University of Rochester

With the recent uptick in H5N1 virus cases (also known as avian or bird flu) found in dairy cattle and farm workers, Dr. David Topham—a professor of Microbiology and Immunology and director of the University's Translational Immunology and Infectious Disease Institute with 27 years experience studying H5N1 and other influenza viruses—answers pressing questions on safety concerns and spreadability. Here are a few key points: ➡️ Recent cases in humans have been found in dairy workers who have had close contact with cattle. ➡️ Pasteurization kills microorganisms, including the H5N1 virus. Avoid raw milk for now. ➡️ Vaccination can increase immunity and decrease the severity of symptoms.

In the hunt for a second Earth, professor of earth and environmental sciences Miki Nakajima says we should look to small planets. Professor Nakajima and her team of scientists investigated a process called "streaming instability," which is essential to the creation of moons and planets, and discovered that a rocky planet not much larger than our own with a large moon may have good potential to host life. “Relatively small planets similar to the size of Earth are more difficult to observe and they have not been the major focus of the hunt for moons,” says Professor Nakajima. “However, we predict these planets are actually better candidates to host moons.” More on the team's search for a second Earth: https://lnkd.in/ehuxHFxK #URochesterResearch

It's time for some jazz, Rochester! We're proud and excited to partner with the annual CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival, which kicks off today and runs through June 29. This internationally renowned festival features numerous musicians from the Eastman School of Music community including current students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Find the full lineup here: https://lnkd.in/guJ5hWv2

Today we observe Juneteenth as a University holiday, celebrating the end of slavery in the United States more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Celebrate Juneteenth with a good book from the Juneteenth Collection Highlight curated by Lindsey Baker, the humanities librarian for the Department of Black Studies, and Dr. Philip V. McHarris, an assistant professor in the department. “Each book has been chosen for its ability to illuminate aspects of this journey, whether through the lens of history, personal narratives, or exploration of Black experience and resistance,” says Dr. McHarris. These titles are on display on the first floor of the Rush Rhees Library through June 30. View the list: https://lnkd.in/ePnCiYKs

Congratulations to Allison Lopatkin ’13—an assistant professor of chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, and microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester—who is one of 22 scientists selected to join the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences this year. The program provides early-career scientists four years of funding to explore some of the most pressing questions in human health and medicine. The funding will help Lopatkin’s lab explore how changes in bacterial metabolism contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. “This work will facilitate the development of improved diagnostic and prognostic tests for assessing antibiotic susceptibility, as well as novel classes of infection-fighting drugs," says Professor Lopatkin. More on Professor Lopatkin's remarkable achievement: https://lnkd.in/esktyjEy

Cole Goodman '25, a member of the University's men's track & field team, will represent the University at the 2024 United States Track & Field Olympic Team Trials June 21–June 30 in Eugene, Oregon. As Rochester's most recent national champion, Cole will compete for a spot on Team USA in the triple jump, an event in which the junior captured the NCAA Division III title last month at the Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Congratulations, Cole!! #GOJACKETS🐝

Does it matter how much Democrats and Republicans hate each other? Yes, it does. It is obvious to almost everyone living in America that partisan hostility has reached a fever pitch. But how much does that matter to everyday life in the United States? A new book by some of the foremost scholars on polarization, including University of Rochester political scientist James Druckman, offers some answers. They found that partisan hostility has degraded politics by politicizing previously non-political issues, and that if even a few political elites exploit this animosity and frustration, “democracy becomes imperiled.” #URochesterResearch

Hug a dad 💙💛 Happy Father's Day to all our Rochester dads!

An international team of scientists, including Rochester researchers from our Laboratory for Laser Energetics, has for the first time generated plasma “fireballs” in a lab. While such plasmas—known as relativistic electron-positron pair plasmas—are ubiquitous in deep space conditions, producing them in a laboratory setting has proved challenging. In a novel experiment, the beam the researchers generated in the lab had enough particles to start behaving like a true astrophysical plasma. “This opens up an entirely new frontier in laboratory astrophysics by making it possible to experimentally probe the microphysics of gamma-ray bursts or blazar jets,” says lead author Charles Arrowsmith, a physicist from the University of Oxford who is joining LLE in the fall. #URochesterResearch

It was a historic day for the University of Rochester and for the future of health care for people with disabilities. "Monday morning we roll up our sleeves and the work begins," said Dr. John Foxe, the inaugural director of our new Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute, announced today following a $50 million commitment to the University from Tom Golisano. #BoundlessPossibility