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Talks by Rick McGee

As a postdoc, it goes without saying that mentors are critical for your continued development as ... more As a postdoc, it goes without saying that mentors are critical for your continued development as a professional, as well as your movement into a position beyond training. But there is no such thing as the perfect mentor because everyone’s needs and goals are highly variable. In fact, that is the first step in thinking about finding mentors – reflecting to specifically identify and assess what you hope to gain from your mentor(s); you can’t go looking for something without a clear idea of your own needs and goals! Taking self-assessment tests and creating an Individual Development Plan (IDP), and then reviewing the results with current mentors and peers is a great first step. With a deeper understanding of yourself, you will be much better positioned to seek new mentoring relationships and resolve mentoring relationship challenges.

Book Chapters by Rick McGee

In the Academy and beyond, mentoring and networking relationships play a key role in career satis... more In the Academy and beyond, mentoring and networking relationships play a key role in career satisfaction, productivity, and advancement. This is especially true for those in early stages of their academic and professional careers, e.g. graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty members. Mentors not only provide critical feedback on a mentee’s scholarship and research, but can also pave the way for young scholars to gain entry into established disciplinary communities. Though mentoring relationships can provide great benefits like these to young scholars, if not managed well, they can also pose significant challenges. Unfortunately, many young mentees make the mistake of treating their mentoring relationships passively, rather than pro-actively managing them to yield the greatest benefit.

In this chapter, we will advance the concept of “mentoring up”: a process by which mentees learn to pro-actively manage their mentoring relationships. We will draw upon our research and scholarship in mentoring, career coaching and professional skill development, as well as our extensive experience working closely with those in early stages of academic and professional careers. The concept of “mentoring up” is adapted from the business literature where Gabarro and Kotter introduced “managing up” in their classic paper in the Harvard Business Review in 1980. Though the original concept has been associated with manipulation, false flattery, or political maneuvering, we will focus on “mentoring up” as the ability of mentees to effectively engage in and promote the ongoing two-way conversation that is the hallmark of healthy mentor-mentee relationships.

We will compare and contrast the concepts of “managing up” and “mentoring up” as we define the skills needed to pro-actively manage mentoring relationships. Although much of our experiences and scholarship have focused upon the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math and medicine) fields, we postulate that these skills are relevant and can be easily adapted for other fields and for multiple career stages. Our methods for teaching the core skills needed for mentoring up draw on a recently developed workshop model designed to teach these skills to mentors. This workshop model, recently demonstrated to be effective in a national randomized controlled trial, can be equally effective for teaching the skills to mentees. Additionally, based on our work with underrepresented minority groups, we will explore some of the unique challenges faced by these mentees in their mentoring relationships and offer strategies to support their professional development.

In this chapter, the authors will present teachable skills and strategies that will empower mentees to pro-actively manage their mentoring relationships, so that they themselves will ultimately transform into effective mentors for future generations. These skills are particularly relevant today, when many students are seeking careers in a rapidly evolving landscape of employment and their mentoring needs are growing and changing. Furthermore, taking advantage of mentoring relationships is only one aspect of managing your career, and so we will contextualize these skills within the broader framework of overall career management and professional development.

Papers by Rick McGee

The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc was designed to build postdocs’ skills in career tra... more The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc was designed to build postdocs’ skills in career transition, career planning, collaborative research, resilience, and self-reflection. This study examined self-reported changes in five skills as learners progressed through the course. Data were collected from participants who responded to both pre- and post-surveys and engaged with the course learning activities. Results from repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance revealed that all of the self-reported perceptions of skills improved significantly upon completion of the course. Hierarchical regressions revealed that underrepresented minority learners had greater gains in their development of skills in career planning, resilience, and self-reflection. Qualitative analysis of learners’ responses to learning activities found that postdocs perceived networking and mentor support as contributing factors to their skill advancement while tensions among multiple obligations and concer...

Frontiers in Education, 2022

Scientific societies serve as communities of practice in which scientists develop many of the ski... more Scientific societies serve as communities of practice in which scientists develop many of the skills and connections required for the progression of their careers. For example, scientific societies offer their members opportunities to attend career development programs, gain experience in communicating science, and receive recognition for achievements within their discipline. Programming for undergraduate student members has recently been increasing, both in prevalence and in its range of offerings. The Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success, ACCESS, a meta-organization seeking equity and inclusivity in life sciences fields, has examined programs and opportunities focused on undergraduates across its member scientific societies to identify common themes, promising practices and challenges. In this article, we share and discuss our findings.

F1000Research, 2020

Virtual focus groups played a significant role in guiding the design and development of an innova... more Virtual focus groups played a significant role in guiding the design and development of an innovative professional development program for postdoctoral scholars, called The Postdoc Academy. The primary goal of obtaining feedback from postdocs was to ensure the program content is relevant, approachable, and inclusive for participants of all backgrounds, career stages, professional aspirations, and disciplines. The data collected in 13 focus groups shaped the final content and structure for the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), ‘The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc’. Evaluation of participant experience in a post-focus group survey suggests that engaging a target audience is an effective approach to obtain participant feedback and engage learners in the material. Content and activities modified by this feedback were highly rated by course participants in self-reported post-module evaluations. This article describes a method on how structured virtual focus groups of diverse fu...

Scientific societies aiming to foster inclusion of scientists from underrepresented (UR) backgrou... more Scientific societies aiming to foster inclusion of scientists from underrepresented (UR) backgrounds among their membership often delegate primary responsibility for this goal to a diversity-focused committee. The National Science Foundation has funded the creation of the Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success (ACCESS), a meta-organization bringing together representatives from several such STEM society committees to serve as a hub for a growing Community of Practice. Its goal is to coordinate efforts to advance inclusive practices by sharing experiences and making synergistic discoveries about what works. ACCESS has analyzed the approaches by which member societies have sought to ensure inclusivity through selection of annual meeting speakers. Not only do we discuss how inclusive speaker selection fosters better scientific environments for all, but also identify challenges and promising practices for societies striving to maximize inclusivity of speakers in their sc...

CBE—Life Sciences Education, 2020

The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Mentoring Network, ca... more The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Mentoring Network, career mentoring groups of six PhD students and postdocs, begin with an in-person meeting the day before the ASPET annual meeting. Led by an experienced ASPET member, each group then meets virtually for a year. Evaluation data from the first three cohorts provide strong evidence of perceived and real benefits of the groups.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2018

A hallmark of success for early career biomedical researchers is the acquisition of research fund... more A hallmark of success for early career biomedical researchers is the acquisition of research funding. There are marked disparities among principal investigators who submit grants and the likelihood of receiving national funding. The National Research Mentoring Network was funded by the National Institutes of Health to diversify the biomedical research workforce and included grantsmanship training for early career researchers. Self‐efficacy in developing research grant applications is significantly improved over time with training and experience. We created a 19‐item self‐efficacy assessment inventory. Our aims were to confirm the internal consistency of a three‐factor solution for grantsmanship confidence and to test the likelihood that self‐efficacy influences grant proposal submission timing. We gathered data from 190 diverse biomedical trainees who completed NRMN grantsmanship training between August 2015 and June 2017. Findings revealed high internal consistency for items in eac...

Journal of Diversity in Higher Education

Institutes of Health (NIH) laboratories for predoctoral training. Several partnerships required t... more Institutes of Health (NIH) laboratories for predoctoral training. Several partnerships required that students create collaborative dissertations between at least one NIH and one university research mentor. More than 60 students have entered into these co-mentored research collabo-rations, and many others established them even though not required. Much was learned about the experiences of these and other GPP students by using structured interviews as part of a formal self-study of the GPP in 2005. Complications of trying to work with two mentors are managed through careful program design and mentor selection. In the collaborative model, students develop a complex set of scientific and interpersonal skills. They lead their own independent research projects, drawing on the expertise of multiple mentors and acquiring skills at negotiating everyone’s interests. They develop high levels of independence, maturity, flexi-bility, and the ability to see research questions from different persp...

PLOS ONE, 2020

Background A diverse research workforce is essential for catalyzing biomedical advancements, but ... more Background A diverse research workforce is essential for catalyzing biomedical advancements, but this workforce goal is hindered by persistent sex and racial/ethnic disparities among investigators receiving research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In response, the NIH-funded National Research Mentoring Network implemented a Grant Writing Coaching Program (GCP) to provide diverse cohorts of early-career investigators across the United States with intensive coaching throughout the proposal development process. We evaluated the GCP’s national reach and short-term impact on participants’ proposal submissions and funding outcomes. Methods The GCP was delivered as six similar but distinct models. All models began with an in-person group session, followed by a series of coaching sessions over 4 to 12 months. Participants were surveyed at 6-, 12- and 18-months after program completion to assess proposal outcomes (submissions, awards). Self-reported data were verified an...

Diversity-focused committees continue to play essential roles in the efforts of professional scie... more Diversity-focused committees continue to play essential roles in the efforts of professional scientific societies to foster inclusion and facilitate the professional development of underrepresented minority (URM) young scientists in their respective scientific disciplines. Until recently, the efforts of these committees has remained independent and disconnected from one another. Funding from the National Science Foundation has allowed several of these committees to come together and form the Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success, herein referred to as ACCESS. The overall goal of this meta-organization is to create a community in which diversity-focused committees can interact, synergize, share their collective experiences, and have a unified voice on behalf of URM trainees in STEM disciplines. In this article, we compare and contrast the broad approaches that scientific societies in ACCESS use to implement and assess their travel award programs for URM trainees. We ...

BMC Proceedings, 2017

Background and purpose: Preparing a successful research proposal is one of the most complex skill... more Background and purpose: Preparing a successful research proposal is one of the most complex skills required of professional scientists, yet this skill is rarely if ever, taught. A major goal of the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) in the United States (U.S.) is to support the professional advancement of postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty from diverse populations by offering intensive coaching in the development of grant proposals early in their careers. This article highlights the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) NRMN initiative to prepare diverse constituencies of early-stage biomedicine scientists for research careers by implementation of an evidence-based nationwide program of comprehensive grant writing and professional development.

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Lipids and Lipid Metabolism, 1981

As a first step in studying the effects of membrane lipid modification on complex cellular functi... more As a first step in studying the effects of membrane lipid modification on complex cellular functions we have modified the membrane fatty acid composition of the neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid clone, NG108-15. These cultured cells were chosen because they exhibit many complex neuronal functions in vitro. Unsaturated fatty acids (oleate, linoleate, linolenate and arachidonate) were accumulated, metabolized and esterified by the cells. These unsaturated fatty acids stimulated cell growth, whereas saturated fatty acids were toxic to the cells. Changes as large as 40-fold in the ratio of monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fatty acids in the membrane phospholipids were produced by addition of fatty acids directly to serum-containing culture medium. As a result of the exposure of NG108-15 cells to unsaturated fatty acids the amount of phosphatidylethanolamine in the cells was increased by as much as 60%. Polyunsaturated fatty acids also caused a small decrease in the membrane cholesterol/ phospholipid molar ratio. These experiments demonstrate that large changes in membrane fatty acid composition can be created in clonal cells capable of differentiated neuronal activities. Additional changes in membrane lipid composition also appear to be induced by these manipulations. The question of the importance of specific membrane lipid composition to neuronal cellular function now can be addressed.

Biochemistry of S-Adenosylmethionine and Related Compounds, 1982

Since transmethylations have been proposed as important components of a variety of transmembrane ... more Since transmethylations have been proposed as important components of a variety of transmembrane signaling processes (Borchardt, 1980) we have begun examining the role of transmethylations in depolarization-dependent exocytosis. We have chosen the clonal rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 as our model system. These cells store norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh) in secretory granules and release the transmitters in response to both K+ depolarization and nicotinic receptor stimulation in a fashion similar to sympathetic neurons (Greene and Rein, 1977; Rabe et al., 1980).

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Lipids and Lipid Metabolism, 1975

The cholesteryl ester content of Erhlich cells was increased in tumors grown in mice fed saturate... more The cholesteryl ester content of Erhlich cells was increased in tumors grown in mice fed saturated fat diets (coconut oil or tristearin) as compared with a polyunsaturated fat diet (sunflower oil). Cholesteryl esters containing monoenoic fatty acids were the predominant species that accumulated in the cells grown on saturated fat. The increase in cholesteryl esters was not accompanied by corresponding increases in the cell content of phospholipids, triacylglycerols,unesterified cholesterol or proteins. This experimental system may be useful for obtaining basic information about intracellular cholesteryl ester accumulation, a process that occurs in atherosclerosis. *** This fraction also contained smalI amounts of 18:3.

Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 1985

The role of membrane lipid composition in determining the electrical properties of neuronal cells... more The role of membrane lipid composition in determining the electrical properties of neuronal cells was investigated by altering the available fatty acids in the growth medium of cultured neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid cells, clone NG108-15. Growth of the cells for several days in the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic) caused a pronounced decrease in the Na+ action-potential rate of rise (dV/dt) and smaller decreases in the amplitude, measured by intracellular recording. Oleic acid had no effect on the action potentials generated by the cells. In contrast, a saturated fatty acid (palmitate) and a trans monounsaturated fatty acid (elaidate) caused increases in both the rate of rise and the amplitude. No changes in the resting membrane potentials or Ca2+ action potentials of fatty acid-treated cells were observed. The membrane capacitance and time constant were not altered by exposure to arachidonate, oleate, or elaidate, whereas arachidonate caused a small increase in membrane resistance. Examination of the membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition of cells grown with various fatty acids revealed no consistent alterations which could explain these results. To examine the mechanism for arachidonate-induced decreases in dV/dt, the binding of 3H-saxitoxin (known to interact with voltage-sensitive Na+) channels was measured. Membranes from cells grown with arachidonate contained fewer saxitoxin binding sites, suggesting fewer Na+ channels in these cells. We conclude that conditions which lead to major changes in the membrane fatty acid composition have no effect on the resting membrane potential, membrane capacitance, time constant, or Ca2+ action potentials in NG108-15 cells. Membrane resistance also does not appear to be very sensitive to membrane fatty acid composition. However, changes in the availability of fatty acids and/or changes in the subsequent membrane fatty acid composition lead to altered Na+ action potentials. The primary mechanism for this alteration appears to be through changes in the number of Na+ channels in the cells.

As a postdoc, it goes without saying that mentors are critical for your continued development as ... more As a postdoc, it goes without saying that mentors are critical for your continued development as a professional, as well as your movement into a position beyond training. But there is no such thing as the perfect mentor because everyone’s needs and goals are highly variable. In fact, that is the first step in thinking about finding mentors – reflecting to specifically identify and assess what you hope to gain from your mentor(s); you can’t go looking for something without a clear idea of your own needs and goals! Taking self-assessment tests and creating an Individual Development Plan (IDP), and then reviewing the results with current mentors and peers is a great first step. With a deeper understanding of yourself, you will be much better positioned to seek new mentoring relationships and resolve mentoring relationship challenges.

In the Academy and beyond, mentoring and networking relationships play a key role in career satis... more In the Academy and beyond, mentoring and networking relationships play a key role in career satisfaction, productivity, and advancement. This is especially true for those in early stages of their academic and professional careers, e.g. graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty members. Mentors not only provide critical feedback on a mentee’s scholarship and research, but can also pave the way for young scholars to gain entry into established disciplinary communities. Though mentoring relationships can provide great benefits like these to young scholars, if not managed well, they can also pose significant challenges. Unfortunately, many young mentees make the mistake of treating their mentoring relationships passively, rather than pro-actively managing them to yield the greatest benefit.

In this chapter, we will advance the concept of “mentoring up”: a process by which mentees learn to pro-actively manage their mentoring relationships. We will draw upon our research and scholarship in mentoring, career coaching and professional skill development, as well as our extensive experience working closely with those in early stages of academic and professional careers. The concept of “mentoring up” is adapted from the business literature where Gabarro and Kotter introduced “managing up” in their classic paper in the Harvard Business Review in 1980. Though the original concept has been associated with manipulation, false flattery, or political maneuvering, we will focus on “mentoring up” as the ability of mentees to effectively engage in and promote the ongoing two-way conversation that is the hallmark of healthy mentor-mentee relationships.

We will compare and contrast the concepts of “managing up” and “mentoring up” as we define the skills needed to pro-actively manage mentoring relationships. Although much of our experiences and scholarship have focused upon the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math and medicine) fields, we postulate that these skills are relevant and can be easily adapted for other fields and for multiple career stages. Our methods for teaching the core skills needed for mentoring up draw on a recently developed workshop model designed to teach these skills to mentors. This workshop model, recently demonstrated to be effective in a national randomized controlled trial, can be equally effective for teaching the skills to mentees. Additionally, based on our work with underrepresented minority groups, we will explore some of the unique challenges faced by these mentees in their mentoring relationships and offer strategies to support their professional development.

In this chapter, the authors will present teachable skills and strategies that will empower mentees to pro-actively manage their mentoring relationships, so that they themselves will ultimately transform into effective mentors for future generations. These skills are particularly relevant today, when many students are seeking careers in a rapidly evolving landscape of employment and their mentoring needs are growing and changing. Furthermore, taking advantage of mentoring relationships is only one aspect of managing your career, and so we will contextualize these skills within the broader framework of overall career management and professional development.

The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc was designed to build postdocs’ skills in career tra... more The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc was designed to build postdocs’ skills in career transition, career planning, collaborative research, resilience, and self-reflection. This study examined self-reported changes in five skills as learners progressed through the course. Data were collected from participants who responded to both pre- and post-surveys and engaged with the course learning activities. Results from repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance revealed that all of the self-reported perceptions of skills improved significantly upon completion of the course. Hierarchical regressions revealed that underrepresented minority learners had greater gains in their development of skills in career planning, resilience, and self-reflection. Qualitative analysis of learners’ responses to learning activities found that postdocs perceived networking and mentor support as contributing factors to their skill advancement while tensions among multiple obligations and concer...

Frontiers in Education, 2022

Scientific societies serve as communities of practice in which scientists develop many of the ski... more Scientific societies serve as communities of practice in which scientists develop many of the skills and connections required for the progression of their careers. For example, scientific societies offer their members opportunities to attend career development programs, gain experience in communicating science, and receive recognition for achievements within their discipline. Programming for undergraduate student members has recently been increasing, both in prevalence and in its range of offerings. The Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success, ACCESS, a meta-organization seeking equity and inclusivity in life sciences fields, has examined programs and opportunities focused on undergraduates across its member scientific societies to identify common themes, promising practices and challenges. In this article, we share and discuss our findings.

F1000Research, 2020

Virtual focus groups played a significant role in guiding the design and development of an innova... more Virtual focus groups played a significant role in guiding the design and development of an innovative professional development program for postdoctoral scholars, called The Postdoc Academy. The primary goal of obtaining feedback from postdocs was to ensure the program content is relevant, approachable, and inclusive for participants of all backgrounds, career stages, professional aspirations, and disciplines. The data collected in 13 focus groups shaped the final content and structure for the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), ‘The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc’. Evaluation of participant experience in a post-focus group survey suggests that engaging a target audience is an effective approach to obtain participant feedback and engage learners in the material. Content and activities modified by this feedback were highly rated by course participants in self-reported post-module evaluations. This article describes a method on how structured virtual focus groups of diverse fu...

Scientific societies aiming to foster inclusion of scientists from underrepresented (UR) backgrou... more Scientific societies aiming to foster inclusion of scientists from underrepresented (UR) backgrounds among their membership often delegate primary responsibility for this goal to a diversity-focused committee. The National Science Foundation has funded the creation of the Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success (ACCESS), a meta-organization bringing together representatives from several such STEM society committees to serve as a hub for a growing Community of Practice. Its goal is to coordinate efforts to advance inclusive practices by sharing experiences and making synergistic discoveries about what works. ACCESS has analyzed the approaches by which member societies have sought to ensure inclusivity through selection of annual meeting speakers. Not only do we discuss how inclusive speaker selection fosters better scientific environments for all, but also identify challenges and promising practices for societies striving to maximize inclusivity of speakers in their sc...

CBE—Life Sciences Education, 2020

The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Mentoring Network, ca... more The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Mentoring Network, career mentoring groups of six PhD students and postdocs, begin with an in-person meeting the day before the ASPET annual meeting. Led by an experienced ASPET member, each group then meets virtually for a year. Evaluation data from the first three cohorts provide strong evidence of perceived and real benefits of the groups.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2018

A hallmark of success for early career biomedical researchers is the acquisition of research fund... more A hallmark of success for early career biomedical researchers is the acquisition of research funding. There are marked disparities among principal investigators who submit grants and the likelihood of receiving national funding. The National Research Mentoring Network was funded by the National Institutes of Health to diversify the biomedical research workforce and included grantsmanship training for early career researchers. Self‐efficacy in developing research grant applications is significantly improved over time with training and experience. We created a 19‐item self‐efficacy assessment inventory. Our aims were to confirm the internal consistency of a three‐factor solution for grantsmanship confidence and to test the likelihood that self‐efficacy influences grant proposal submission timing. We gathered data from 190 diverse biomedical trainees who completed NRMN grantsmanship training between August 2015 and June 2017. Findings revealed high internal consistency for items in eac...

Journal of Diversity in Higher Education

Institutes of Health (NIH) laboratories for predoctoral training. Several partnerships required t... more Institutes of Health (NIH) laboratories for predoctoral training. Several partnerships required that students create collaborative dissertations between at least one NIH and one university research mentor. More than 60 students have entered into these co-mentored research collabo-rations, and many others established them even though not required. Much was learned about the experiences of these and other GPP students by using structured interviews as part of a formal self-study of the GPP in 2005. Complications of trying to work with two mentors are managed through careful program design and mentor selection. In the collaborative model, students develop a complex set of scientific and interpersonal skills. They lead their own independent research projects, drawing on the expertise of multiple mentors and acquiring skills at negotiating everyone’s interests. They develop high levels of independence, maturity, flexi-bility, and the ability to see research questions from different persp...

PLOS ONE, 2020

Background A diverse research workforce is essential for catalyzing biomedical advancements, but ... more Background A diverse research workforce is essential for catalyzing biomedical advancements, but this workforce goal is hindered by persistent sex and racial/ethnic disparities among investigators receiving research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In response, the NIH-funded National Research Mentoring Network implemented a Grant Writing Coaching Program (GCP) to provide diverse cohorts of early-career investigators across the United States with intensive coaching throughout the proposal development process. We evaluated the GCP’s national reach and short-term impact on participants’ proposal submissions and funding outcomes. Methods The GCP was delivered as six similar but distinct models. All models began with an in-person group session, followed by a series of coaching sessions over 4 to 12 months. Participants were surveyed at 6-, 12- and 18-months after program completion to assess proposal outcomes (submissions, awards). Self-reported data were verified an...

Diversity-focused committees continue to play essential roles in the efforts of professional scie... more Diversity-focused committees continue to play essential roles in the efforts of professional scientific societies to foster inclusion and facilitate the professional development of underrepresented minority (URM) young scientists in their respective scientific disciplines. Until recently, the efforts of these committees has remained independent and disconnected from one another. Funding from the National Science Foundation has allowed several of these committees to come together and form the Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success, herein referred to as ACCESS. The overall goal of this meta-organization is to create a community in which diversity-focused committees can interact, synergize, share their collective experiences, and have a unified voice on behalf of URM trainees in STEM disciplines. In this article, we compare and contrast the broad approaches that scientific societies in ACCESS use to implement and assess their travel award programs for URM trainees. We ...

BMC Proceedings, 2017

Background and purpose: Preparing a successful research proposal is one of the most complex skill... more Background and purpose: Preparing a successful research proposal is one of the most complex skills required of professional scientists, yet this skill is rarely if ever, taught. A major goal of the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) in the United States (U.S.) is to support the professional advancement of postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty from diverse populations by offering intensive coaching in the development of grant proposals early in their careers. This article highlights the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) NRMN initiative to prepare diverse constituencies of early-stage biomedicine scientists for research careers by implementation of an evidence-based nationwide program of comprehensive grant writing and professional development.

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Lipids and Lipid Metabolism, 1981

As a first step in studying the effects of membrane lipid modification on complex cellular functi... more As a first step in studying the effects of membrane lipid modification on complex cellular functions we have modified the membrane fatty acid composition of the neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid clone, NG108-15. These cultured cells were chosen because they exhibit many complex neuronal functions in vitro. Unsaturated fatty acids (oleate, linoleate, linolenate and arachidonate) were accumulated, metabolized and esterified by the cells. These unsaturated fatty acids stimulated cell growth, whereas saturated fatty acids were toxic to the cells. Changes as large as 40-fold in the ratio of monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fatty acids in the membrane phospholipids were produced by addition of fatty acids directly to serum-containing culture medium. As a result of the exposure of NG108-15 cells to unsaturated fatty acids the amount of phosphatidylethanolamine in the cells was increased by as much as 60%. Polyunsaturated fatty acids also caused a small decrease in the membrane cholesterol/ phospholipid molar ratio. These experiments demonstrate that large changes in membrane fatty acid composition can be created in clonal cells capable of differentiated neuronal activities. Additional changes in membrane lipid composition also appear to be induced by these manipulations. The question of the importance of specific membrane lipid composition to neuronal cellular function now can be addressed.

Biochemistry of S-Adenosylmethionine and Related Compounds, 1982

Since transmethylations have been proposed as important components of a variety of transmembrane ... more Since transmethylations have been proposed as important components of a variety of transmembrane signaling processes (Borchardt, 1980) we have begun examining the role of transmethylations in depolarization-dependent exocytosis. We have chosen the clonal rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 as our model system. These cells store norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh) in secretory granules and release the transmitters in response to both K+ depolarization and nicotinic receptor stimulation in a fashion similar to sympathetic neurons (Greene and Rein, 1977; Rabe et al., 1980).

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Lipids and Lipid Metabolism, 1975

The cholesteryl ester content of Erhlich cells was increased in tumors grown in mice fed saturate... more The cholesteryl ester content of Erhlich cells was increased in tumors grown in mice fed saturated fat diets (coconut oil or tristearin) as compared with a polyunsaturated fat diet (sunflower oil). Cholesteryl esters containing monoenoic fatty acids were the predominant species that accumulated in the cells grown on saturated fat. The increase in cholesteryl esters was not accompanied by corresponding increases in the cell content of phospholipids, triacylglycerols,unesterified cholesterol or proteins. This experimental system may be useful for obtaining basic information about intracellular cholesteryl ester accumulation, a process that occurs in atherosclerosis. *** This fraction also contained smalI amounts of 18:3.

Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 1985

The role of membrane lipid composition in determining the electrical properties of neuronal cells... more The role of membrane lipid composition in determining the electrical properties of neuronal cells was investigated by altering the available fatty acids in the growth medium of cultured neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid cells, clone NG108-15. Growth of the cells for several days in the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic) caused a pronounced decrease in the Na+ action-potential rate of rise (dV/dt) and smaller decreases in the amplitude, measured by intracellular recording. Oleic acid had no effect on the action potentials generated by the cells. In contrast, a saturated fatty acid (palmitate) and a trans monounsaturated fatty acid (elaidate) caused increases in both the rate of rise and the amplitude. No changes in the resting membrane potentials or Ca2+ action potentials of fatty acid-treated cells were observed. The membrane capacitance and time constant were not altered by exposure to arachidonate, oleate, or elaidate, whereas arachidonate caused a small increase in membrane resistance. Examination of the membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition of cells grown with various fatty acids revealed no consistent alterations which could explain these results. To examine the mechanism for arachidonate-induced decreases in dV/dt, the binding of 3H-saxitoxin (known to interact with voltage-sensitive Na+) channels was measured. Membranes from cells grown with arachidonate contained fewer saxitoxin binding sites, suggesting fewer Na+ channels in these cells. We conclude that conditions which lead to major changes in the membrane fatty acid composition have no effect on the resting membrane potential, membrane capacitance, time constant, or Ca2+ action potentials in NG108-15 cells. Membrane resistance also does not appear to be very sensitive to membrane fatty acid composition. However, changes in the availability of fatty acids and/or changes in the subsequent membrane fatty acid composition lead to altered Na+ action potentials. The primary mechanism for this alteration appears to be through changes in the number of Na+ channels in the cells.

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2014

In this study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 52 college graduates as they entered a Postb... more In this study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 52 college graduates as they entered a Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP). Our goal was to investigate what it means for these aspiring scientists, most of whom are from groups underrepresented in the sciences, to feel ready to apply to a doctoral program in the biomedical sciences. For our analysis, we developed and used a theoretical framework which integrates concepts from identity-inpractice literature with Bourdieu's formulation of cultural capital and also examined the impact of racial, ethnic, and gender identities on education and career trajectories. Five patterns of identity work for expected engagement with PREP grew out of our analysis: Credential Seekers, PI Aspirants, Path Builders, Discipline Changers, and Interest Testers. These patterns illuminate differences in perceptions of doing, being, and becoming within science; external and internal foci of identity work; and expectations for institutional and embodied cultural capital. Our findings show that preparing for graduate education is more complex than acquiring a set of credentials as it is infused with identity work which facilitates readiness beyond preparation. This deeper understanding of individual agency and perceptions allows us to shift the focus away from a deficit model where institutions and programs attempt to "fix" students, and to offer implications for programs designed to support college graduates aspiring to become scientists.

Pancreas, 2005

To the Editor: Pancreatic cancer ranks as the fourth leading cause of death by cancer in the Unit... more To the Editor: Pancreatic cancer ranks as the fourth leading cause of death by cancer in the United States. Approximately 30,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and 30,000 people die from this disease each year. Moreover, 19% of patients with cancer of the exocrine pancreas survive 1 year after diagnosis, and only 4% survive 5 years after diagnosis. Pancreatic cancer has been called a ‘‘silent’’ disease because it usually does not cause symptoms in early stages. In many cases, the cancer has already spread outside the pancreas by the time it is diagnosed. Pancreatic cancer offers a clear example of a tumor that, despite the advances in science and medicine, remains an almost insurmountable challenge for early diagnosis and curative treatment. In the last 3 years, an exemplary interaction among advocacy groups (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network), private foundations (Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research), federal agencies (National Cancer Institute), and scientists has been created with the goal of expediting research in pancreatic cancer at a revolutionary pace. Together, the work of these groups resulted in an National Cancer Institute–sponsored study and report that may serve as a guideline for future studies of pancreatic cancer. The following excerpt from the abstract of Pancreatic Cancer Progress Review Group (http://prg.cancr.gov/pancreatic/ finalreport.html) outlines the state of the problem and mirrors the vision and accuracy expressed in this report: ‘‘Pancreatic cancer is disproportionately underrepresented in both clinical and basic research compared with other cancer sites. Several factors may be contributing to this marginal research base in pancreatic cancer. Scientific investigators with interest and expertise in this area comprise a very small cadre. Pancreatic cancer care is complicated, requiring a multidisciplinary approach, and despite our best efforts, outcomes are nearly always disappointing. To build a robust laboratory, clinical, and population science research program for this disease demands unusual effort that currently is made more difficult by a lack of key resources, such as appropriate preservation of pancreatic tissue and key reagents for translational studies. No specialized scientific infrastructure exists to support training or funding for pancreatic cancer research. Yet novel approaches and unique commitments will be necessary to make progress against pancreatic cancer. Advances in other diseases suggest that increased investment in pancreatic cancer research can be expected to yield dramatic progression.’’ Statistics have shown that African Americans suffering from cancer are 2 times more likely to die than patients from other minority groups. The incidence of pancreatic cancer in the African-American population exceeds those in the white population by about 50% to 90%. Studies show that established risk factors such as cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, family history, and alcohol consumption account for the increase in death incidence from pancreatic cancer in African Americans. Moreover, Pernick et al reported that African Americans have significantly higher K-ras mutations to valine and fewer to cysteine and arginine compared with whites, suggesting that genetic differences may be responsible for the increased incidence of pancreatic cancer in this population. Also, the K-ras mutations have been associated with extended exposure to pesticides (dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane, dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethylene), giving support to the idea that K-ras mutations in pancreatic cancer may be related to lifestyle and environmental factors of African Americans. The National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities conducted several studies aimed at increasing knowledge of, reducing, and/or eliminating health disparities in minority populations. One of these studies took place ~8 mi from Oakwood College in Triana, Alabama. It was found that the residents of this town were exposed to the pesticide DDT, and as a result, had a substantial increase in the incidence of breast cancer. Similarly, Shavers and Brown from the National Cancer Institute reported that there is evidence of racial disparities in the receipt of cancer treatment. The treatment difference may result in more frequent recurrence, shorter disease-free survival, and higher mortality. Studies have also shown that African Americans of lower socio-economic status are less likely to seek medical care and participate in health programs because of lack of educational information and mistrust in the health system. This evidence of biologic or genetic characteristics unique to African Americans and the disparities occurring from environmental risks and cultural factors warrant further study of pancreatic cancer in this community. Thus, it is critically important to train AfricanAmerican scientists, to educate their communities, and to combat the ravaging effects of this disease…