NOVEMBER 2023 NEWS

Dear Friends,

During this year-end time of reflection, I want to express my gratitude to Salk’s faculty, staff, and trainees for their commitment to pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. During our recent faculty retreat, I was especially inspired by both the camaraderie among and brilliance of our scientific leaders. We have a world-class team of scientists on our faculty. As you can see below, it’s exciting to witness how innovation at Salk emerges at the intersection of scientific disciplines.

Your support is also crucial to our collective success. Please feel free to share your feedback at communications@salk.edu.

Warmest regards,

Genetic architecture may be key to using peacekeeping immune cells to treat autoimmunity or fight cancer

Regulatory T cells are specialized immune cells that suppress the immune response and prevent the body from attacking its own cells. The behavior of these cells is influenced by chromatin architecture (the 3D shape of chromosomes) and which genes are accessible to proteins—like Foxp3. Now, Salk Professor Ye Zheng and Assistant Professor Jesse Dixon have discovered that Foxp3 is essential for creating the unique chromatin architecture of regulatory T cells and, in turn, promoting their immune suppressive function.

See also:

Drug Target Review »

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News »

Express Healthcare Management »

Repairing nerve cells after injury and in chronic disease

Regulatory T cells are specialized immune cells that suppress the immune response and prevent the body from attacking its own cells. The behavior of these cells is influenced by chromatin architecture (the 3D shape of chromosomes) and which genes are accessible to proteins—like Foxp3. Now, Salk Professor Ye Zheng and Assistant Professor Jesse Dixon have discovered that Foxp3 is essential for creating the unique chromatin architecture of regulatory T cells and, in turn, promoting their immune suppressive function.

See also:

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News »

Tech Explorist »

MEET A SALK SCIENTIST

In the new monthly video series “How I got here/Where I’m going,” we bring you the unique stories of Salk researchers, including their personal journeys, motivations, and goals.

Margarita Behrens is a research professor in the Computational Neurobiology Laboratory. She is a neuroscientist who studies how the environment affects the molecular signatures that define brain cells during development and adulthood to help determine why some individuals develop a neurodevelopmental disorder, while others do not.

THIS MONTH AT SALK

Salk Women & Science 2023 Scientific Career & Professional Development Awards

On November 8, our most recent Salk Women & Science event featured keynote speaker Associate Professor Deepshika Ramanan and closed with the presentation of the 2023 Scientific Career & Professional Development Awards to 17 remarkable women scientists. We enjoyed welcoming donors in the San Diego community who support and recognize the achievements of Salk’s female scientists, and we are grateful to all who attended.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AWARDEES!

Back row: Jianna Cressy, Rebecca “Becky” Chinn, Charlotte Rambla, April Williams, Morgan Black, Jingting Yu, and Natanella Illouz-Eliaz

Front row: Sarah Fernandes, Laura Martins, Raffaella Lucciola, Hannah Mandias, Amanda Wacker, Anvita Komarla, and Megan Anderson

Missing: Hoda Ahmed, Coutney Glavis-Bloom, and Payel Mondal

Seven Salk scientists named most highly cited researchers in the world

Salk Professors Joseph Ecker, Ronald Evans, Satchidananda Panda, Rusty Gage, and Kay Tye, as well as Assistant Professor Jesse Dixon and Research Assistant Joseph Nery, have been named to the Highly Cited Researchers list by Clarivate. The 2023 list includes 6,849 researchers from 67 countries, all of whom demonstrate “significant and broad influence reflected in their publication of multiple highly cited papers over the last decade.”

Read more »

Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative team provisionally admitted as observers at UN COP28 meeting

Each year, the United Nations holds a climate meeting at which governments discuss how to limit and prepare for future climate change. This year, the 28th meeting, called COP28, will take place in Dubai November 30 to December 12, and Salk researchers have been provisionally admitted as observers—making Salk the 4th organization in San Diego County and one of about 600 NGOs admitted from the United States as observers. Because COP28 is not open to the public, observer designation allows Salk representatives to attend the meeting and share the Institute’s unique strategies for addressing the causes and consequences of global climate change. 

Read more »

Salk’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team reaches out to underrepresented minority scientists

Salk was represented at two conferences this past October and November: The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Conference and the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Students (ABRCMS). Salk faculty, trainees, and representatives from the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and the Pre & Postdoctoral Office (PDO) attended the conferences to raise visibility and advance Salk’s mission to increase access and representation in STEM. 

B. Bea Rajsombath, director of Salk’s graduate and postdoctoral services, was also selected to speak at both events and presented on the value of strategic networking and cultivating your career support network. Over 6,500 participants attended SACNAS, and 5,500 participants attended ABRCMS. Salk trainees received travel awards to present their research, Assistant Professor Christina Towers judged poster sessions, and Salk DEI and PDO representatives interfaced with hundreds of participants to promote our programs, careers, and science.

INSIDE SALK

Salk's award-winning magazine | winter edition

Get ready for the winter edition of Inside Salk magazine! Inside Salk Winter 2023 celebrates the people that make Salk the prestigious and powerful research institute that it is. We feature Salk’s Education Outreach team, which introduces science to local San Diego students and inspires the next generation of scientists. We share captivating stories from faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and staff members, and we celebrate this season’s exciting discoveries, awards, and events on-campus. The upcoming issue will be out in January. Sign up to receive the print edition in the mail or read it online.

Enjoy Salk architecture on your devices

Looking for a unique background image for your computer, Zoom meeting, iPad, or phone?

The iconic Salk architecture, designed by renowned architect Louis Kahn, is characterized by its striking combination of brutalist and modernist elements, featuring bold geometric forms, exposed concrete, and an emphasis on natural light. It was purposefully designed to facilitate a harmonious connection between scientific research and the natural environment at the Salk Institute. Learn more »

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