Ute Hellmich, Professor for Biostructural Interactions at the Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, and Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse at Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany, visited the BHL. We had a lively mentoring lunch with Dr. Hellmich, during which she talked about long hours in the lab and the importance of perseverance and shared her tips and tricks for success in academia.
Jasmine and Yingying were invited to join the UK Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society. Rho Chi is an international honor society that recognizes academic excellence in pharmacy. The society promotes pharmaceutical sciences and encourages fellowship and high scholastic achievement among pharmacy students. As a Rho Chi faculty member, Bjoern welcomed Jasmine and Yingying to the society members during the initiation banquet.
Drs. Vilma Sardao and Paulo Oliveira invited Anika to visit the Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing and present BHL research on Alzheimer’s disease at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. Established in 1290, the University of Coimbra is one of the oldest universities worldwide and is a World Heritage Site, highlighting its historical role. Vilma and Paulo welcomed Anika on campus and, after Anika’s seminar, toured the research facilities and campus and shared their institution’s unique culture and traditions.
Our NIH R01-funded project on the role of bisphenols as risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease was highlighted in a UKNOW article. Human exposure to bisphenols is inevitable due to their widespread presence in the environment. Bisphenols are used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins and are found in food containers, water bottles, and the lining of cans. Our lab is examining how bisphenols trigger blood-brain barrier dysfunction and memory problems and how this could accelerate Alzheimer’s disease. Read more: https://medicine.uky.edu/news/uk-study-chemicals-plastics-could-be-risk-factor-2024-02-28t10-04-28
The BHL team jumped into ice-cold water in the middle of winter at the Lexington Polar Plunge, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Kentucky that supports individuals with intellectual disabilities. The BHL team raised $750 for Special Olympics. The tradition goes back to 2011, when the first BHL members participated in the Polar Bear Plunge on February 19, 2011, in Duluth, Minnesota, with nearly 900 people jumping into Lake Superior at below-freezing temperatures.
Cheering on the Wildcats to victory, Anika was recognized as the “Power of Women” at the UK Women’s Basketball game at Rupp Arena. The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program has honored female leaders in the Lexington area with the “Power of Women” award since 2018. The commemorative basketball has now its home in Anika’s office.