Research Civitan Newsletter - Fall 2014

RESEARCH

CIVITAN NEWSLETTER

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:

Civitan Art Show

MYELIN WITH LIGHTS: This myelinated neuron structure was commissioned by the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and was created by artist Sara Garden Armstrong. This amazing artwork entitled “Sentient Matrix” is on display at the UAB Civitan International Research Center.

Inside this Issue:

Brain Awareness Week GSA Orientation Club Participation in Community Volunteer Activities

VOLUME

02.

Chief Editor: Rajesh Kana Co-Editors: David Knight Lauren Libero Farah Lubin Susan Lyons Lauren Vardaman

03.

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: Dr. Mark Bolding reflects on the year and is excited for what’s ahead.

SCI TALKS: Tara DeSilva recaps a great year of SCI Talks and their importance to RCC and the community.

04.

06.

4, THE

ISSUE

OF

1

ART GIVING:

Photos from the Third Annual Art of Giving event.

RCC

IN

THE

COMMUNITY: A colorful spread of RCC events and highlights throughout the summer.

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BY

DR. MARK BOLDING

Dear RCC members, I am happy to report that the RCC is having a great year. Many exciting things have happened this year and we have a wonderful group of active members to thank for that.

For many reasons, I have greatly enjoyed serving as president this year. I particularly loved the art show.

Thank you Phyllis and everyone else who worked so hard to make the show a success again this year.

The art shows are getting better and better each time. So much so that we must move to a larger venue for the upcoming show. Each year we raise money for a worthy cause and it is feels good to know that each year we raise more money than the last.

I am also happy because one of my goals for this year was to make our meetings events that people would want to attend. The SCI talks have more than accomplished this goal. At least 110 people attended Barbara Gower's SCI talk! It was a great evening. Thank you Tara and everyone else for organizing these wonderful events.

Dr. Bolding Presents at the Alabama Central District Civitan Meeting Dr. Mark Bolding presented some of his recent scientific work to the AL Central District Spring 2014 meeting. The title of his talk was “Eye movement dysfunction associated with Schizophrenia�.

He presented the background and some recent findings, including a demonstration with the audience on eye/brain perceptions under normal conditions. Three UAB graduate students also presented at this event on their recent research on developmental disabilities through their posters that were displayed throughout the meeting. Dr. Susan Lyons from the Research Civitan Club also attended this function.

And, the Revolution Bike Ride event was awesome! It was an exciting day for the RCC and was great fun to join other organizations from around the area for a day of entertainment, exercise and education.

Thank you Kristina and others for making this happen.

And! we helped establish a new Campus Civitan Club. It took Tyler, Susan, and John over two years of hard work, but they did it! It was very rewarding to attend the Chartering Ceremony. I am immensely proud of the students who came together to make this happen. We should not forget that we sponsor this club and we are responsible for doing all we can to help it grow and thrive.

Finally, I want to thank all of the members and officers who do what needs to be done to keep the club running. Attending the business and planning meetings, collecting dues, writing the award winning newsletters, attending Civitan district events, giving talks, recruiting members, attending training doing the work it takes to keep the club running. Thank you for these things and for making this club such a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

The future looks bright for the RCC. Warm Regards, Mark Bolding

from L to R: John Hablitz, Susan Lyons, Phyllis Pugh, and Mark Bolding.

2013-2014 RCC

OFFICERS

SCI Talks BY

TARA DeSILVA

The research Civitan club hosts SCI (Scientific Communication and Innovation) talks every month in the lobby of the Civitan international research building at UAB. SCI talks are designed to create dialogue between scientists at UAB and members of the community AT LARGE. Scientific presentations given at SCI talks are in layman’s terms for 20 min followed by questions from the audience. The goal of SCI talks is to afford the community the opportunity to hear about world renowned research directly from the scientists who are conducting it. SCI talks generate lively discussions from the audience and participation is greatly encouraged. SCI talks are a free event.

Dr. Chris Girkin (Director, UAB Glaucoma Service and Optic Nerve Imaging Center) presents findings on macular degeneration for a diverse audience of community members, UAB students, faculty and staff.

Recently, we had an outstanding enhancement to the civitan lobby that added to the scientific ambience of SCI talks. The National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation commissioned a work of art as part of their Legacy of Leadership Program. This year the honoree was M. Miller Gorrie, founder of Brasfield and Gorrie LLC. Mr. Gorrie specifically requested an art piece that represented an image symbolic of the neurologic process in multiple sclerosis (MS). Renowned artist Sara Garden Armstrong was commissioned to create this unique work of art. In developing the project, Armstrong consulted with MS researcher at UAB, Dr. Tara M. DeSilva. The result of Armstrong’s efforts is the Sentient Matrix, a remarkable abstraction of the processes of the central nervous system (CNS). Using the CNS as a starting point, the sculpture develops into its own matrix of interrelated parts that becomes a force in the three-dimensional atrium space. Based on relationships between different cells in the brain, including neurons, the primary communicative cells of the CNS, and oligodendrocytes, the myelinating glial cells that ensheath nerve fibers, Sentient Matrix uses an array of material and moving lights to suggest the linear rhythms of nerve impulses. When the light stops, it represents what happens in MS when the myelin and nerve are damaged. The Sentient Matrix is now a central focal point at SCI talks and bridges art and science for the advancement of scientific understanding and discussion in the community.

Dr. Barbara Gower (Professor, UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences) presents data on quality of dieting food in losing weight.

This event on obesity was well-attended.

Dr. Tara DeSilva introduces one of the experts of the field presenting recent findings in science and health during a recent SCI Talk

THE

THIRD

ANNUAL

Art of Giving Research Civitan Club’s Annual Art Show and Silent Auction held in 2013 that featured beautiful art work from a range of researchers, students, faculty, staff, and community members (below are samples of some displayed at the event; and members, and visitors socializing at the event)

CAMPUS CIVITAN CHARTER CEREMONY

Campus Civitan Sponsors with Tyler Ferguson , Lisa Abercrombie, Katie Banasiewicz and District Governor John Lanier

Group Photo of several new charter members receiving their Charter Certificate.

Dr. Farah Lubin presents the Certificate to Campus Club President, Tyler Ferguson

Graduate Student Association Orientation Day

Dr. Susan Lyons, Dr. Farah Lubin, and Dr. Aundrea Bartley at the graduate student association orientation day held at the Edge of Chaos on August 29.

Research Civitan Auction Basket prepared for the Spring picnic and auction for Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults (ASCCA) to benefit the summer camp for children and adults with disabilities; An event where everyone is a winner!

RCC in the Community

SIDEWALK

REVOLUTION

Drs. Susan Lyons, Phyllis Pugh, Kristina Visscher, and Farah Lubin attend the “Protect your Head” helmet demonstration for young and old alike.

Materials of all kinds were available for participants to create their own “protective head gear” for use on eggs, representing their head. This was done as part of the Research Civitan Club’s community outreach to increase knowledge of the brain and bicycles safety.

DR. VISSCHER CIVITAN CLUB

ADDRESSES THE OF BIRMINGHAM Dr. Kristina Visscher spoke to the Civitan Club of Birmingham on June 5, 2014. It was a great time, and a great group of people. The Civitan Club of Birmingham is the first civitan club EVER! It was really amazing to be able to talk with this historic group.

We discussed the outreach events that Research Civitan Club does, and we decided that we will send out our monthly updates to some of the members of that group in case they can come to our outreach events, including SCI talks.

Onion Sale The RCC sold 104 bags of onions this year, almost 30 more bags than last year! This netted about $500 for the RCC and part of the funds will be used to reward the new UAB Campus Civitan Club with a $70 grant and the UAB Community and Science Investigation club with a $40 grant for their ongoing efforts in doing community good.

Thanks to everyone who sold and bought these delicious onions! We will be back around next April to take orders.

UPCOMING EVENTS

VISIT www.researchcivitan.org