Life Sciences News

Newly published research by RNA Institute faculty may reveal clues for ways to treat a devastating neuromuscular disease. This recent work by Professor Andrew Berglund, director of the RNA Institute, and two new Institute scientists, John Cleary and Kaalak Reddy, seeks to identify drugs that would reduce the toxic RNA molecules that cause myotonic dystrophy (DM).

Supported by a $3.4 million award from the National Institutes of Health, Professor Melinda Larsen of Biological Sciences is leading a team of undergraduate and graduate students to research the causes and potential treatments for fibrosis.

The 2019 Life Science Research Symposium took place on November 15. The Life Sciences Research Symposium provides an opportunity for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows to present their research through oral and poster presentations, according the general format of main scientific conferences. It is an important event to promote student excellence and collaboration among researchers across the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics and Psychology. 

The Life Sciences Research Symposium provides an opportunity for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows to present their research through oral and poster presentations, according the general format of main scientific conferences. It is an important event to promote student excellence and collaboration among researchers across the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics and Psychology. The Life Sciences Research Symposium will take place on Friday November 15, 2019 at the State University of New York at Albany in the Campus Center Assembly Hall.

The Sanctuary for Independent Media's Sophia Cahillane talks to Professor Marlene Belfort on October 7, 2019 about her research and experiences in Biology as well as being a women in STEM.

Junior faculty who won major national awards from the National Science Foundation and NASA were honored at a reception in October. From left to right, Mariya Zheleva, Computer Science; Mustafa Aksoy, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Julia Jennings, Anthropology; Brian Rose, DAES; Jia Sheng, Chemistry; Justin Minder, DAES; Alan Chen, Chemistry/RNA Institute; Chinwe Ekenna, Computer Science; Justin Curry. Math and Statistics; Shaghayegh Sahebi, Computer Science; and Charalampos Chelmis, Computer Science.

Jia Sheng, an assistant professor of chemistry at UAlbany, is one of just 16 faculty SUNY-wide to earn the National Science Foundation’s esteemed CAREER award. Sheng received $600,000 to study the structures and functions of natural ribonucleic acid (RNA) modifications and develop molecular tools for gene regulation.

Two gifts totaling over $1 million dollars will help ensure student success at the College of Arts and Sciences far into the future, thanks to a loyal alum and UAlbany Foundation board member Kathleen Dennis '75 and Edelgard Wulfert, the college’s former dean.