Before high-rises and Citgo signs peppered Boston's skyline, Prospect Hill offered an unparalleled view of the city. Though Prospect Hill's importance has dimmed in recent years, it now overlooks another bustling urban area: Union Square.
Many people hear about so many worthy causes that it can become difficult to choose one to contribute to at all. Tufts junior Sally Sharrow isn't one of these people, though, as she decided to commit her time and her legpower to help curb the effects of global warming. This past summer, Sharrow biked around the state of Massachusetts campaigning for clean electricity to prevent climate change. Having already worked with Massachusetts Power Shift on campus, Sharrow wanted to continue spreading the word about the importance of sustainable energy. She also desired a non-traditional summer experience that wouldn't require her to sit passively at a desk. The opportunity presented itself through Power Shift, a student-focused organization that is dedicated to fighting climate change with the emerging Massachusetts Climate Summer program. Even though Sharrow was not an experienced bicyclist, she knew that she wanted to make the leap when she heard about the program. "I had never really biked before, so that was a little intimidating," Sharrow said. "I went into it not knowing what it was going to be like, but I knew it was going to be an adventure." For two months, Sharrow played the role of team leader to 20 students who biked from western Massachusetts to Cambridge and then around the North Shore, through Winthrop, Arlington and Malden. The group moved every four to five days, biking around 10 to 15 miles on those days. Members were accommodated in churches most nights, facilitated by a partnership between Power Shift and the Massachusetts Council of Churches. All in all, Sharrow's group biked about 600 miles over those two months. Every day, members would go door to door canvassing for clean electricity. They tried to engage people in the conversation about climate change and asked them to sign a petition to achieve 100 percent clean electricity within the next 10 years in Massachusetts. Members also recruited participants for the International Day of Climate Action, which took place last Saturday on campuses with great success. "We were really just trying to gauge interest. If they seemed interested, we tried to get them to take another step," Sharrow said. She admitted that she faced her share of difficulties over the summer, especially when talking to people with rather "unique" theories, like one person who wanted global warming to occur so Greenland could be colonized. But Sharrow said there were positive experiences as well. "For all of the bad days though, you would have one really good day where everyone would be happy to talk to you and excited about what you were doing," Sharrow said. "We did get to meet a lot of cool people." Jay O'Hara, Sharrow's coordinator for this summer, said that the plan was somewhat imprecise because this was the first time they had organized a canvassing program for college students over the entire state. He lauded Sharrow's abilities as a team leader, despite the difficulties such a role inevitably brought on. "The most important thing was that the team leader's role was to facilitate the group and not to have all the answers or to boss people around," O'Hara said. "She had to deal with some characters, but she handled that with aplomb and brought a team together who did some good work." Both Sharrow and O'Hara agreed that the summer was a success, with about 5,000 people signing the petition and dozens of workshops being held in 43 towns across the state. "We emerged from this summer with an energized, educated and passionate group of community organizers who are [now] able to go out onto campuses and create a good example," O'Hara said. Sharrow has since become the Boston community outreach coordinator for Power Shift's Leadership Campaign, the college campus constituency in which Sharrow and others hope to bring students in on the movement for clean electricity. She spoke about a current campaign for students to sleep outside until December, when the International Climate Treaty negotiations will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark. Students are also invited to lobby with Sharrow and others every Monday until then at the State House. Power Shift is a cause that Sharrow has devoted herself to not simply because she is an environmental studies major but also because she thinks the dangers are much closer and much more severe than most people realize. "Predictions are getting so much worse than they have been in the past. This is a huge problem that will hurt so many people and could cause many people to be displaced from their homes," Sharrow said. She also seemed to believe that the majority of the responsibility lies on people to pressure the politicians into taking legal action and passing the bill. "It's this huge problem that nobody seems to be doing anything about," Sharrow added. "Politicians need to think we can change the way we live." Sharrow is doing everything possible in order to get Tufts students interested and active. She described the sleeping outside campaign as something that anyone can do, even for just one night, if interested. Her experiences this summer helped her to develop an even stronger commitment to the organization for the school year, Sharrow said. "Not only did it increase my sense of urgency about the issue, but this summer also increased my sense of community of people who are working to solve the problem," Sharrow said. "It was really empowering to be with people who felt as strongly as [I did]."
When I was younger, my mom would insist that I help her cook dinner. She still does. During my most rebellious phase, I asked her, "Why do I have to learn how to cook chicken for the thousandth time?" "Because, Griff," she replied coolly, "girls like a man who can cook." Consequently, food is very important to me. It seems as though every time I enter my house, I'm punched in the face by a wall of hypnotic smells. It could be from the downstairs girls, who cook different ethnic foods nightly, or it could be from my apartment upstairs, where some housemates experiment with fresh produce and spices to create something resembling eggplant parmesan. I hate to feed stereotypes, but sometimes they just happen to be true. It's humbling, exciting and even a little frustrating that my female housemates are excellent homemakers. And I admire the maturity that comes along with making a great meal. I'm not saying that I think, even for a second, that all girls are master chefs. But I happen to live with a few talented, generous people. And I hope I can steal a few of their secrets. Last week, my kitchen, although not terribly clean, was heavenly. My housemate volunteered to bake hundreds of different types of cookies for her student group. There were doughy bowls on every countertop and sticky wooden spoons and spatulas lining the stove. But I couldn't be mad about the mess. My housemate had worked her butt off to make every type of cookie known to man. She tried an oatmeal, cranberry and white chocolate recipe which sent me into a tizzy. The pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were particularly popular. And when I asked her where she got these recipes, she replied rather nonchalantly, "Oh, these are just a few of my own." Other girls in the house will buy special ingredients and find ways to incorporate them into dishes. And maybe I'm not a very picky eater, but they all turn out splendidly. How do these girls know how to cook so well? The most complicated thing I've made this year has been a quesadilla — basically just bread and cheese. And these girls are acting like contestants on a competitive cooking show, trying to improve on old favorites and impress the judges. The best part is I'm the only judge. No offense, Mom, but it seems as though girls like a man who can eat their delicious food. My mom knows how to cook. My eight housemates know how to cook. Most of my other girl friends outside of the house regularly bake seasonal pies and succulent frittatas. And my guy friends are mostly clueless. I remember one late night where my guy friends had a competition to figure out who made the best bananas foster. There were flames and melted butter and half-reduced pots of gritty caramel and smoking pans. And the result was a gooey mess. I still ate it, of course. I have one guy friend who insists on following all of Betty Crocker's instructions. Baking is a science, after all. But look at my adventurous housemate, who took every sweet ingredient she could think of and created hundreds of tasty treats without instructions. Even though my mom trained me well — I can fry a mean over-easy egg — I'm still overly cautious when I cook. And when I do cook, it's something simple and childish. Most of my housemates agree: Cooking makes them feel grown-up. They like the feeling of providing themselves with something delicious and homemade. Us guys just need to grow up and start taking care of ourselves. Or maybe it's just me.
Opting to forego the traditional route of traveling across the country or the world on a sabbatical, Professor of Computer Science Carla Brodley took a significantly shorter trip during her time off from regular teaching duties — she headed just across the Charles River, to Tufts' Boston campus. After meeting with professionals at the School of Medicine a couple years ago, Brodley envisioned her skills in computer science playing a valuable role in furthering the doctors' research. An upcoming sabbatical, typically taken every seven years by many Tufts faculty members, presented her with a chance to put those ideas into practice. Brodley's self-titled "interdisciplinary sabbatical" kept her within the university, and this practice of staying close to home is gaining supporters. Already a petri dish for interdisciplinary collaboration, the university is extending its multidisciplinary opportunities to sabbaticals so that professors can team up with Tufts colleagues from completely different fields of study and establish extensive research cooperation. Faculty members on sabbatical typically spend a semester or two at another university or in a research center unaffiliated with Tufts. Under this new approach, a faculty member would collaborate with Tufts experts from other disciplines only a few miles — or across the Academic Quad — from the comfort of his or her office. Brodley said her idea to partner with the medical school received enthusiastic approval from the head of her department and from Provost and Senior Vice President Jamshed Bharucha. Bharucha called the sabbatical a successful stepping-stone to increasing productive interactions among faculty. "I place a lot of value on the collaboration across the schools at Tufts," Bharucha said, adding that it has great potential to spark new research. Brodley's interdisciplinary sabbatical "was a pilot that worked extremely well," he said. "I would consider supporting another faculty member if another came along," he added. Not all research concentrations equally benefit from the interdisciplinary sabbatical that the provost envisions. Brodley spent the 2008-2009 academic year exploring how machine-learning could be applied to automate a process that screens thousands of scholarly article abstracts for medical research purposes, she said. Taking this kind of sabbatical "requires wanting to collaborate, but also having interests that make sense to collaborate," Bharucha said. Though Brodley remains the only faculty member to have taken an interdisciplinary sabbatical at Tufts thus far, many professors around the university are interested in following her lead. Eric Miller, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, is four years away from eligibility for a sabbatical and said that an in-house break could be "a viable, enriching experience." A year off from teaching offers an opportunity to immerse oneself in a completely unfamiliar field of study, and faculty generally travel far from their usual environment, said Miller, who is already collaborating with the medical school. At Tufts, he said, one need not walk far to travel light-years away in a scholarly sense. "It's important to be as close to the data as possible, to be where the problems are," he said. Brodley credited the ongoing success of her sabbatical project to working on site directly with her collaborators at the medical school and physically close to where research is conducted; she still travels to the medical school for the project once a week. Professor of Biomedical Engineering Sergio Fantini called interdisciplinary sabbaticals "a fantastic idea" because they allow a professor to dedicate more time to research or gaining expertise in an area related to his or her existing multidisciplinary research. Fantini said that faculty can profit more from interdisciplinary projects by taking an active role in understanding the work of their research partners. "It is much more effective if you have a better understanding of what others are doing, and [that] would make collaboration more efficient to investigate new avenues of research on your own," Fantini said. Outside of sabbaticals, interdisciplinary collaboration already occurs at Tufts on a daily basis. "I am always doing interdisciplinary work — that is my everyday life," Professor of Child Development Marina Bers said. While many faculty members already work across disciplines, a sabbatical would allow researchers the chance to get to know collaborators from other academic fields, Bers said. "There is a lot of talk about multidisciplinary research as part of the Tufts experience," Miller said. "It's a small, collegial university where it's easy to talk to people, a place where crossing borders to do research is easy to do." Just sitting and talking with a faculty member from a different discipline could result in "serendipity," or the sparking of a new collaborative idea previously unimaginable, Miller added. "You are stretched to think about things you wouldn't normally think about," Brodley said.
As the Green Line extension project picks up steam, some Somerville residents are worried about its possible effects on environmental and affordable-housing efforts in the city. Over 100 people attended a highly interactive meeting last night to discuss the future of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) project to expand the T line into Somerville and Medford. The Community Corridor Planning (CCP) coalition held the open meeting at the Albert F. Argenziano School in Somerville. Coordinators from the coalition, a partnership of four nonprofits, divided attendees into groups according to each person's closest proposed T station. Each group talked independently about goals for the Green Line extension, then chose themes to discuss with the entire gathering. Scheduled to be nearly completed by 2014, the MBTA project will extend the existing Green Line past its current terminus at Lechmere Station into Somerville and Medford. In the works for over 15 years, extension plans now call for seven new T stops, including one at the intersection of Boston Avenue and College Avenue, adjacent to the Tufts campus. The primary purpose of the meeting was to vote on a set of principles — priorities that attendees agreed must result from the Green Line extension. Each member in the small groups voted for five priorities from a predetermined list and wrote in any other concerns they may have had. Some residents voiced concerns about the lack of adequate bus connections in their areas. Another aired her frustration with the ban on carrying bicycles on Green Line train cars. CCP members tallied the votes just after 8 p.m. In addition to keeping Somerville affordable and improving environmental conditions, "winning" priorities also included working to create more local jobs and increasing commercial and economic development. The audience inside the nearly full multipurpose room of the Argenziano School was diverse, in terms of both age and race. Translators were on hand to provide Spanish and Portuguese interpretations. Mary Regan is a member of the Somerville Community Corporation (SCC), which is a CCP partner organization focusing on affordable housing development. She explained that the translators represented part of a concerted effort to "lower the obstacles to participation" that many lower-income and immigrant residents face. "We're always striving to get more [diverse representation]," Regan told the Daily. "We try to make our meetings as accessible as possible." Addressing the audience from the podium, Regan emphasized the importance of civic participation. "When community members get involved, the outcomes are more likely to reflect what they need and want," she said. Regan cited examples of community input and involvement on recent transit projects in Berlin, Germany and the San Francisco Bay Area. Fred Berman, a Somerville resident and SCC board member, cautioned that while the Green Line could have a major positive impact, it brings potential risks. "The Green Line could be a blessing, but it could also wipe out traditional Somerville," particularly if new stations cause population displacement, Berman said. "We want to do everything we can to make it … positive." Berman stressed the importance of community meetings and discussions like last night's. "Public participation is important," he said. "If people don't get involved, their opinions don't get counted." Regan said that with the principles established, the CCP is now looking to form advising groups to "flesh out" the voted-upon priorities and explore how they can be implemented. Debi Levine, a Cambridge resident, said she came to the meeting because she was "very interested" in the project. "I believe in public transportation," Levine told the Daily. "I believe that improving the environment for some means improving it for all of us." Levine added that she is looking forward to the Green Line extension for more personal reasons, too. "It's just going to make it easier to get around," she said.
All of us know and love Jumbo, but there are quite a few other elephants that have made their mark on history. For example, Pope Leo X had a white pet elephant, Hanno, a gift from King Manuel I of Portugal. Hanno became the Pope's favorite pet. He inspired art, poetry and political satire in the early 1500s. Unfortunately, he died after he became sick and was treated with gold-enriched laxatives. But from Disney's Dumbo to an elephant-shaped skyscraper in Bangkok, it is clear that even today, elephants are influential and adored outside of Tufts. The Circus Let's begin with Jumbo and his homeboys: the circus elephants. Each day, Tufts tour guides narrate P.T. Barnum's account of how Jumbo heroically sacrificed his own life to save the circus's dwarf elephant from an incoming train. Alumna Susan Wilson (J '79, G '75) wrote in a 2002 Tufts Magazine article about how Jumbo enchanted "children on both sides of the Atlantic and ... ‘Jumbomania' became the watchword of the day. In both England and America, savvy merchants began manufacturing and hawking ‘Jumbo' products to the ravenous public." "It's important to note that "jumbo" was not an English word in 1861. It was this African elephant who brought that term to our language, not vice versa," Wilson wrote. Lalla Rookh of Dan Rice's circus was the first elephant in the U.S. to consistently perform a head stand and was known for her tightrope walking ability. In 1860, she impressed the public by swimming across the Ohio River. Old Bet, America's first circus elephant, was shot and killed by an angry farmer who thought it was sinful that poor people were paying money to watch an elephant perform. The Elephant Hotel, now municipal offices for Somers, New York, was built as a memorial for Old Bet. Half a century later, Old John, a circus elephant famous for his boxing performances, made a 53-mile pilgrimage from Madison Square Garden to lay a wreath at Old Bet's grave. Elephants at War Though their tightrope trips may interest audiences, elephants have historically played important roles as human sidekicks, especially during times of war. Their size and weight, trampling force, and ability to cross difficult terrain made them very valuable in early war tactics. In fact, elephants were used in war until the end of the 19th century, when cannon warfare made them easy to target and knock down. "One of the most famous occasions goes back to ancient history ... India's war elephants played a major role in stopping Alexander the Great in his expansions and conquests," Professor of History Peter Winn said. After he halted his advance into India, Alexander the Great quickly took in war elephants of his own and introduced the practice in Europe. The Carthaginian military commander Hannibal was known for using war elephants and led 37 of them to cross the Rhone and attack Rome in 218 BC. In his book "Origines," Roman historian Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder mentioned that Surus was the bravest elephant in Hannibal's army. In the 1950s, British engineer John Hoyte studied this unbelievable feat in detail by retracing Hannibal's march across the Alps with a female elephant also named Jumbo. Colossal Gifts As exotic and valuable animals, elephants were also exchanged throughout history as presents between rulers. Elephant Abul-Abbas was Charlemagne's luxury-pet-turned-war-weapon and was a gift from Caliph Harun al-Rashid in 797. In the 1500s, Suleyman the African elephant was a gift from the King of Portugal to the future Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II. Similar to Pope Leo X's elephant, Suleyman inspired songs and folklore during his time. Religious Elephants Elephants also played a role in religion and, to this day, continue to be prevalent in Asian cultures and religions. The Guimet Museum in Paris has one of the largest collections of Asian art outside of Asia. From the South Chinese elephant-shaped Zun ritual vessel to a Burmese depiction of an elephant offering, many pieces on display reflect the cultural and religious connections to elephants. In 1987, Francis Clines in The New York Times wrote about Raja, "the most celebrated elephant in Asia." Raja annually led a holy procession in Sri Lanka, carrying the country's national treasure: the Tooth Relic of Buddha. Unique Tails Moving past the royalty and the religious, there are some quirky elephants that are also definitely worth mentioning. Batyr lived in a zoo in Kazakhstan and was reportedly able to imitate animal sounds and speak about 20 short phrases in Russian and Kazakh. It is said that in 1980, a recording of Batyr saying "Batyr is good," "Batyr is hungry," and other phrases was played on Kazakhstan's state radio. Gajarajan Guruvayoor Kesavan was a beloved elephant in Kerala, India. Kesavan was known for his devout behavior. The story goes that he fasted on the day of his death and dropped down facing the direction of the temple with his trunk raised in a position of submissiveness to the divine. The 1977 Malayalam feature film "Guruvayoor Kesavan" documents the elephant's life. Switching gears, here is a more morbid elephant history lesson to ponder: Mary the elephant was the first and only elephant to ever be executed. She was hanged by the neck from a railcar-mounted industrial crane. The execution was a sensation and sparked many animal abuse discussions. As recently as February 2009, The Captive Animals' Protection Society published an article probing the details behind Mary's execution. "It happened in my home state of Tennessee, USA, and it remains one of the more enigmatic folktales of the Southeastern United States," Mike Jaynes, the author of the article, wrote. And finally, some elephant food for thought: The zoo in Paris's Jardin des Plantes was created after the French Revolution to house the ex-king's exotic animals. According to popular belief, the twin elephants, Castor and Pollux, were the zoo's most popular animals and the pride of Paris back in the mid-1800s. However, during the Prussian Siege of Paris in 1870, people were so starved that they ended up eating Castor and Pollux and auctioning off the body parts. "Trunks sold for 45 fr. a lb.; the other parts of the interesting twins fetched about 10 fr. a lb," Henry Labouchère wrote in his "Diary of the Besieged Resident in Paris." As a brief history lesson shows, there are plenty of other elephants to appreciate aside from Jumbo. Bon appetit.
Several recent events have caused a large number of students to think about the role of student government in making significant policy decisions. The Daily has been abuzz with articles, editorials and op-eds about the on-going alcohol policy debate. The Oct. 24 op-ed by Tufts Community Union (TCU) President Brandon Rattiner, "Campus alcohol debate: Outlining the TCU Senate strategy," highlights some of the doubts I have about the efficacy of policy decisions through the Senate. I agree with most of what Rattiner expresses in his piece, but I am puzzled by its apparent contradictions with his actions in the past month. For example, he says, "A good alcohol policy must not punish the entire collective for the actions of a select, fringe group," and I completely agree with this statement. It is important to note, however, that no one from the "select, fringe group" who caused problems at the first Senior Pub Night was punished in any way by the administration. It is also important to note that by several accounts, one of the people involved in that night's disturbances is the very same TCU president who is calling for punishment of this select group when he says the policy should target "the extreme minority of students that believe drinking in excess is appropriate behavior." As a member of that extreme minority, Rattiner should be held accountable for his actions. Another point Rattiner makes in his op-ed is that "no policy can ever do it all, and students need to remember that we must behave ourselves." Again, I completely agree that all students should behave themselves, especially those that represent our entire student body with privileged positions as TCU senators. I strongly believe that by accepting positions among our elected representatives, the TCU senators tacitly agree to a code of conduct. This includes not only trying to behave oneself, but also admitting when one has misbehaved. It is shameful that at September's Senior Pub Night, a TCU officer was "forcibly removed from line for what appeared to be sheer hostility," as Jessie Borkan put it in her Oct. 26 column, "You're the man." But what is equally as shameful is that this particular TCU officer did not feel the impetus to publicly apologize for his behavior. This brings me to my final point. How can we have a fair voice on the Alcohol Task Force and the Alcohol Steering Committee when one of our representatives on these bodies does not best exemplify the standards of the majority? Beyond that, how can we tolerate our highest elected official acting unethically, hypocritically and inappropriately? Admittedly, as Rattiner says, "Freshmen, seniors, senators ... everyone has made mistakes," but there should be consequences for actions. A month ago, a public apology from the TCU president would have sufficed, but now that seems too little, too late. As a student body, we need to find a way to make our voices heard when our elected officials fail us.
High prices and high turnover rates for textbooks have long burdened students' budgets and are especially problematic in light of the recent economic downturn. Now, several university bookstores are doing something about it.
Student organizations bent on solving global poverty are constantly popping up at colleges across the country. But they almost always work alone — and that, says senior Will Herberich, has made them weaker.
As I was exiting Carmichael Hall yesterday, I shoved open the colossal doors to realize that it was significantly colder out than it had been when I entered just a couple of hours earlier. The group of students behind me seemed to take notice as well, zipping up sweaters with haste, and — mourning my lack of earmuffs at that moment — I couldn't help but overhear one of them complain.
Tufts' new alcohol policy appears to have had little effect on whether students seek aid from Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS), countering much speculation and concern that the new regulations would deter students from seeking medical assistance due to fear of disciplinary measures.
A consortium of Boston-area researchers hopes to fill in a missing piece of a fundamental theory of physics within the next couple months, when groundbreaking tests are carried out at the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator.
The City of Somerville plans to implement a new policy requiring parking permits for all vehicles parked on residential streets in the city, complicating an already difficult parking situation for many Tufts students living off campus.
After their freshman year of college, most students spend the summer months working mundane jobs and taking breaks at the beach or by the pool.
No plans yet for Spring Break? Students choosing between Cancun, Panama Beach and the Caribbean may want to add another less sexy, but widely anticipated option to their list — The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a new Harry Potter theme park, which is scheduled to open in spring 2010 at Universal Studios in Florida.
Tufts students and Boston residents alike demonstrated in full force on Saturday in honor of the International Day of Climate Action, advocating the need for increased environmental awareness.
Ah, Senior Pub night. I looked forward to it with a special fervor. To me, it marked the start of a new, grown-up chapter in the novel of our nights out. We were dressed to the nines, had paid money (and waited in scandalously inefficient lines) to attend this event and were actually leaving the 02155 zip code; I presumed that this special occasion would be, well, special. I imagined catching up with old friends, actually talking to people that I usually just scream and wave at in random house parties, a few non-Kappy's drinks and a lot of classy, hump-free dancing. For the first time since my senior prom, I was voluntarily wearing a dress, but I had no idea what I was in for.
A new feature provided by the College Board this year to give students more say over the SAT scores they send to universities has recently come under fire, as some argue that it undermines the academic value of tests and favors wealthier students.
This article is the first in a two-part series looking at the alcohol policies of Boston-area schools. The second article, to appear in tomorrow's issue, will focus on Tufts' administrators response to medical amnesty and additional policies offered by nearby institutions.
As a new addition to the Tufts Medical School faculty, Assistant Professor Leon Reijmers is fitting in quite well, having received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's New Innovator Award last month. The NIH Director's New Innovator Award is given to 55 recipients annually. The award comes in the form of a research grant that offers far more flexibility on the part of the researcher than a normal grant. A body of scientists from universities across the United States selects successful applications from the applicant pool. According to Reijmers, the award works to give investigators a chance to do something innovative and to focus on research instead of spending years applying for funding. The award differs from a traditional research grant in that it does not require preliminary data and a detailed annual budget, according to the NIH Web site. But despite the fact that the grant is rather open-ended, Reijmers has a plan. "I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do," he said. Reijmers, who began teaching courses in neuroscience at Tufts on July 1 of this year, was previously a postdoctoral researcher at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. Reijmers was involved in the study and investigation of memory storage long before that, as he performed such research as a graduate student in the Netherlands 14 years ago. While at the Scripps Research Institute, Reijmers worked to develop a transgenic mouse to visualize memory traces. Transgenic mice allow researchers to see which neurons are activated during memory formation. Memory traces are the connections neurons make with each other when storing new memories. To make these connections, neurons need to manufacture new proteins to act as "building blocks." However, researchers have not yet identified all the proteins involved in this process, something Reijmers hopes to be able to accomplish. Reijmers' research will look for which proteins are responsible for memory storage in the brain. "To achieve this we use a special mouse strain," Reijmers said in an e-mail to the Daily. "We have added genes to this mouse strain that allow us to locate neurons that participate in the storage of a memory. In addition, this mouse strain allows us to remove from those neurons molecules that are called messenger RNA. Messenger RNA is the blueprint for proteins. Our method allows us to see which blueprints a neuron is reading, and this tells us which proteins a neuron is producing." During the experiments, Reijmers and his colleagues teach mice novel information in order to facilitate the storage of a new memory. They look at time points after the mouse has learned something to see whether certain proteins are produced when a memory is old and when it is new. This can help tell researchers which proteins are used to help form the connections that lead to the storage of new memories and which are used for long-term memory storage. Reijmers hopes that his work will lead to better understanding of memory-related cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. "There is growing evidence that memory impairments contribute to diseases like schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder," Reijmers said in an e-mail. "My work focuses on basic mechanisms of memory storage. These mechanisms need to be understood before effective treatments can be developed for these brain diseases." "We are honored that NIH has identified his work as having the potential to accelerate the research that will yield benefits to health," Michael Rosenblatt, the dean of the school of medicine, said in a press release. "I would like to thank everybody in the Department of Neuroscience here at Tufts. They have been extremely helpful with getting my lab started, and they make it a lot of fun to work here," Reijmers added in an e-mail. The NIH is a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. "Its mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability," according to its Web site.
