The Department of Chemistry hosts an annual Graduation Celebration and Awards Ceremony to recognize the outstanding achievements of our students on an annual basis.
For a list of recipients and graduates, please refer to the 2023 Graduation Celebration Program.
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Oxidative Stress in Neurodegeneration: Focus on Alzheimer Disease Schedule of Events - April 21, 2023 |
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| 8:00am |
Registration and Continental Breakfast |
| 8:30am |
Welcome - Dr. Eli Capilouto, President, University of Kentucky Dr. Robert DiPaola, Provost, University of Kentucky Dr. Lisa Cassis, Vice President for Research, University of Kentucky Dr. Ana Franco-Watkins, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Kentucky Dr. Mark Lovell, Chair, Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky Dr. D. Allan Butterfield, Organizer, 48th Naff Symposium, University of Kentucky |
| 9:00am |
Prof. Barry Halliwell, National University of Singapore |
| 10:15am |
Prof. Marzia Perluigi, Sapienza University of Rome |
| 11:30am |
Lunch & Break |
| 1:30pm |
Prof. Mark Mattson, Johns Hopkins University |
| 3:00pm |
Poster Session |
| 4:15pm |
Presentation of Poster Awards |
| 4:30pm |
Close of the 48th Naff Symposium |
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Speakers |
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Prof. Barry Halliwell National University of Singapore D. Phil. (Oxford), D. Sc. (London) Chairman, BMRC Advisory Council (BMAC), Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR) Distinguished Professor, Department of Biochemistry , National University of Singapore (NUS) Senior Advisor, Academic Appointments and Research Excellence, Office of the Senior Deputy President and Provost, NUS Program Leader, Neurobiology Research Program, Life Sciences Institute Professor Halliwell graduated from Oxford University with BA (first class honours) and D.Phil degrees. He holds a Doctor of Science degree from the University of London. He was a faculty member with King’s College London (1974-2000) and held a prestigious Lister Institute Research fellowship. He was a Visiting Research Professor of Internal Medicine and Biochemistry at the University of California Davis (1995-1999). He now holds several key positions in Singapore, as indicated above. Professor Halliwell is recognized for his seminal work on the role of free radicals and antioxidants in biological systems, being one of the world’s most highly-cited researchers with a Hirsch-Index of 168 (Based on Scopus, Jan 2023). His Oxford University Press book with John Gutteridge, Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine, now in its fifth edition (2015), is regarded worldwide as an authoritative text. He was honored as a Citation Laureate (2021) for pioneering research in free-radical chemistry including the role of free radicals and antioxidants in human disease. The distinction is awarded by Clarivate to researchers whose work is deemed to be of “Nobel Class” as they are among the most influential, even transformative, in their fields. He was one of 16 scientists (only three in Chemistry) listed in the 2021 Hall of Citation Laureates. |
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Prof. Marzia Perluigi Sapienza University of Rome Marzia Perluigi, PharmD, Ph.D., Head of Laboratory of Redox Biochemistry in Neuroscience (LRBN). Professional appointments: Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli" – Medical School Sapienza University of Rome. Fields of Expertise: Biochemistry and cell biology. The major research interest is the study of the role of oxidative stress in Down Syndrome (DS) and Alzheimer Disease (AD). Projects involve both the analysis of post-mortem brains, biological fluids, and cellular and animal models of the diseases. Current projects focus on defects of energy metabolism, failure of protein quality control (UPS and autophagy), impairment of mitochondrial activity, both in DS and AD. Further, preclinical studies are ongoing to test the neuroprotective effects of selected compounds able to prevent/slow the onset of dementia. |
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Prof. Mark Mattson Johns Hopkins University Mark Mattson is the former Chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging and is now on the faculty of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research has advanced an understanding of the cellular signaling mechanisms that control the formation and plasticity of neuronal networks in the brain, and cellular and molecular mechanisms of brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders. His research has also elucidated how the brain responds adaptively to challenges such as fasting and exercise, and he has used that information to develop novel interventions to promote optimal brain function throughout life. Dr. Mattson is among the most highly cited neuroscientists in the world with more than 900 publications and 200,000 citations. He was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received many awards including the Metropolitan Life Foundation Medical Research Award and the Alzheimer’s Association Zenith Award. Mattson is the author of the book "The Intermittent Fasting Revolution: The Science of Optimizing Health and Enhancing Performance." |
On Thursday, April 20th, the day before the Naff Symposium, the Chemistry Department also is hosting a Roundtable seminar involving three Department of Biochemistry faculty members from the Sapienza University of Rome, all of whom do research on Alzheimer disease and Down syndrome (persons with DS nearly always exhibit Alzheimer disease neuropathology in brain and dementia later in life). Prof. Marzia Perluigi, one of our Naff Symposium presenters, also is from the Department of Biochemistry at the Sapienza University of Rome. This Roundtable seminar will begin at 1:30 pm in CHEM-PHYS Room 114 with a Q&A session from 2:30-3:00 pm.
Click here for more information about the event.
2023 Naff Symposium Committee
Prof. Allan Butterfield - (Chemistry) [Chair]
Prof. Marcelo Guzman - (Chemistry)
Prof. Daret St. Clair - (Toxicology/Cancer Biology)
A&S Faculty Voices featuring Dr. Kishonna Gray, associate professor in Writing, Rhetoric, & Digital Studies and Africana Studies.
A&S alumni cheered on the Cats at the UK Alumni Association Homecoming Tailgate Tent Party & Pep Rally before they took on Mississippi State for the 2022 Homecoming game!
Photos from the 2022 Dawson Lecture. This lecture series commemorates Professor Dawson's leadership in the Department and features speakers noted for the quality, depth and breadth of their research.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 5, 2022) — As jolly as we all want it to be, the holiday season can also bring the not-so-wanted gift of added anxiety. This time of year demands a lot — elaborate decorations, home-cooked meals and well-thought-out gifts.
By Nizhoni McDarment
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Christian Branham, a University of Kentucky senior from Lexington, and Nicolas Volosky, a University of Kentucky Alum from Walton, Kentucky, won Best Documentary and Best Feature at the Spring 2022 UKY Film Festival for their film “Rumble.”
“Rumble” follows professional wrestler Noah Gabriel on his journey in Cincinnati. Braham and Volosky collaborated on the film with both filming and editing in February 2022.
