Postdoctoral Research Articles

The interdisciplinary training academy for integrated substance/opioid use disorder prevention and health care: A qualitative look at a new remote field education model.

The opioid syndemic presents a critical need for effective interprofessional training in health care, especially in behavioral health disciplines. Addressing this need, the Interdisciplinary Training Academy for Integrated Substance/Opioid Use Disorder Prevention and Health care (ITA) was developed to provide adaptable educational experiences for emerging behavioral health professionals. This study, reflecting years 2020-2023, explored the experiences and perspectives of ITA fellows regarding interprofessional collaboration and opioid workforce development, focusing on how these elements are integrated. After conducting focus groups, we employed applied thematic analysis to qualitatively analyze the experiences of ITA fellows (11 women and six men; 41% Hispanic/Latino and 59% White; 14 Master of Social Work students and three psychology postdoctoral fellows). This method allowed for a detailed exploration of their perceptions and the nuances of their learning process within the context of opioid workforce development. The findings indicated that fellows' learning processes were adaptive, evolving over time to meet their changing needs. Initially, fellows faced challenges related to role clarity and process understanding. However, they reported significant professional growth as the program progressed, highlighting the effectiveness of the ITA's interprofessional approach in a remote learning setting. The study emphasizes the need for ongoing research to identify and overcome barriers to effective interprofessional collaboration. The results contribute insights into the role of remote field education in preparing future health care professionals to address complex health crises effectively. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The here and clown

This practise-as-research paper applies Cormac Power’s three categories of presence (2006) to contemporary clown training and performance in the theatre with specific reference to a recently devised performance that used clown principles to open up challenging discussions around shame, race and Afrikaner Identity. Through my perspective as a South African educator, clown practitioner and postdoctoral fellow, I propose that the contemporary clown’s failed efforts to sustain the audience's belief in their persona is what paradoxically leads to the clown’s success by drawing attention to presence as a multibodied phenomenon. Failure, a key principle of clowning, is an effective performance strategy that relies on the performer's awareness of their presence as a dynamic exchange to establish and maintain connection with an audience through listening and reacting to audience appreciation (laughter) or lack thereof (silence). Through critical reflection of the clown as both a state of presence and a performative strategy, this paper highlights the valuable role that the clown’s insider-outsider position plays in bringing about awareness and learning in both theatrical and pedagogic contexts. This work is based on the research supported by the National Institute for The Humanities and Social Science.

Exposing postdocs to multiple institutional types: a PROMISE-ing intervention to prepare biomedical faculty

Biomedical faculty positions require experience as a postdoctoral scholar (or “postdoc”). However, there is a current misalignment with postdoctoral training and workforce needs within higher education. The majority of postdocs are trained to be research faculty while completing fellowships at research-intensive universities, despite the fact that the majority of US higher educational institutions (where these postdocs may be employed) focus on undergraduate education. This leads to postdoctoral scholars not having the opportunity to gain exposure to different institutional types where they could be employed. Importantly, they also lack the opportunity to build a network or receive mentorship from faculty at non-R1 institutions. This may be particularly true of underrepresented scholars. In this brief report, we describe the practice of the NSF-funded PROMISE Academy Alliance to bridge this training gap and support greater preparation for faculty careers at an array of institutional types by leveraging collaboration within a state university system. A survey of PROMISE Academy Fellows about their structured experiences engaging with other campuses (e.g., campus tours, workshops, speaking opportunities) reveals that visits to other campuses within the state system are informative and impactful, both on their research and their employment interests. The positive findings can hopefully inspire easy-to-implement changes in postdoctoral support across other university systems or regional consortia.

Shabana Khan.

"A turning point in my career was working on silylene chemistry during my postdoctoral research, which provided a vision of utilizing low-valent compounds in different fields of science… I chose my current career path because of the freedom to explore scientific questions alongside young minds…" Find out more about Shabana Khan in her Introducing… Profile.

There is Hope in the Incarnation—Challenging the Bibliological Docetism of Today’s Evangelicalism

The authors argue that the future existence of evangelicalism as an ecclesial tradition depends on its ability and courage to re-imagine the dual nature, human and divine, of the Bible as written revelation and, consequently, to renew the way that this community engages with it. Such an endeavour requires a new way of understanding and engaging with the Bible that can be built around the model of the Incarnation. As mainline Protestants, who ministered for many years in evangelical ecclesial communities and who have conducted extensive doctoral and post-doctoral research in patristic and contemporary theological studies, the authors are convinced that if evangelicalism is to survive and flourish in the complexities of the contemporary world, it requires a new hermeneutic. It should move away from a dominating docetic view of the Scripture, which overemphasises its divine nature, to the detriment, and sometimes the total neglect, of its human authorship, to give a full account of its dual nature, equally divine and human.

On Pipelines and Precarity: Competing Narratives on the Roles and Functions of Postdocs in South African Higher Education

It is broadly understood that postdoctoral research fellows (hereafter postdocs) play a significant role in higher education’s research outputs, teaching and learning, and the rating and ranking of an institution. Largely shaped by the neoliberal turn(s) in higher education from the late 1970s and 1980s, postdocs have become an indispensable yet precarious labour force that higher education institutions have come to rely on. In the South African context, research on postdoc fellowships is relatively new, with limited scholarship focusing on the narratives and voices of these marginalised scholars. In this article, I purposively recruited and interviewed 23 former and current postdocs in three research-intensive universities in South Africa as well as a university vice dean of research, and a former senior official of the Department of Higher Education and Training. I also consulted and analysed various South African higher education policy documents and ministerial articulations regarding postdocs in the country. Through the use of in-depth semi-structured interviews, two competing narratives emerged from the data—that is, the deeply rooted and entrenched idea of the postdoc system as a pipeline for novice researchers to transition into established scholars, and the idea of the postdocs as precarious scholars whose academic labour is insecure, unstable, and exploited in the university. I conclude the article with some broad systemic implications on the role and function of postdocs in South African higher education, and the need for more research to understand these marginalised scholars.

First person – Vikas Tillu

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Vikas Tillu is co-first author on ‘ Precision in situ cryogenic correlative light and electron microscopy of optogenetically positioned organelles’, published in JCS. Vikas is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the lab of Nicholas Ariotti at Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Australia, investigating in situ receptor trafficking analysis using cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET).

ECR Spotlight – Miguel López-Unzu

ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Miguel López-Unzu is an author on ‘ The myoarchitecture of the vertebrate cardiac ventricles: evolution and classification’, published in JEB. Miguel conducted the research described in this article while a Postdoctoral Researcher in Prof. Ana Carmen Durán and Prof. Borja Fernández's lab at Universidad de Málaga, Spain. Miguel is now a Postdoctoral Researcher in the lab of Prof. Jorge Alegre-Cebollada at Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Spain, investigating the heart muscle, the myocardium, in order to help improve cardiovascular health.

Sperm and leukocyte telomere length are related to sperm quality parameters in healthy men from the Led-Fertyl study.

Could sperm and leukocyte telomere length (TL) be associated with sperm quality parameters and reproductive health in men from the general population? A positive association between sperm and leukocyte TL with sperm concentration and total count has been demonstrated. Male factors account for almost half of cases of couple infertility, and shorter TLs have been observed in sperm from men with impaired sperm parameters. However, evidence in men from the general population is limited. A total of 200 volunteers of reproductive age were recruited between February 2021 and April 2023 to participate in the Lifestyle and Environmental Determinants of Seminogram and Other Male Fertility-Related Parameters (Led-Fertyl) cross-sectional study. TLs in sperm and leukocytes were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in 168 and 194 participants, respectively. Sperm parameters, including concentration, total count, motility, vitality, and morphology, were analyzed using a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) SCA® system according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2010guidelines. Multivariable regression models were performed to assess the associations between sperm and leukocyte TL, either in tertiles or as continuous variables, and sperm quality parameters while adjusting for potential confounders. Participants in tertiles 2 (T2) and 3 (T3) of sperm TL showed a higher sperm concentration (β: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.09-2.09 and β: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.04-3.09 for T2 and T3, respectively; P-trend < 0.001), compared to those in the reference tertile (T1). Participants in the highest tertile of sperm TL showed higher total sperm count (β: 3.83; 95% CI: 2.08-5.58 for T3 vs T1; P-trend < 0.001). Participants in the top tertile of leukocyte TL showed higher sperm concentration (β: 1.49; 95% CI: 0.44-2.54 for T3 vs T1; P-trend = 0.004), and total count (β: 3.49; 95% CI: 1.62-5.35 for T3 vs T1; P-trend < 0.001) compared with participants in T1. These results remained consistent when sperm and leukocyte TL were modelled as continuous variables. One limitation is the impossibility of establishing a cause-effect relationship due to the cross-sectional study design. Additionally, the sample size of the study cannot be considered large. Sperm and leukocyte TLs are associated with sperm quality parameters in the general population. Additional determinations and further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying these associations and to investigate the further implications. The Led-Fertyl study was supported by the Spanish government's official funding agency for biomedical research, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through the Fondo de Investigación para la Salud (FIS) and co-funded by the European Union ERDF/ESF, 'A way to make Europe'/'Investing in your future' (PI21/01447), and the Diputació de Tarragona (2021/11-No.Exp. 8004330008-2021-0022642). J.S.-S., senior author of the present study, is partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia program. M.F.d.l.P. was supported by a predoctoral grant from the Rovira i Virgili University and Diputació de Tarragona (2020-PMF-PIPF-8). C.V.-H. received a predoctoral grant from the Generalitat de Catalunya (2022 FI_B100108). M.Á.M. was supported by the Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship (CD21/00045-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)). All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. N/A.

2024 AMCA MEMORIAL LECTURE HONOREE: MIR SUBHAN MULLA 1925-20231.

From 1979 to 2024, 51 individuals have been recognized as AMCA honorees for their lifetime achievements in mosquito and vector control. Mir Subhan Mulla (1925-2023) was the most recent honoree recognized in March 2024. Mulla received a scholarship in 1948 to attend Cornell University, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in entomology and parasitology. Mulla received his Ph.D. in entomology at the University of California, Berkeley in 1956, and then joined the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) faculty the same year. He retired in 2006 after 50 years of service. As one of the founding faculty in entomology at UC Riverside, Mulla created undergraduate and graduate courses and seminars in medical and veterinary entomology. As a leader in UC Riverside's world-renowned medical entomology graduate program, he advised 27 Ph.D. students, three master's students, 20 postdoctoral fellows, and 30 visiting scholars from many countries. Mulla contributed significantly to research and developments in biology, ecology, and control of arthropods of public health and economic importance, including but not limited to mosquitoes, flies, eye gnats, midges, blackflies, and stored product beetles. His work on biorational pesticides was remarkable. He published more than 550 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. Mulla served the scientific community as a consultant, advisor, member, or chairman with numerous national and international organizations. He guided many universities in the development of their medical entomology programs. Mulla also served as one of the founding scientists of the Society for Vector Ecology (SOVE). He also provided financial support for facilities, faculty, and students at UC Riverside. Additionally, Mulla served as a leader in the Riverside Muslim community. He and his wife Lelia founded the Islamic Society of Riverside and Orange Counties in California. In recognition of Mulla's excellence in teaching, mentorship, and research, he received numerous prestigious recognitions from universities, communities, and professional organizations. He will be greatly missed by his loving and devoted family, friends, former students, and colleagues here in the USA and abroad.

12510 SLC25A11 As A Novel Gene For Carney-Stratakis Syndrome

Abstract Disclosure: F. Freitas-Castro: None. L.S. Santana: None. G.F. Fagundes: None. A.F. Afonso: None. E.C. Lobato: None. F.L. Ledesma: None. I.C. Soares: None. B.B. Mendonca: None. M.C. Fragoso: None. A. Latronico: None. C.A. Stratakis: None. M.Q. Almeida: None. Background: Carney-Stratakis syndrome (CSS, OMIM #606864), also reported as “paraganglioma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor syndrome” or Carney-Stratakis dyad, is an autosomal dominant rare syndrome with incomplete penetrance, characterized by the association of paragangliomas (PGL) and/or pheochromocytomas (PHEO) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). CSS is mainly caused by germline heterozygous pathogenic variants (PVs) in the succinate dehydrogenase subunit genes (SDHB, SDHC, SDHD), with SDHB and SDHD being the most frequently affected. Aim: To investigate a novel genetic etiology for CSS not associated with germline SDHx defects. Methods: Genetic investigation using SANGER sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) rule out germline defects for SDHx in a 59-year-old woman diagnosed with a 9 cm left PHEO, 4.8 cm PGL and 9.3 cm GIST. Thus, we performed whole exome sequencing of germline DNA (paired with tumor DNA from PHEO, PGL, and GIST) and applied a targeted analysis with the enrichment of 3,485 potential neuroendocrine tumors susceptibility genes associated with cellular response to hypoxia, mitochondrion, Krebs cycle, and tumorigenesis (MAPK, mTOR, ERK, and Wnt signaling). Additionally, we performed RT-qPCR to determine SLC25A11 expression levels in PHEO and PGL samples, stratified into three groups: tumors from the case harboring the SLC25A11 variant, Cluster 1 (n= 4), and Cluster 2 (n= 8). Tumor DNA methylation status was assessed using immunostaining for 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Results: Exome sequencing revealed a new heterozygous germline variant (c.293G&amp;gt;A / p.Arg98His) in the mitochondrial 2-oxoglutarate/malate carrier gene (SLC25A11). This variant, located in a highly conserved residue of the SLC25A11 mitochondrial carrier domain, is predicted to be deleterious in silico (REVEL score= 0.81). Exome sequencing of the PHEO and PGL did not reveal somatic PVs in genes previously associated with PHEO and PGL. Moreover, somatic c-KIT and PDGFRA PVs were not identified in GIST. Notably, a significant downregulation of SLC25A11 expression was observed in tumor samples harboring the SLC25A11 p.Arg98His variant (0.57 ± 0.13) compared with tumors from cluster 1 (1.39 ± 0.45; p = 0.025) and cluster 2 (1.79 ± 0.71; p &amp;lt; 0.001). Interestingly, immunostaining for 5hmC was negative in all tumors (PHEO, PGL and GIST), indicating tumor hypermethylation. Conclusion: A rare germline deleterious variant in SLC25A11 was identified in a patient with CSS. Moreover, the absence of somatic drivers, hypermethylation status and loss of SLC25A11 expression in the CSS tumors support the involvement of this gene with CSS. Support: Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) grant 2019/15873-6 (to M.Q.A.), and FAPESP post-doctoral fellowship 2021/11240-9 (to F.F-C.). Presentation: 6/1/2024

12510 SLC25A11 As A Novel Gene For Carney-stratakis Syndrome

Abstract Disclosure: F. Freitas-Castro: None. L.S. Santana: None. G.F. Fagundes: None. A.F. Afonso: None. E.C. Lobato: None. F.L. Ledesma: None. I.C. Soares: None. B.B. Mendonca: None. M.C. Fragoso: None. A. Latronico: None. C.A. Stratakis: None. M.Q. Almeida: None. Background: Carney-Stratakis syndrome (CSS, OMIM #606864), also reported as “paraganglioma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor syndrome” or Carney-Stratakis dyad, is an autosomal dominant rare syndrome with incomplete penetrance, characterized by the association of paragangliomas (PGL) and/or pheochromocytomas (PHEO) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). CSS is mainly caused by germline heterozygous pathogenic variants (PVs) in the succinate dehydrogenase subunit genes (SDHB, SDHC, SDHD), with SDHB and SDHD being the most frequently affected. Aim: To investigate a novel genetic etiology for CSS not associated with germline SDHx defects. Methods: Genetic investigation using SANGER sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) rule out germline defects for SDHx in a 59-year-old woman diagnosed with a 9 cm left PHEO, 4.8 cm PGL and 9.3 cm GIST. Thus, we performed whole exome sequencing of germline DNA (paired with tumor DNA from PHEO, PGL, and GIST) and applied a targeted analysis with the enrichment of 3,485 potential neuroendocrine tumors susceptibility genes associated with cellular response to hypoxia, mitochondrion, Krebs cycle, and tumorigenesis (MAPK, mTOR, ERK, and Wnt signaling). Additionally, we performed RT-qPCR to determine SLC25A11 expression levels in PHEO and PGL samples, stratified into three groups: tumors from the case harboring the SLC25A11 variant, Cluster 1 (n= 4), and Cluster 2 (n= 8). Tumor DNA methylation status was assessed using immunostaining for 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Results: Exome sequencing revealed a new heterozygous germline variant (c.293G&amp;gt;A / p.Arg98His) in the mitochondrial 2-oxoglutarate/malate carrier gene (SLC25A11). This variant, located in a highly conserved residue of the SLC25A11 mitochondrial carrier domain, is predicted to be deleterious in silico (REVEL score= 0.81). Exome sequencing of the PHEO and PGL did not reveal somatic PVs in genes previously associated with PHEO and PGL. Moreover, somatic c-KIT and PDGFRA PVs were not identified in GIST. Notably, a significant downregulation of SLC25A11 expression was observed in tumor samples harboring the SLC25A11 p.Arg98His variant (0.57 ± 0.13) compared with tumors from cluster 1 (1.39 ± 0.45; p = 0.025) and cluster 2 (1.79 ± 0.71; p &amp;lt; 0.001). Interestingly, immunostaining for 5hmC was negative in all tumors (PHEO, PGL and GIST), indicating tumor hypermethylation. Conclusion: A rare germline deleterious variant in SLC25A11 was identified in a patient with CSS. Moreover, the absence of somatic drivers, hypermethylation status and loss of SLC25A11 expression in the CSS tumors support the involvement of this gene with CSS. Support: Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) grant 2019/15873-6 (to M.Q.A.), and FAPESP post-doctoral fellowship 2021/11240-9 (to F.F-C.). Presentation: 6/1/2024

Reducing mental health stigma in academia: Assessing the acceptability of a first-person narrative program.

Academics are more likely to experience mental health difficulties like depression and anxiety. However, stigma remains a key barrier to help-seeking, and limited data exists on stigma reduction for academics. This study examines the acceptability of a first-person narrative-based antistigma program conducted by Dragonfly Mental Health at a large public university. This intervention used a multitiered approach that leverages education and contact strategies to reduce stigma among graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and faculty. Personal stories of six local faculty with lived experience of mental health struggles were shown in a short film during three separate departmental retreats, followed by moderated large and small group discussions. This study presents descriptive survey data from academics (N = 149) who attended one of these three programs. A thematic content analysis was conducted on open-ended responses from 86 participants. Overall, the Dragonfly Mental Health program was well-received: 95% of participants found the film beneficial, and over 92% felt the film and discussions reduced stigma. Qualitative analysis highlighted several themes on participants' experiences. Participants appreciated the open, honest disclosures of faculty members in the film but reported that the vague disclosures perpetuated stigma. Participants liked the normalization of mental illness but desired more representation from the mental health spectrum. Participants expressed frustration over an academic work culture that is defined by overwork and burnout. These findings suggest that sharing faculty stories is a powerful mechanism to build connectedness among academics, promote open communication, and foster change in academic culture around mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Preface for LLMs4OL 2024: The 1st Large Language Models for Ontology Learning Challenge at the 23rd ISWC

We are pleased to present the proceedings of the “1st Large Language Models for Ontology Learning Challenge (LLMs4OL 2024)”, held at the 23rd International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC). This challenge marks a significant a dvancement in utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs) for Ontology Learning (OL)—a key Semantic Web component that facilitates the automatic extraction of structured knowledge from unstructured data. The challenge features three main tasks: Term Typing (identifying categories for terms), Taxonomy Discovery (uncovering hierarchical relationships), and Non-Taxonomic Relation Extraction (identifying other meaningful relationships between terms). Each task is designed to test different facets of ontology construction and to encourage the exploration of innovative techniques. This challenge seeks to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and expand the capabilities of LLMs in OL. The proceedings include a collection of innovative solutions and insights from global participants, highlighting the crucial role of LLMs in enhancing the web with structured knowledge. We believe the outcomes of this challenge will propel further advancements in OL and its applications on the semantic web. We would like to extend our gratitude to all the participants for their invaluable contributions, which their solutions and dedication have greatly enriched this challenge. Our sincere thanks also go to the conference organizers and committee for their efforts in hosting this event. We are deeply appreciative of the reviewers for their evaluations and feedback. Their reviews have been instrumental in enhancing the quality of the submissions. We would like to specifically acknowledge: Dr. Amin Keshavarzi (Postdoctoral Researcher, L3S &amp; TIB, Germany) Mostafa Rahgouy (Lead Project Coordinator, Auburn University, USA) Sahar Tahmasebi (Doctoral Researcher, TIB, Germany) Milad Molazadeh Oskuee (Lead NLP Researcher, Iran) Aida Usmanova (Doctoral Researcher, Leuphana Universit ¨ at L¨uneburg, Germany) Emetis Niazmand (Doctoral Researcher, TIB, Germany) Lastly, we would like to express our gratitude to ”Xenia Felice van Edig” and ”Karolina Linerová” from the TIB Open Publishing, for their support in bringing these proceedings online. We also would like to acknowledge that the 1st LLMs4OL Challenge @ ISWC 2024 jointly supported by the NFDI4DataScience initiative (DFG, German Research Foundation, Grant ID: 460234259) and the SCINEXT project (BMBF, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Grant ID: 01lS22070).

Twenty Years of Feminist Engagement: Reflections on Practice

This article explores the author's personal and professional challenges as a feminist and the strategies employed to address them. It focuses on the interplay of knowledge production, positionality, and ethical considerations in contexts of conflict and trauma, and it explores the complexities of intertwining personal experiences with academic inquiry. After highlighting personal struggles of navigating two worlds, the author emphasizes the importance of a reflexive and ethical approach in feminist research that involves navigating power relations and positionality, managing expectations, and responding to the needs on the ground. It ends with addressing both a personal backlash the author experienced and critiques directed toward feminist work in the region. Drawing on her experiences in conducting PhD research with Kurdish women refugees in the UK, postdoctoral research on women survivors of the Anfal genocide in Kurdistan, and a comparative analysis of the experiences of women survivors of the Anfal and Yezidi genocides, the article provides insights into the intricate landscape of feminist research in challenging contexts.

Knowledge And Perception About Dental Implant And Its Complications Among GeneralPractitioners And Post Graduates In Coimbatore – A Cross Sectional Survey

Background: It is necessary for dental students and freshly graduated dentists to apply their education and practice to different clinical and preclinical procedures. The implant success rate and durability are high. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the level of knowledge, awareness and perception of dental practitioners and post graduate students regarding dental implant complications in Coimbatore. Materials and Methods: A prevalence study design using a web-based method was conducted among dental practitioners and postgraduate students in Coimbatore. Data were collected from all (n = 212) general dental practitioners and postgraduate students using a pretested standardized self-administered web-based questionnaire that was prepared and circulated using a template provided by Google Forms (Google, Inc., USA). Results: In a survey of 212 general dental practitioners and postgraduate students in Coimbatore, 69.2% considered dental implants a viable option for tooth replacement, though 38% noted financial constraints affecting patient acceptance. While 38.5% were highly aware of the risks associated with implants, 61.5% emphasized the importance of case selection. Common issues included postoperative infections (53.8%) and screw loosening (46.2%). Aesthetically, 30.8% cited loss of the interdental papilla as a concern. Most participants favored flap surgical methods (61.5%) and recommended considering patient conditions when choosing implant prostheses. Notably, 61.5% were aware of regenerative possibilities related to dental implants. Conclusion: A comprehensive evaluation concluded that undergraduate instruction in basic implantology is essential due to the increasing prevalence of implants. Additionally, postdoctoral training programs should be established to enhance practitioners' skills and knowledge, providing them with the confidence needed to treat patients effectively

First person – Luisa F. Arias Padilla and Jonathan Munera Lopez

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Luisa F. Arias Padilla and Jonathan Munera Lopez are co-first authors on ‘ The initiation and early development of apical–basal polarity in Toxoplasma gondii’, published in JCS. Luisa is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the lab of Ke Hu at Arizona State University, Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, USA, investigating cellular dynamics and complexity. Jonathan is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the same lab investigating Toxoplasma gondii cell biology.

Alysson Muotri: Modeling the human brain with stem cells and organoids, from disease paradigms to neanderthoids, space brains, and beyond

Dr. Alysson Muotri is a Professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), holding appointments in both the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Cellular &amp; Molecular Medicine. His leadership extends across several cutting-edge research initiatives at UCSD, where he serves as Director of the Sanford Stem Cell Education program, the Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research (ISSCOR) center, the Archealization Center (ArchC), and the Gene Therapy Initiative, as well as Associate Director of the Center for Academic Research &amp; Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA). Dr. Muotri's academic journey began in Brazil, where he earned a BSc in Biological Sciences from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) in 1995 and a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of São Paulo in 2001. He then moved to the Salk Institute in 2002 as a Pew Latin America Fellow for postdoctoral training in neuroscience and stem cell biology. At the forefront of neuroscience research, Dr. Muotri's work focuses on brain evolution and the modeling of neurological diseases, employing cutting-edge techniques such as human-induced pluripotent stem cells and brain organoids. We are honored to feature Dr. Muotri in the Genomic Press Interview series, offering our readers a unique opportunity to gain insights into both his personal journey and professional achievements. His contributions to the field of neuroscience and stem cell research continue to shape our understanding of brain development and disease, making his perspectives invaluable to the scientific community and beyond.

Seventy-five years of impactful environmental and occupational health research at the Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine at New York University.

Founded in 1947 as the Institute of Industrial Medicine, the Nelson Institute and Department of Environmental Medicine at New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine (NYUGSOM) was supported by a National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) Center Grant for over 56 years. Nelson Institute researchers generated 75 years of impactful research in environmental and occupational health, radiation effects, toxicology, and cancer. Environmental health research is continuing at NYUGSOM in its departments of medicine and population health. The objective of this historical commentary is to highlight the major achievements of the Nelson Institute and the department in the context of its history at facilities in Sterling Forest, Tuxedo, NY and Manhattan, NY. Aspects of our discussion include leadership, physical facilities, and research in many areas, including air pollution, health effects of environmental radiation exposures, inhalation toxicology methodology, carcinogenesis by chemicals, metals, and hormones, cancer chemoprevention, human microbiome, ecotoxicology, epidemiology, biostatistics, and community health concerns. The research of the institute and department benefited from unique facilities, strong leadership focused on team-based science, and outstanding investigators, students, and staff. A major lasting contribution has been the training of hundreds of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have been and are training the next generation of environmental and occupational health researchers at various institutions.

Geographic inequality in funding by National Institutes of Health negatively impacts almost one-half of the states in the United States.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary federal agency in the United States (US) that supports biomedical research, training, and clinical trials. NIH funding creates patents and jobs and thus helps the regional and national economy grow. Therefore, NIH funding would be expected to flow equitably to all 50 US states. However, there is a significant geographic disparity in the level of NIH funding received by various states. To that end, in 1993, authorized by Congress, NIH initiated a funding program called the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) to support states, called IDeA states, which received low levels of NIH funding. However, whether this approach has helped reduce the geographic disparity in NIH funding is unclear. In the current study, we analyzed data on various NIH funding mechanisms awarded to 23 IDeA states vs. 27 non-IDeA states, as identified by NIH. We compared these data to the population size, federal taxes paid, and the number of PhDs and Post-doctoral Fellows(PDFs) trained in IDeA vs. non-IDeA states. The non-IDeA states received 93.6% of the total NIH funding, whereas IDeA states received only 6.4%. On average, one Institutional Training Grant was received for every 24 PhDs trained in non-IDeA states, while IDeA states received one such grant for every 46 PhDs trained. The non-IDeA states comprised 84.3% of the US population, whereas IDeA states comprised 15.7%. Thus, on a per capita basis, non-IDeA states received $120 from NIH, whereas IDeA states received $45 per person. For every million dollars contributed by the non-IDeA states toward federal taxes, they received $7,903 in NIH funding, while the IDeA States received only $4,617. For FY 2022, the NIH funding created an economic activity of $90.6 Billion in non-IDeA states and only $6.3 billion in IDeA states. When total NIH funding to the states was analyzed for the years 1992, 2002, 2012, and 2022, IDeA states received 4.7% of the total NIH funding in 1992, which increased to 7.2% in 2002 but dropped to 6.8% in 2012 and 6.5% in 2022. This demonstrated that IDeA states' share of NIH funding remained relatively unchanged for the past 20 years. Eliminating the geographic disparity in NIH funding is crucial for achieving equitable health outcomes across the US, and for the IDeA states to successfully train future generations of physicians and scientists, as well as grow the regional economy. Although the NIH IDeA programs have helped enhance the research capacity in IDeA states, the funding currently constitutes less than 1% of the total NIH budget. Thus, it is critical to increase NIH funding to IDeA states to improve health outcomes for all Americans.