On July 1, 2017, Memorial University will mark a special milestone.

On that date, the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, which first opened on July 1, 1967, will turn 50 years old. To commemorate, the department is hosting a reunion weekend Sept. 8-10 and hopes to reconnect with many former students, staff and faculty.

Dr. Mark Berry is the current head of the department. He says details about the reunion are still being finalized, but plans include a dinner and reception, and an open house.

We will be opening our labs to visitors on Sept. 9, and students will display posters and share their research, he said.

This will provide our alumni the chance to see new research space that has been added to the department since their time, especially the Biotechnology building facilities which came online in the early 90s, and learn about the research of some of our newer department members.

Photo: Submitted

The reunion dinner and reception will take place on Friday, Sept. 8, at the Johnson Geo Centre, with tickets on sale at $50 per person. The evening has been designed to provide ample opportunity to reconnect and reminisce with old classmates, staff and faculty. The location also provides easy access to the downtown district for those that wish to continue into the later hours.

Things are changing and in five years the department is likely going to look very different. Dr. Mark Berry

Dr. Berry estimates more than 2,200 students have passed through the departments doors over the last 50 years and hes looking forward to the opportunity to meet as many of them as possible.

The great thing about a reunion is it will allow us to get a handle on who our alumni are, he said. We know they feel a great affinity for the Department of Biochemistry, but in the past we havent been great at keeping in touch with them. Also, if anyone has old memorabilia or photos from their time in the department that they are willing to share, wed love to hear from them.

Photo: Submitted

With some of the departments longtime faculty members set to retire in the next few years, Dr. Berry notes this may be one of the last chances for alumni to come back and see some of those familiar faces.

Things are changing and in five years the department is likely going to look very different, he said. Alumni who were here in the 80s and 90s will still recognize most of the people around here, but I suspect not for much longer.

The first course in biochemistry at Memorial was given in the Department of Biology by Dr. Woodrow (Woody) Feltham, who was chief clinical chemist at the General Hospital at the time.

The idea that a Department of Biochemistry shouldbe created was at first rejected by one of the committees looking at thepossibility of establishing a new medical school at Memorial.

They suggested thatthree basic science departments biochemistry, physiology and microbiology should be established before the admission of the first class of medical students. Thesedepartments were to be hosted by the Faculty of Arts and Science untilsuch time as the medical school should be established; they would then become partof the medical school.

This work, in my opinion,was among the most consequential ever carried out at Memorial. Dr. Sean Brosnan

Of these three, only the Department of Biochemistry was established, with Dr.Feltham as its head. A professorof physiology, Ken Roberts, was appointed and also became associate deanof Basic Medical Sciences.

Ken was philosophically opposed to the idea of departments; he felt that theycaused artificial divisions in what should be a seamless body ofknowledge and scholarly enquiry, said Dr. Sean Brosnan, the longest serving member of the biochemistry departments faculty.

He established the Division of Basic Medical Sciences, which has sincebecome the Division of Biomedical Sciences, within the medical school.Woody Feltham decided that biochemistry should remain within the Facultyof Arts and Science, soon to become the Faculty of Science.

When Dr. Brosnan arrived at Memorial in January of 1972, the department had four faculty members: Dr. Feltham, Peter OBrien,Clive Little and John Wheldrake. They were joined by Dr. Brosnan and another assistantprofessor, Peter Penner.

However, Profs. Little and Wheldrake left soon after. Kevin Keough joined inSeptember of 1972; Choi Hew and Margaret Brosnan joined in the fallof 1974.

At the time, research areas included biological oxidation, metabolism, membranes and molecular biology.

Choi Hew teamed up with Garth Fletcher of the Ocean Sciences Centre, then the Marine Sciences Research Laboratory, to pioneer ways ofintroducing foreign genes into salmon, said Dr. Brosnan.This work, which, in my opinion,was among the most consequential ever carried out at Memorial, directlyled to the first genetically modified animal approved for humanconsumption by the FDA.

Drs. Sean and Margaret Brosnan are conservatively estimated to have taught 90-95 per cent of the departments 2,200 alumni in some capacity, and are still going strong.

Photo: Submitted

Its impossible for me to calculate how many undergraduates I may havetaught, said Dr. Sean Brosnan.Certainly, enrolment in the third-year metabolism course hasincreased from about 15 per year to more than 200. I calculate that morethan 100 students have received research training in mylaboratory, as summer/honours students, graduate students orpost-doctoral fellows.

My most pleasant and memorable events have allhad to do with the success of the students, he added.

The department has seen four Rhodes Scholars, Tim Whalen, Ann Colbourne, Paul Boland and Luke Pike; two future Canada Research Chairs, Tim Whalen and Jason Treberg; and twofuture heads of nutrition departments, Jim House and Mark Jois. Manyothers have gone on to careers in academia or the professions,particularly in medicine.

Online registration for the reunion recently opened and alumni, staff, faculty and friends of the department can register here.

The department has also created a dedicated reunion email address, biochem50@mun.ca, for alumni who wish to send in memorabilia, such as photos or copies of old mixer posters and exams, or stories about the department. Sponsorship opportunities are also available and full details can be requested through the biochem50 email address.

To learn more about the Department of Biochemistry, visit their website, or Facebook page.

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Doors open - Gazette

April 10 Beijing Leadman Biochemistry Co Ltd

* Sees Q1 FY 2017 net profit to decrease by 10 percent to increase by 10 percent, or to be 16.2 million yuan to 19.8 million yuan

* Says Q1 FY 2016 net profit was 18 million yuan

* The reason for the forecast is strengthened the management of customer credit account, reduced bad debts risk and decreased income

Source text in Chinese:goo.gl/9R9L4c

Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)

April 10 Denmark will on Wednesday lift an order to keep poultry flocks indoors as the threat of bird flu has lessened, the Ministry of Environment and Food said in a press release on Monday.

* Organigram enters into LoI to acquire Trauma Healing Centers

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BRIEF-Beijing Leadman Biochemistry Co Ltd sees Q1 FY 2017 net profit down 10 pct to up 10 pct - Reuters

A shortage of consultant clinical biochemists is causing recruitment difficulties for Cork University Hospital, where the biochemistry laboratory has advised GPs it cannot provide clinical advice or interpretation of test results because of lack of clinical governance.

Dr John O'Mullane: Retired last September.

The hospitals biochemistry department has also advised GPs it has sought to voluntarily suspend its accreditation as efforts continue to recruit a consultant clinical biochemist following the retirement, last September, of department chief Dr John OMullane.

Asked how many staff vacancies were in the department, the hospital said: At any given time, allowing that there are a great number of personnel employed in the laboratory, there can be several or no vacancies.

In terms of the current situation, the hospital said there was one consultant clinical biochemist vacancy and that its medical manpower department is actively recruiting both a locum replacement and a permanent replacement.

The hospital said as available candidates are not plentiful, it is difficult to put a timeframe on either competition.

GPs have been advised that, since March 31, the department has not been in a position to provide a clinical advisory service.

Asked what reassurance it could provide in the absence of this advisory, the hospital said the same scientists will process patient specimens to a high-quality standard, as before, and within the same timeframe.

While we can advise service users to seek appropriate advice from other sources, we cannot directly provide that advice at this time. Specific clinical advice of this nature is not generally required for the majority of results, CUH said.

Asked what loss of accreditation would mean for the hospital, the response was that CUH biochemistry will continue to maintain the existing Quality Management System...designed to ensure the safe processing of laboratory tests, but will not be able to provide clinical advice for the interpretation of results.

The hospital said accreditation an independent verification of the extent to which an organisation meets pre-determined standards is not mandatory for biochemistry laboratories but that most, including CUH, achieve it as confirmation of maintaining the system.

The biochemistry department processed approximately 8m tests last year, including for liver function, cardiac function, , and general chemistries.

Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved

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Cork University Hospital crisis due to lack of biochemists - Irish Examiner

Cyrus Moulton Telegram & Gazette Staff @MoultonCyrus

WORCESTER - Researchers have moved from the back row to the orchestra seats for the ballet of the cell, now that a new cryo-electron microscope is up and running at University of Massachusetts Medical School and attracting use and attention from all over the region.

Prior to this cryo-EM technology, it was like we were at the back of the arena with very poor vision, said Brian A. Kelch, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular pharmacology at UMass Medical School. These microscopes now allow us to get 20/20 vision and move to the orchestra seats so we can now see all the dancers and see how they interact with each other. Then also when the dance gets out of synchrony, which could lead to disease, we can see how to bring those dancers back to synchrony which can fix that disease.

UMass Medical School held a ribbon cutting in October for a $12 million facility housing two powerful, high-resolution cryo-electron microscopes. The two microscopes - the roughly $5 million Titan Krios and the roughly $4 million Talos Arctica - will be the most advanced electron microscopes in New England and two of fewer than 50 such cryo-EM microscopes worldwide, according to Chen Xu, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular pharmacology and the core director of the Cryo-EM Facility at UMass Medical School.

The Titan Krios was acquired in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, supported by a grant of $5 million from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The Talos-Arctica system was acquired with funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. UMass Medical School has invested $3 million in renovations on its main campus to house the facility.

Now after lots of testing, calibration and training for staff, the Talos Arctica microscope is operational, and the Titan Krios is scheduled to come online this month.

The technology, known as cryo-Em, uses electron energy to produce images of samples that are cryogenically frozen with liquid nitrogen.

The technology not only allows scientists to see an object closer and more clearly than before but also allows scientists to see a sample frozen in many different positions.

Previous technology called X-ray crystallography required that samples be frozen in crystals that only allowed one position for samples. That process was also more time-consuming - it could take years to develop a sample, Mr. Xu said - and there was no guarantee that a sample that took so long to develop would be usable.

The new technology, however, can cut the time to develop a sample down to a month. It also requires less of a sample than the X-ray crystallography, according to Mr. Kelch.

Seeing the sample in multiple positions also enables two important developments.

It enables scientists to better reconstruct the sample in three dimensions and understand its function.

This is crucial for Mr. Kelch, whose lab is working on two projects.

In the first, he is studying the part of the cell that copies DNA and how that relates to cancer.

But without the cryo-EM, Mr. Kelch would not be able to look at the guardian proteins that are the target of the research. Although the study is in its infancy, Mr. Kelch hopes that understanding the structure of these proteins can lead to the development of chemotherapeutic drugs that work by interacting with the proteins.

In the second project, Mr. Kelchs lab is investigating how viruses become infectious particles. Again, being able to see the shape of proteins containing the virus is crucial to developing antiviral drugs.

Seeing the sample in multiple positions also enables scientists to discover how the sample can move.

Andrei A. Korostelev, associate professor of RNA therapeutics at UMass Medical School, described the process as like taking a picture of thousands of running horses and then arranging each horse in a sequence to show movement.

Here you freeze 1,000 horses, each of them moving differently, Mr. Korostelev said, continuing the analogy (the scientists actually freeze molecules). And then from that we try to reconstruct a smooth pathway of the movement.

Understanding movement is key to Mr. Korostelevs work studying the ribosome, the key machine in the cell that reads genetic code and converts it to proteins.

He has used cryo-EM to see how the parts of the ribosome move with respect to each other so the ribosome can perform its complex function.

Whats brand-new is that you can see the movements in such detail, said Mr. Korostelev, whose work has created movies of the ribosome in the process of making proteins.

But aside from their own research applications, scientists see the microscopes as a way to spark future collaborations among the different institutions and companies using the machines.

So far in addition to UMass Medical School, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, biotechnology company Sanofi Genzyme and pharmaceutical company Vertex are some of the clients that are lining up to use the machine. The rates range from roughly $120 per hour for internal users to $300 an hour for industry partners, Mr. Xu said.

In addition, Mr. Korostelev said the microscopes are an attraction for students who are looking for the latest technology.

Mr. Kelch said the microscopes being at UMass is a boon for the entire state.

This whole facility can be an economic engine not just for academic science in Massachusetts, but also for the biotech industry as well, Mr. Kelch said. We get from them some money to help run the facility as well as make partnerships with those companies which helps our students and trainees to find new jobs once they leave here. The biotech industry gets access to the worlds state-of the art microscopes without having the burden of running that facility on their own. And all of that means a lot of growth, economic growth for the commonwealth.

Robert K. Coughlin, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, agreed.

It gives us a huge competitive advantage because this is state-of-the-art technology that is open source for many scientists to utilize, said Mr. Coughlin, whose organization represents more than 1,000 other organizations in the life-sciences cluster. If were going to continue in this region to be the best place for innovation, we need to stay ahead of the curve and constantly have access to cutting-edge equipment and technology.

Link:
Cyro-electron microscopes view 'ballet of the cell' at UMass Med School - Worcester Telegram

Thursday, April 6, 2017

By Nicholas Snow

The Rose Mercadante Chemistry Seminar series is pleased to present the final PhD seminar of Mariana Phillips, entitled "B7H6 Derived Peptides Trigger TNF- Dependent Immunostimulatory Activity of Lymphocytic NK92-MI Cells."

The seminar will be held at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday April 11, 2017 in the Helen Lerner Amphitheater, McNulty Hall, Science and Technology Center, Seton Hall University. The University Community is invited.

Mariana Phillips was born in Mexico City, Mexico where she received her BSc in Food Chemistry from Universidad LaSalle, Mexico, in 1998. Phillips's academic career began as a science teacher of Physics and Chemistry, focusing particularly on developing a stimulating scientific learning environment for middle school students. Phillips relocated to the United States in 2005 with her family to pursue new scientific career goals. In 2012, she joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Seton Hall University, to work on her PhD under the supervision of Profs. David Sabatino and Constantine Bitsaktsis. During her PhD studies, Phillips has developed methods in chemical biology for the production of novel immunstimulatory peptides. Phillips has also gained expertise in working with protein biologics, including antibody mimics for cancer-targeting immunotherapy applications. In 2015, Phillips received her MS degree in Biochemistry following her successful matriculation into the PhD program. In 2016-17, Phillips initiated a productive research collaboration with Dr. Robert Korngold at Hackensack UMC to investigate the biological properties of immunstimualtory constructs in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, Phillips accomplishments during her PhD studies have led to the generation of two publications, a book chapter currently in press, a research grant approved for funding, a travel grant award for attending the American Peptide Symposium in 2015 and more than five presentations and proceedings at local and national conferences. Phillips expects to receive her PhD in Biochemsitry in May 2017.

B7H6 has been identified as a cellular membrane protein expressed exclusively on tumor cells. Interestingly, B7H6 was found to bind selectively to NKp30, an activating receptor expressed on NK cells. B7H6:NKp30 binding stimulates NK cells' antitumor immune responses through the release of cytotoxic cytokines and chemokines, leading to tumor cell death. However, lower levels or the absence of cell surface B7H6 have correlated with the evolution of tumor resistance towards NK cells' immunosurveillance. Therefore, new B7H6 derived ligands that can bind and activate NK cells are expected to improve NK-dependent killing of resilient tumors. Towards this goal, this thesis work describes the rational design of a novel class of immunostimulatory peptides (IPs) derived from the binding site interface of B7H6:NKp30. The IPs were synthesized by conventional Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis which also facilitated the incorporation of N-terminal fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) for structure-activity relationship studies. The secondary structures of the peptides were examined by CD spectroscopy which revealed versatile peptide structures which transitioned from random coil to -helical and turn-type conformations. Their biological properties were evaluated by flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and cell death assays. The immunostimulatory effects of the IPs on the human NK92-MI cells were assessed by the production of TNF- alone as IFN- was undetectable. In a cell death assay, the IPs were found to be non-toxic, without any observable evidence of early or late stage apoptosis within the NK92-MI cells. Therefore, B7H6 derived peptides encompass an interesting class of ligands for activating NK cells' immune activities. The latter is a current focus of our on-going research program in cancer immunotherapy applications.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers BS, MS and PhD degrees with specializations in all areas of chemistry. Our unique research environment, including traditional full-time students and part-time students is designed to foster collaborations with industry and colleagues in other disciplines. The Rose Mercadante Seminar Series is named for Rose Mercadante, the departmental secretary for over 40 years, in honor of our alumni, her "boys and girls".

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Chemistry - Final PhD Seminar - Mariana Phillips - Seton Hall University News & Events

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Global Biochemistry Analyzers Market 2017- URIT Medical ... - First Newshawk

by Mika Jehoon Lee | 4/4/17 2:15am

Students from local schools with an interest in science read weather maps, planted seedlings and examined sheep brain specimens at the fifth annual Science Day held this past Saturday, April 1 at various labs on campus.

According to fourth-year biochemistry graduate student and Science Day co-organizer Jessica DeSimone, this years attendance was the highest since its launch in 2013. A total of 171 adults accompanied 231 students at the event this year. DeSimone said that close to 200 adults and 300 students RSVPd for the event, but inclement weather may have accounted for the gap between expected and actual attendance.

Science Day is a free, drop-in event that features 15-minute long scientific demonstrations and hands-on activities geared toward students in sixth to ninth grade. According to DeSimone, Science Day was created to educate local community members about science and foster students passion for the subject. DeSimone said that Science Day was hosted by the group Graduate Women in Science and Engineering over the past few years, but this year it was independently organized by DeSimone, sixth-year biochemistry student Kelly Salmon and second-year biochemistry student Sarah Valles due to leadership changes in the group. They received funding for this years event from the School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. In addition to the three organizers, around 60 graduate students from eight different departments including biology, chemistry and psychology prepared 11 total activity stations for the event this year.

In the under the microscope station, students watched worms and flies glow under microscopes. According to third-year cellular and molecular biology graduate student Timothy Gauvin, a volunteer at the station, worms and flies provide a simple system for studying various human diseases, because the three species share a lot of similarities. Gauvin added that his love for microscopes got him interested in science and that he hoped students exposure to the activity would inspire their passion for science.

I thought it was cool to look at human cells under [microscopes] and as I investigated further, there was a lot of cool stuff you could do with this, Gauvin said. Im hoping kids of various ages can see that we have a lot of cool tricks.

Local middle school student Hope Cooper, who visited the under the microscope station, said that she enjoyed looking at worms under the microscope and learning about how worms hatch. Both Cooper and her father Adam Cooper attended Science Day two years ago and said that there were more microscopes and opportunities for students to use them this year than in years past.

Adam Cooper spoke highly of the benefit of such an event for students in exposing them to subjects they might study or pursue in the future.

The exposure for our kids to see what interests they may or may not have, to be able to see what they might want to do when they grow up and what they might not want to do when they grow up, [is] just a lot of good exposure to what their future might be, Adam Cooper said.

Meanwhile, in the soil and the world beneath our feet station, volunteers including ecology, evolution, ecosystems and society graduate student Ashley Lang Gr20 helped kids learn about mycorrhizal fungi and fossils. Lang said she wanted to introduce students to mycorrhizae, which grow in symbiotic relationships with plants, because it is poorly understood and many people are unaware of its existence.

Local elementary school student Nicholas Champine said that he enjoyed participating in Langs station and appreciated learning about fungis influence on plant growth.

Local elementary school student Charleigh Olmstead said that he specifically enjoyed playing the game Jet Stream Racer in the flowing rivers of air station. According to earth science graduate student Huanping Huang, the game allows students to become pilots and learn more about jet streams and gas. Jag Olmstead, Charleighs father, said that Science Day provided an opportunity of intellectual engagement for his children, as opposed to more typical recreational activities.

[Science Day] is something for the kids to enlighten their minds, learn something new and not play video games, Jag Olmstead said.

Rong Ding, whose elementary school-aged son participated in the flowing rivers of air station, said that the event provided his son with a unique opportunity to witness and participate in scientific experiments, which is not an everyday occurrence.

Science Day attendees were also given tours of the Thayer School of Engineering, where they visited the schools laboratories and made flubber, a rubbery polymer.

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Science Day brings students to campus - The Dartmouth

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The family of a 20-year-old student who died after he was hit by a car in Lenton have paid tribute to their 'fun-loving' son.

Andrew Robertson, of Berkshire, died at the scene of the crash on Derby Road at around 4.45pm last Thursday (March 30).

He was in his second year studying biochemistry at the University of Nottingham.

A statement from his family said: "He had a bright future ahead of him. He was a loving son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin and boyfriend.

"He had many friends both at university and at home. Words cannot express how much he will be missed and we are extremely saddened by his death.

"Andrew was caring, fun-loving, sociable, supportive and very easy-going. He was a team player who always kept his word and looked out for others.

"We would appreciate privacy during this difficult time to allow us to grieve and come to terms with our loss."

Police are investigating and are appealing to anyone who might have seen anything in the area around the time of the collision, which happened between Clifton Boulevard and Priory Island.

Officers are particularly keen to speak to drivers with dashcam footage.

Hundreds of motorists were caught in gridlocked traffic after the incident occurred.

Retired Michael Fisher, who lives in Charles Avenue, said he was not surprised to hear that an incident had occurred on what he describes as a "dangerous road."

The 64-year-old told the Post: "That is sad to hear. It is a very busy road and I won't cross it without pressing the button.

"It does not surprise me at all but it is a shame."

A large section of the road was cordoned off for several hours while investigations were carried out at the scene.

Originally posted here:
Family pay tribute to student who died in Derby Road crash - Nottingham Post

10:23 Monday 03 April 2017

Our Lady of Sion School student Blaise Cloran was the only national finalist from Sussex at the The Big Bang Fair 2017.

Blaise, from year nine, was also the only Sussex student to achieve a weeks stay to study biochemistry at Oxford this summer and a NASA science camp in America for five days in the summer holidays.

Helen Davis, assistant head (academic), said: She did not win one of the major prizes but she did get a gold medal and a gold crest award. These are a fantastic achievement for a 13-year-old.

All of these events have been supported by the school but she has earned her place through merit alone. They are not places gained by a paid-for-place in any of these examples.

Blaise has achieved all this through her own determination her parents are not scientists. She is a fantastic role model for girls in science, something the nation sadly lacks.

Blaise said being selected for The Big Bang Fair at Birmingham NEC and representing Our Lady of Sion School was a truly amazing experience.

I showcased and competed with my project, A Quicker More Efficient Method of Diagnosis for Hepatitis. My project used an ELISA test combined with silk fibroin to create a cheap, under-two-hour diagnosis method that can be transported without refrigeration. It uses hepatitis to demonstrate how the process works but it could be applied to any disease.

I went up to the NEC at Birmingham and stayed for four days. On the first day, all 600 finalists went to a welcome ceremony, where we listened to talks from well-known scientists, such as Greg Foot, and were given information about the next few days. It was quite nerve-racking to be the only student from the whole of Sussex but the familiar scientific environment engrossed me and I soon felt at home.

On the Wednesday, the show was opened to the public and my day consisted of lots of judging. Judges would come round in groups of two or four and would listen and examine my project, which was displayed on a stand. I really enjoyed talking to people who were interested in my project and the questioning members of the public were good practice before I talked to the judges.

There were also many other stands at the fair such as JCB, SeaWorld, Airbus, Rolls Royce, many universities and, of course, other competitors. I learned lots from looking round and talking to those who occupied stands. Shows and experiments would go all day, which added to the all excitement.

The next day, the award ceremony was held and I was lucky enough to win a medal and a gold crest award. I felt honoured and I know I will definitely be trying to attend next year.

Later this summer, I will be attending an Oxbridge course in biochemistry that I had to pass a round of Skype interviews to gain a place at, followed by a NASA camp in America. I was lucky enough to get into both of these and cant wait to attend them.

I was interviewed for the Oxbridge course and got confirmed a place to study biochemistry at Oxford for a week. I am extremely excited to see what life is like at the university and experience studying at a higher level.

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Young scientist wins gold awards - Worthing Herald

How do your studies in biochemistry and music complement one another?

Both disciplines have helped me develop analytical skills. For instance, in biochemistry I often have to break down a molecular process by asking myself how I can connect this reaction to something I already know, so I can understand the concept more fully. And in music, the thought process is similar: How can I think of these notes what images or experiences can I tie to them so that I can maximize the expressivity of a phrase? The problem-solving I do in one subject stretches my capacity to do the same in the other.

What musical piece did you play in the BC Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition? Do you prefer a particular composer?

I played Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor by Camille Saint-Sans [which she also performed in the recent concert]. When it comes to solo repertoire, I love Edward Elgars Cello Concerto in E minor. The Elgar encompasses a broader range of expression both technically and musically and forces the performer to access and communicate raw, inner emotions in a very unique way.

Tell us about your experience with the BC Symphony Orchestra.

I have played with the Boston College Symphony Orchestra since freshman year. It has been great to have the opportunity to play significant symphonic works in a non-conservatory setting. [Director] John Finney has very realistic expectations of what the BCSO can do, and does an excellent job making the most of the skills that the orchestra members have. It was an incredibly rewarding experience rehearsing and performing alongside fellow BC musicians and friends, some of whom I have played with for the past four years here.

Have other BC faculty members have influenced you, and in what ways?

My conversations with [Music] Professor Thomas Oboe Lee led me to shift my conception of cello as an extracurricular to something that is a central aspect of my life. Professor Lee was the first to make me consider pursuing music. Now that I have embraced the idea of music as a very serious possibility for the future, I am much happier.

How did your semester in Italy contribute to your creative development?

I studied art history, Italian cinema, European history, and Italian language at the University of Parma, and did an internship at the Pietro Barilla Childrens Hospital. In Italy I was confronted with art everywhere I turned in the conventional forms of painting, sculpture, architecture, but also in terms of food, fashion, and language. Being exposed to art in this way distanced me from my stresses and allowed me return back to my normal life with the attitude of searching for beauty in what I see and what I do.

What are your post-graduate plans? Do they include music?

My post-graduate plans remain undecided. Medical school has always been a consideration, but for now I know that I would not be satisfied by simply doing cello for pleasure and allowing my skill level to stagnate. I would like to continue a serious study of the cello and see where it may take me.

Rosanne Pellegrini / University Communications

Excerpt from:
Q&A: Monica Grady '17 - Boston College Chronicle