Academic Initiative
Project Synopsis
This blog hosts news and updates related to the Academic Initiative as a whole.
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Daniel Kimbel admin
Most Recent Update
(see all)Summer Internship Decisions Made
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on May 3, 2012 - 1:04pmThe SENS Foundation's researchers have reached their decisions, and all of the applicants to the SENS Foundation Academic Initiative's 2012 summer internship program have been informed of their status. We're excited to be able to bring some interns to the SENSF-RC this summer, but regret that we could not accept nearly all of the qualified applicants who expressed interest in our program. This will be the internship program's first year, but we're optimistic that the program will be repeated in subsequent years.
Project News & Updates
Summer Internship Decisions Made
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on May 3, 2012 - 1:04pmThe SENS Foundation's researchers have reached their decisions, and all of the applicants to the SENS Foundation Academic Initiative's 2012 summer internship program have been informed of their status. We're excited to be able to bring some interns to the SENSF-RC this summer, but regret that we could not accept nearly all of the qualified applicants who expressed interest in our program. This will be the internship program's first year, but we're optimistic that the program will be repeated in subsequent years.
Call for Volunteers
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on March 30, 2012 - 3:28pmOver the last few months, the SENS Foundation Academic Initiative has witnessed a rapid increase in its membership numbers, and in the interest it receives from students across the United States and the world. In order to properly utilize and expand upon this interest, the Initiative will need new volunteers, new ideas, and new projects.
SENSFAI Intern Report
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on March 26, 2012 - 2:12pmPeter Schapira, an on-site intern at the SENS Foundation Research Center, has spent the last month working on his own project with funding from a $2400 Academic Initiative grant. Peter prepared the following paragraph to describe his experience with the Initiative.
AI Members' Review to be Published
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on March 21, 2012 - 3:30pmA literature review written by Academic Initiative members Adiv Johnson, Kemal Akman, Stuart Calimport, and Daniel Wuttke, with oversight and assistance from two professors who will be listed as co-authors, has been accepted for publication by Rejuvenation Research. The paper, "The Role of DNA Methylation in Aging, Rejuvenation, and Age-Related Disease," will be the first Initiative project to be published since late 2010. It is reasonable to expect, however, that published papers will begin to emerge from the Initiative at a more steady rate.
Progress in Coursework, Membership
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on March 2, 2012 - 4:53pmLast month, the Academic Initiative took an early and important step towards the completion of its first online course: we held our first filming, recording a lecture by Dr. Judith Campisi. This will be the first of nine guest lectures we get on video, each of which will be delivered by a well-known and experienced scientist. When we have completed the course, we will make all of the lectures freely available on our website.
Announcing New Summer Internships
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on January 31, 2012 - 3:10pmIn the summer of 2012, the Academic Initiative will bring as many as three interns to the SENS Foundation Research Center in Mountain View, California to participate in SENS research for three months. These interns will receive stipends of $2000 per month. If they are not local to the San Francisco Bay Area, they will also receive a credit towards airfare.
Welcome to the Academic Initiative's New Site
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on January 3, 2012 - 4:49pmWelcome to the SENS Foundation Academic Initiative’s new website. In addition to containing more comprehensive information about the Initiative and what it does, this site offers a number of new features, including a listing of outreach projects and a searchable database of member profiles. The site leaves plenty of room for the Initiative to grow into, thanks to its new committee pages, its new media section, and its more streamlined navigation.
Congratulations to our Winter 2011 Scholarship Recipients
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on December 22, 2011 - 4:30pmEach semester, the SENS Foundation Academic Initiative awards merit-based scholarships to a handful of its students and mentors. This round's winners dedicated significant time and energy to the Initiative, helping it to become the best program it can be. The recipients are listed below:
$30,000 in Academic Initiative Grants
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on December 7, 2011 - 6:22pmThe SENS Foundation Academic Initiative is pleased to announce that it will be awarding up to $30,000 in materials grants in 2012. These grants are available to undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, and may be used to cover the cost of laboratory materials for aging- and rejuvenation-related research projects. A typical grant will range from $500-$2000, but grants of up to $5000 may be awarded for group projects.
Website Revamp, Grant Announcements Coming Shortly
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on November 14, 2011 - 6:45pmAt some point in the next few weeks, the Academic Initiative's section of sens.org will begin to look dramatically different, as our subsite undergoes its first-ever major revision. The planning for this website is complete, as is the Initiative's new logo, which the site will display. When the new website launches, we will announce the number of grants that we will be able to award to students in 2012 to cover the cost of lab materials on aging- and rejuvenation-related research projects.
New Forum, Videos Online
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on September 23, 2011 - 12:31pmA new General Discussion forum specific to the Academic Initiative has been added to SENS Foundation's forums here. This forum provides people associated with the Initiative with a place to introduce themselves and discuss the future and direction of the AI. In the past, much of the Initiative’s internal communication has happened over email; while this will remain an invaluable tool, the forum will provide a more open and collaborative space for discussion.
Academic Initiative Structural Plan
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on August 15, 2011 - 5:13pmThe SENS Foundation Academic Initiative’s new structure is actively in the process of being implemented, and involves a number of significant changes. Among these are the separation of the Initiative into branches, an updated membership system that allows students to become involved more easily and in more ways, the creation of volunteer committees, and the addition of outreach projects to the Initiative’s activities. A brief summary of these changes follows.
Structure, Website to Change
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on July 18, 2011 - 2:06pmThe structure and website of the SENS Foundation Academic Initiative will be changing significantly in the coming months. The organization itself will be split into branches with their own purposes, while volunteers will serve on committees tasked with specific student-centric functions. The website, meanwhile, will reflect these changes while retaining many of its core functionalities (e.g. a main blog and a listing of updatable projects). More specific changes will be announced at or around the time of the SENS5 conference, to be held from August 31 to September 4.
Interim Academic Coordinator Named
Submitted by Daniel Kimbel on June 23, 2011 - 12:55pmDaniel Kimbel has been named the Interim Academic Coordinator of the SENS Foundation Academic Initiative. Daniel has worked as a scientist at the SENSF Research Center for the past year, and will transition gradually into his work on the Initiative. In the coming months, he will focus his efforts on expanding the reach of the AI and enhancing its web presence. Anyone interested in volunteering with the Academic Initiative should contact him directly.
Vacancy: Academic Coordinator
Submitted by Tanya Jones on May 18, 2011 - 9:00amSENS Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit which works to develop, promote and ensure widespread access to rejuvenation biotechnologies which comprehensively address the disabilities and diseases of aging. The Foundation combines significant direct research efforts with education, affiliation and outreach programs. The SENS Foundation Academic Initiative (AI) is the nexus of its educational activities, which includes student mentoring, small but growing grants and scholarship programs, and coursework development.
August 2010 Featured Student
Submitted by David Vorriccelli on August 5, 2010 - 8:16pmKamil Pabis is in his second year of university and has been working with the SENSFAI since 2009. He is currently studying biology at the University of Vienna.
SENSFAI Presence at H+UK 2010
Submitted by David Vorriccelli on May 13, 2010 - 2:44pm
May 2010 Featured Student
Submitted by David Vorriccelli on May 6, 2010 - 4:25pmJohan Svantesson Sjöberg is in his second year at Lund University, pursuing a BS in Molecular Biology. He has worked with the SENSFAI team since 2008, and is currently a volunteer on the Project Development Committee.
Kelsey Moody departing
Submitted by Kelsey Moody on May 6, 2010 - 12:45pmOn May 4th, 2010 SENS Foundation Academic Coordinator Kelsey Moody announced that he will be resigning his position, having accepted an offer to work as a researcher for ImmunePath Inc., a venture-capitalist backed cancer immunotherapy startup in the bay area. Kelsey will finish out the remainder of his contract and will begin working with ImmunePath on June 1st.
Job Opening for Academic Coordinator
Submitted by Kelsey Moody on May 6, 2010 - 11:22amSENS Foundation seeks a consultant to act as Academic Coordinator. The Academic Coordinator will be the head of the entire Academic Initiative and be responsible for designing and implementing short, medium, and long term operational strategies which align with the broader aims of SENS Foundation. The AC will report to the Vice President of the Foundation, and work closely with the CEO and CSO.
