UF researchers share expertise at scientific meeting
February 17, 2011
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With expertise ranging from the inner brain to the ocean depths, as well as a “taste” for sensory exploration, four University of Florida researchers will share their knowledge at the American Association for the Advancement of Science 177th annual meeting beginning today in Washington, D.C.
On Friday, Dr. Michael Okun, a neurologist with the College of Medicine, will talk about how a type of brain surgery to treat movement disorders is showing promise against devastating psychiatric problems; and Elizabeth Screaton, a hydrogeologist at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will detail the international teamwork behind scientific ocean drilling.
On Saturday, crop genetics expert Harry Klee, an eminent scholar with the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, will lead a discussion on advances in plant breeding.
On Sunday, Linda M. Bartoshuk, an authority in the chemical senses of smell and taste with the College of Dentistry, will deliver the prestigious John P. McGovern Lecture and discuss how individual “taste” affects overall health.
One of the foremost scientific gatherings in the world, this year’s AAAS meeting seeks to highlight science and teaching that cross conventional borders or break out from silos, especially in groundbreaking areas of research, according to AAAS President Alice S. Huang.
Okun’s presentation at 9 a.m. Friday will deal with the growing opportunity to provide relief through deep brain stimulation surgery to patients suffering from devastating psychiatric disorders, while being mindful of the earlier shortcomings of psychosurgery and the lessons from treating movement disorders.
At 3 p.m. Friday, Screaton will talk about the collaborative success story that is scientific ocean drilling. In 1975, scientific drilling advanced from a U.S. program with one ship to an international collaboration. Today’s Integrated Ocean Drilling Program includes 24 member countries and operates on three platforms, which are managed by the U.S., Japan, and a consortium of European countries.
It is credited for transforming our understanding of climate change, natural hazards, and crustal structure, and demonstrated the existence of a biosphere beneath the sea floor.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, Klee will moderate a panel discussion focusing on new computing techniques and how they can help crop researchers identify the genes responsible for various plant traits. Klee is best known for his investigations of the genes that control production of volatile chemicals that give tomatoes their characteristic aroma and taste. Discussion speakers include Ian Graham, University of York; Edward S. Buckler, Cornell University and Susan Rotherford McCouch, Cornell University.
Finally, at noon on Sunday, Bartoshuk will deliver the John P. McGovern Lecture in Behavioral Sciences. First delivered in 1990, the lecture honors prominent behavioral scientists from around the world. Bartoshuk’s research explores genetic variations in taste perception and how those variations affect the food people choose and, as a result, shape their health.
She also works on the development of psychophysical methods that can capture sensory variation across individuals.
Contacts:
Linda Bartoshuk, lbartoshuk@dental.ufl.edu, 352-273-5119
Michael Okun, okun@neurology.ufl.edu, 352-273-5550
Elizabeth Screaton, screaton@ufl.edu, 352-392-4612
Harry Klee, hjklee@ufl.edu, 352-392-8249