Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences

Congratulations to our colleague Zoubeida Ounaies, professor of mechanical engineering, for being named one of Penn State's 10 new distinguished professors for 2025! As director the Convergence Center for Living Multifunctional Material Systems, Zoubeida is helping to pioneer the next revolution in smart materials. https://lnkd.in/ewakVi98

We had an amazing, uplifting, and inspiring evening connecting Penn State University and State College leadership in science, medicine, and health with our female athletes. So much of what these young women are doing on the field, in the lab, and in the classroom is astonishing. And to echo Catherine Berdanier - how do I learn time management from them?!?! Thankful to Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State Teammates For Life, PSU Intercollegiate Athletics, and The Penn State Neuroscience Institute for coming together to engage, elevate, and celebrate women at Penn State. #WeAre & many thanks to my personal scientific heroes, athletics rockstars, and friends for making an appearance - Janine Kwapis, Camelia Kantor, Ashley Chan, Catherine Berdanier, Tracy Langkilde, Mary Beth Williams, Brooke Owen MPM, Meighan Julbert, Bestwick Kerry, Susan Robinson-Fruchtl, Maribeth Roman Schmidt, Maura Pilewicz, and the unstoppable Char Curtiss. Penn State Biology | Penn State Eberly College of Science | Penn State College of Health and Human Development | Penn State Research | Big Ten Academic Alliance

Student athletes at Penn State face intense pressure. In addition to the rigorous academic demands faced by all undergrads, these students are expected to perform at the highest level in their chosen sport. And time spent on the road traveling doesn’t make that any easier. To address these challenges, legendary field hockey coach Char Morett-Curtiss has teamed up with the University’s Neuroscience Institute to make a difference in the lives of young women in Penn State Athletics. On January 23rd, the Neuroscience Institute co-sponsored an event with Morett-Curtiss's new Teammates for Life mentoring program. The "Science, Health and Wellness PowHer Hour" featured presentations from coaches, student athletes, academics leaders, and support staff. It also allowed focused time for students to speak one-on-one with successful women from Penn State and the surrounding community, who volunteered to take part. “My vision is that this is all about building relationships," Morett-Curits explained. "That's the most important thing. We don't have to go around the country, we don't have to go across the Atlantic, because we have women right here on our own campus, and in our community, that have achieved greatness.” The Neuroscience Institute, under the direction of Nikki Crowley, PhD, brought a special focus on work/life balance, health and wellness, and potential careers in science and research to the mix. “Our student athletes have all of the skills we look for in cultivating future scientists," noted Crowley. "They have grit, determination, they work well in teams, and they continue going the extra mile even in the face of setback and failures. I’m so excited to work with Teammates for Life and Intercollege Athletics to make sure our athletes are getting to apply these skills in a research setting.”?

Our Inaugural Huck Institutes T32 Summit was a complete joy. Can't wait for the next one!

Thanks President Neeli Bendapudi for visiting Huck's outstanding One Health Microbiome Center at Penn State to learn more about the groundbreaking interdisciplinary research and outreach happening there! https://lnkd.in/eUyg2qnA

Next Tuesday's "After Café," hosted by the Materials Research Institute and led by Jennifer Gray and Sarah Kiemle, will focus on new techniques for characterizing biological samples using cutting-edge microscopy tools.

Endowed Professor Job Announcement: We are seeking a visionary candidate to join the Department of Nutritional Sciences as an?Endowed Full Professor of Nutritional Sciences - Gut-Brain Axis. Please share the ad with your communities, as we welcome Full and late-stage Associate Professors to apply to this opportunity. All areas of biology are welcome, and I am personally keen to build bridges between the microbiome sciences and neuroscience as part of the broadening mission of the One Health Microbiome Center at Penn State and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Come join the jubilee! https://lnkd.in/ejJ24HeS

Yesterday, artists Daryl Branford and Tally Fisher of the Huck's SciArt Initiative spoke to students at Penn State Harrisburg about the planning and creation of the Zombie Ant Experience, an interactive multimedia art exhibit produced in cooperation with David Hughes, professor of entomology and biology. Some members of the fungal genus Cordyceps infect living ants, take control of their muscles, and manipulate the "zombie" ants help spread the next generation of fungal spores.

So many great things happening at the Penn State Eberly College of Science these days. Many are captured in this story.

This video highlights the groundbreaking scholarship on the oral microbiome by Dr. Laura S. Weyrich, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Bioethics and Executive Committee Member of the One Health Microbiome Center at Penn State?. The Weyrich Lab researches the ancient and modern oral microbiome to improve dentistry and develops innovative oral microbiome transplant therapies. Understanding the history of our oral microbiota is necessary to identify new treatment and prevention options to improve oral and systemic health in the future. Video is produced by ?Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences? and ?QIAGEN. https://lnkd.in/eAUEfQdF