Myth #2: Dental students only need to learn the anatomy of the tooth. In addition to learning tooth morphology, we also learn the anatomy of the head and neck region through cadaver dissection during fall quarter of first year. During the winter and spring quarters we cover immunology, microbiology, physiology, pathology, histology, pharmacology, and neurobiology. The curriculum at UCSF puts equal emphasis on biomedical sciences and dental sciences to train dental students into well-rounded healthcare
National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Walk on Sunday, May 31, 2015 at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco. We welcome all UCSF students to help us in the effort by joining Team SNPhA or donating to CKD! The link to donate to the SNPhA UCSF team is: http://donate.kidney.org/goto/ SNPhA-UCSF Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Kidney Disease Surveillance System. Atlanta. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2011.http://www.cdc.gov/ckd. Alysha Fahmi is a second-year pharmacy student and current SNPhA Historian.
Commencement Ceremony at the William J. Rutter Center on the Mission Bay Campus on May 16. Phillip Dumesic, an MSTP student and former member of the Madhani Lab, will present the award. While Dr. Madhani was the recipient of the award, there were many other deserving nominees. The other nominees are listed as follows: •• Manish K. Aghi, Biomedical Sciences and Neurological Surgery •• Allan Balmain, Biochemistry and Biophysics •• Charles Chiu, Laboratory Medicine •• Ryan Hernandez, Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences •• Richard M. Locksley, Medicine •• Emmanuelle Passegue, Medicine •• Betty Smoot, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences •• Elizabeth Watkins, Anthropology, History, and Social Medicine •• Noah Zaitlen, Medicine Jenny Qi is a fourth-year BMS student. Clint Cario is a second-year BMI student. Both serve as the Public Affairs Officers for the Associated Students of the Graduate Division.
professionals. This knowledge helps to build a strong, science-based foundation for clinical experience during our third and fourth year.
Career » FROM PAGE 3 sense of future career opportunities in a particular career field, and information about resources to help you further investigate a particular career path. Show Thanks…and Follow Up: Do not forget to send a thank you note after an informational interview. A thank you note should be a short statement expressing appreciation for the individual’s time and how you would like to use the information you gained from the informational interview. Visit the OCPD website (http:// career.ucsf.edu/) to view sample thank you notes.
Dental Clinic » FROM PAGE 3 The School of Dentistry is also eager and hopeful that their new patient population will include many more students and members from the UCSF community. UCSF students have Delta Dental
Journal Club » FROM PAGE 4
A few proteins have a simple, easily defined function. A20 is not such a protein. Previous research has shown it to be a ubiquitin-modifying enzyme essential for preventing excessive inflammation. Although several mechanisms for how it acts to regulate inflammation have been found, gaps remained. In this paper, the authors describe a role for A20 in necroptosis, a form of cell death that is regulated but inflammation-promoting (unlike apoptosis). They found that A20deficient cells were more susceptible to necroptosis. Additional experiments revealed this effect to be dependent on RIPK3. It appears that A20 limits ubiquitination of RIPK3, thereby controlling the formation of RIPK1-RIPK3 complexes that promote necroptosis. MICROBIOLOGY: Destructin-1 is a collagen-degrading endopeptidase secreted by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of
The last step is to stay in touch by sending updates to the individual you interviewed to highlight how their advice had an impact on your career development. For example, you can let them know that their job search strategies helped you succeed in an interview or that their advice helped you clarify your career goals. A benefit of staying in touch is that they may think of you when they learn about a new opportunity in their field. If you would like help on any aspect of the informational interview process including how to identify individuals to interview and questions to ask, schedule an appointment with an OCPD counselor at (415) 476-4986. Sara Ayazi is the Program Manager and a Career Counselor in the OCPD.
insurance, which is accepted at the school’s predoctoral clinics during the regular school hours and the new evening hours. For additional information about setting an appointment, please view the information on the Evening Dental Clinic flyer of this Synapse issue! Anna Nonaka is a first-year dental student.
white-nose syndrome. O’Donoghue, A.J., et al. (Bennett, R.J.). PNAS. 2015. Epub ahead of print. In recent years, North American bat populations have been devastated by white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which grows well at low temperatures and strikes hibernating bats. In this paper, resulting from a collaboration between researchers at UCSF and Brown, a pathogenic enzyme produced by this pathogenic fungus is described. They found a collagen-degrading serine peptidase, which they called destructin-1, is secreted by this fungus. Due to limited abilities to manipulate this fungus, the researchers used a novel approach to identify and find the substrates of secreted enzymes, leading to this discovery. They developed an inhibitor of destructin-1, which they showed worked in vitro, and propose that targeting this enzyme might allow treatment of whitenose syndrome. Taylor LaFlam is a fourth-year BMS / sixth-year MSTP student.
Myth #3: Dental students are only trained to recognize cavities. One’s oral health is a direct reflection of their systemic health. In addition to oral conditions and diseases, there are also many systemic conditions and diseases that present clinical symptoms in the mouth. We are trained to recognize those symptoms through intra-oral and extraoral examination. We are also training to be healthcare educators. We evaluate oral hygiene habits of our patients and educate them on proper oral hygiene techniques. So the answer to the questions is, yes, we do need to know what disease the drugs treat and how the human body works. This knowledge will help us think like healthcare providers, and recognize the importance of evidence-based practice as science and technology continue to move dentistry forward in the future. Wendy Fu is a first-year dental student.
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Articles continued » Exit Science » FROM PAGE 4 In other disciplines, it is becoming obvious that lagging research is losing its opportunity to stake competitive claims in newly evolving markets, for example next generation batteries. While we do have claim to Elon Musk and his seemingly unstoppable innovation in space exploration and electric cars (add to that his recent announcement that Tesla will be selling home batteries to collect and store renewable energy), we need a reenergizing boost of funding to the basic research that will solve tomorrow’s most critical problems. Source: “The Future Postponed” MIT Report
Futuristic Devices: First, comes a big innovative idea. What if we could sequence DNA and be able to read and understand it? Then comes the first primitive technology that turns that idea into a reality. Next come improvements (better, faster, stronger) closely followed by expansions of scope (let’s sequence the entire human genome). But the final step that transports an innovative technology into something jaw-droppingly futuristic and straight out of science fiction, is making it tiny. It is one thing building the first super computer, and it’s entirely another when you can wear it on your wrist. When you can pull it out of your pocket, point it at someone and gather their vital signs. Or when you can identify a species of mysterious plant while crouching in the middle of the rainforest. Tiny devices that carry powerful technologies anywhere you go are reminiscent of the omnipotent Star Trek tricorder (which, incidentally, has its own X-Prize that aims to “bring healthcare to the palm of your hand.”) So, whenever I read about new devices that pack a powerful punch, I see them not just as more gadgets in the sea of modern technology, but as harbingers of a technologically advanced science fiction-like society… that may be just around the corner.
Solution to Crossword: Last year, the British company Oxford Nanopore released the MinION – a handheld, cell phone-sized, USB-powered DNA sequencer – into beta-testers’ hands. MinION uses an electric current to distinguish between DNA bases that are fed through a nanopore and has accurately read sequences up to 91kb in length. Despite initial mixed feelings about its accuracy compared to traditional commercial sequencers, scientists have found incredible utility to such a portable device.
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A meeting is set for May 14 and 15 in London to gather beta testers and discuss experiences with different applications and potential future improvements. Nearfuture improvements would include increasing accuracy over longer stretches of DNA while decreasing the processing steps between collecting a sample and loading it onto the MinION device. Longer-term developments might include modifying the MinION to operate with an iPhone, plugging it into an environment of limitless data that could not just sequence, but also analyze DNA in real-time. Some laboratories have also begun testing the company’s nanopore technology with realtime protein analysis, which would further expand the kind of data scientists could someday collect and analyze instantly and in any environment. Sources: Nature Nanopore
News,
GenomeWeb,
Oxford
Hanna Starobinets is a fourth-year BMS student.
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Free E-Waste Clean Out Day What: Any working or non-working electronics that do not have labels or UCSF Asset Tags Who: Parnassus Campus Where: 6th Floor Foyer of HSE/HSW When: Wednesday, May 20th 10am - 2pm How: Bring your items to the 6th floor and give to UCSF Recycling & Waste Reduction Staff. Do not leave items unattended.
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Nature News reported that the MinION’s low cost, small size and sequencing speed has proven extremely useful on the front lines of the Ebola epidemic, where scientists are sequencing Ebola virus genomes from infected patients. Ecologists are carrying the tiny sequencer into forests, where they can sequence local biodiversity on the spot. NASA wants International Space Station astronauts to test it in low gravity, a step that could lead to a mission searching for DNA evidence of life on Mars.
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Puzzles »
Humans of UCSF »
The Crossword
by Margie E. Burke
9 10 11 12 13 ACROSS 1 Slip through the 14 15 16 cracks 17 18 19 5 Subtraction word 20 21 22 23 9 Spread out, as 24 25 26 27 28 fingers 14 Lose steam 29 30 31 32 15 Vocal range 33 34 35 36 37 38 16 Show to be so 17 Bloodhound's 39 40 41 42 clue 43 44 45 46 18 Street urchin 19 Sheets and 47 48 49 50 such 51 52 53 54 55 56 20 Radio or TV 22 Kind of cards 57 58 59 60 24 Basic 61 62 63 64 65 assumption 26 Lure in 66 67 68 29 Flightless bird 69 70 71 30 Pretzel topping 32 Freight weight Copyright 2015 by The Puzzle Syndicate 33 Market surplus 36 Steve Martin's 61 Metal-shaping 8 Crash site? 35 Shouting letters 9 Woodworker's 37 Track shape costar in a 2003 tool 63 Thoughtworry 38 It might be 20-20 remake 39 Colony member provoking 10 File menu option 40 Stir-crazy 41 Vintner's vessel 65 Civil War soldier 11 Line on a world 44 "Kiss from a 42 Hill crest 66 Watering hole map Rose" singer 43 Concert 67 Lewd look 12 Latin salutation 45 Have a tab 68 His partner 13 Hankering 50 Put away organizer 46 Within earshot 69 Boutique buy 21 Ultimate goal 52 Protection 47 Invoice word 70 Counter current 23 Supermarket 53 Knight's ride 48 Order to a 71 CircusMay site 2015 - Issue section2 54 Go along with broker 25 Bench warmer 55 Live's partner 49 Calendar abbr. DOWN 27 Party line? 56 Risky rendezvous 51 Corrections list 1 Beat badly 28 Script direction 53 Gourmet 2 Downy duck 30 Watchdog's 58 Doing nothing warning seasoning 3 Chip away at 59 Gardener's need 57 Orchestra 4 Patrol area 31 Pro's foe 61 Lawn starter 5 Barrister's field 33 Move smoothly 62 Card game for member two 60 Cereal mascot 6 Tickle pink 34 Large-eyed 7 Hullabaloo primate 64 Get too nosy since 1951 1
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Edited by Margie E. Burke
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Copyright 2015 by The Puzzle Syndicate
Humans of UCSF is a student-run project aimed at putting a name to the faces we see on campus. View the project on our Facebook page (facebook.com/UCSFsynapse) or on our website (synapse.ucsf.edu/humans-of-ucsf).
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Comics »
Piled Higher and Deeper
By Jorge Cham
HOW TO SOLVE: (Answer appears elsewhere in this issue)
SOLUTIONS » PAGE 7
xkcd
By Randall Monroe