Omaha Science Cafe

Jay Irwin, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology in the department of sociology and anthropology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, talked about the science of transgender at the June 9 Omaha Science Cafe, at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Dr. Irwin received his doctorate in medical sociology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2009. His research focuses on lesbian health, transgender health, mental health, transgender identity, and the social categories and social construction of sexual and gender identity. Dr. Irwin teaches in the sociology and anthropology department at UNO and serves as Co-Chair for the campus wide LGBTQ Task Force and a member of the Safe Space training committee. He also is an associate director of the Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative at UNMC. Dr. Irwin was joined by Sofia Jawed-Wessel, Ph.D., assistant professor of public health – health education at UNO and the assistant director of the Midland Sexual Health Research Collaborative. Dr. Jawed-Wessel received her doctorate degree in health behavior in 2012 and her master’s degree in public health in 2008 from Indiana University. Dr. Jawed-Wessel has collaborated on several projects and manuscripts related to women and men’s sexual health including sexual behaviors during pregnancy, sexual functioning after childbirth, condom development and use, the use of sexual enhancement products, sexual pleasure, and pelvic and genital pain in women. Science Cafés involve a face-to-face conversation with a scientist about current science topics. They are open to everyone (21 and older) and take place in casual settings like pubs and coffeehouses. Each meeting is organized around an interesting topic of conversation. A scientist gives a brief presentation followed by a question and answer period.

A food loving crowd of over 200 came to the Omaha Science Cafe held at 7 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Slowdown, 729, N. 14th St. Paul Kulilk, owner and head chef at Le Bouillon and executive chef at The Boiler Room restaurant,  talked about the science of food preparation at the December cafe. Born in Germany and raised in Omaha, Kulik began working in kitchens at the age of 15. While he dutifully pursued the career of his father, an engineer, and completed degrees in engineering, physics and French, his true passion was in the kitchen. Kulik credits working at Washington, D.C.’s Montmartre restaurant for cementing his love of French cooking. Though he spent time working in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Paris and Berlin, he ultimately returned to and spent five years running La Buvette, a small, French-inspired wine bar in Omaha. That helped Kulik forge relationships with local growers and dedicated producers of top quality traditional foods. Kulik’s food at The Boiler Room is rooted in the belief that quality at the table comes from the ground. He uses a daily-changing menu that employs the rustic European table sensibilities that make delicious taste a priority for meals. A few years ago, Kulik was named a James Beard Best Chef Midwest semifinalist. Science Cafe is a free educational event sponsored by UNMC and other groups to increase the population’s science literacy. Hosted by UNMC and the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Science Cafes are held the first Tuesday of each month in Omaha and a few times a year in Lincoln. They are open to everyone 21 and older. For more information visit the Science Cafe.

A crowd of 200 learned more about what Ebola is, what the symptoms are and how it is treated at the Omaha Science Cafe held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4 at the Slowdown, 729, N. 14th St.  Ali S. Khan, M.D., dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, presented an overview of Ebola at the November Science Café. A former assistant surgeon general, Dr. Khan served at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for 23 years before retiring as the director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. In that role, he managed the $1.5B public health security program and was responsible for all of CDC’s public health preparedness and response activities. Dr. Khan joined the CDC and U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in 1991 as an epidemic intelligence service officer and over the past decades has led and responded to numerous high profile domestic and international public health emergencies, including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, monkeypox, avian influenza, Rift Valley fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Asian Tsunami in 2004, and the initial public health response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. As dean of the UNMC College of Public Health, Dr. Khan’s vision is for the College to play an integral role in making Nebraska the healthiest state in the union. Science Cafe is a free educational event sponsored by UNMC and other groups to increase the population’s science literacy. Hosted by UNMC and the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Science Cafes are held the first Tuesday of each month in Omaha and a few times a year in Lincoln. They are open to everyone 21 and older. For more information visit the Science Café.

Sara A. Myers, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, and Assistant Director of the Biomechanics Research Building at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, discussed Biomechanics at the Omaha Science Café, on Aug. 12 at the Slowdown.   The Biomechanics Research Building’s mission is to provide a new understanding of the dynamical aspects of human movement via multidisciplinary approaches. Her research focuses on improving quality of life in individuals with various movement disorders such as older individuals and those with peripheral arterial disease. Sara has received research funding from several foundations and societies, including a prestigious predoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health and from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.   Science Cafe is a free educational event sponsored by UNMC and other groups to increase the population’s science literacy. Hosted by UNMC and the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Science Cafes are held the first Tuesday of each month in Omaha and a few times a year in Lincoln. They are open to everyone 21 and older. For more information about Science Cafes, go to www.unmc.edu/sciencecafe.

Two of Omaha’s leading sex researchers made a return at the Omaha Science Café held on July 8, at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. They discussed bodies, sex/gender, and sexuality. Presenters included: Sofia Jawed-Wessel, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation; and Jay A. Irwin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology, both at the University of Nebraska Omaha. This was the third of a four-part series of Science Café presentations dealing with sexual health topics. The fourth cafe in this series will be offered to those under 21 at a different location in the fall. Science Cafe is a free educational event sponsored by UNMC and other groups to increase the population’s science literacy. Hosted by UNMC and the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Science Cafes are held the first Tuesday of each month in Omaha and a few times a year in Lincoln. They are open to everyone 21 and older. For more information visit the Science Café.

Autism spectrum disorders was the topic of the Omaha Science Café on May 6 at 7 p.m. at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St.Amanda Zangrillo, Psy.D., an assistant professor and case manager for the severe behavior disorder program in the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at the Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, was the featured speaker. Dr. Zangrillo discussed functional analysis of problem behaviors, treatment and prevention of problem behavior, verbal behavior and skill acquisition in early learners with autism spectrum disorders. She has a doctorate of psychology from the University of Southern Maine, a master of science in educational psychology from Georgia State University and a bachelor of science in human development and family life from the University of Kansas.

Omaha is home to four sex researchers, sometimes called sexologists, who form the Omaha-based Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative (MSHRC). The team has broad expertise in men’s and women’s sexual health, sexual literacy, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations, HIV and STDs. Learn about STIs, HIV and safer sex at the Omaha Science Café, that was at 7 p.m. April 1 at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th Street. Presenters included: Christopher Fisher, Ph.D., director of the MSHRC and Jason Coleman, Ph.D. For more information about the Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative visit the website at: http://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/mshrc This was the second in a four-part series that will be held over the year at various dates dealing with different sexual health topics.

Stephen P. Wengel, M.D., discussed bipolar disorder at the February 4, 2014, Omaha Science Café. The event marked the fifth anniversary of UNMC’s Science Café. Dr. Wengel is chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, as well as a professor in the department and a practicing geriatric psychiatrist. Dr. Wengel is an Omaha native and UNMC graduate. He trained in the Creighton-Nebraska Psychiatry Residency Program and was the first geriatric psychiatry fellow in the state of Nebraska. He joined the UNMC faculty in 1991. The National Institute of Mental Health calls bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Dr. Wengel discussed symptoms, treatment and coping with the disorder.

Omaha is home to four sex researchers, sometimes called sexologists, who form the Omaha-based Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative (MSHRC). The team has broad expertise in men’s and women’s sexual health, sexual literacy, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations, HIV and STDs. Attendees met these “sexperts” at the December 3, 2013, Omaha Science Café, at 7 p.m.  at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. to learn more about their research, ask questions about sex and get answers based on science. Presenters included: Christopher Fisher, Ph.D., director of the MSHRC; Sofia Jawed-Wessel, Ph.D., assistant director; and associate directors Jay Irwin, Ph.D., and Jason Coleman, Ph.D. For more information about the Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative visit the website at: http://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/mshrc This was the first in a four-part series that will be held over the next year at various dates dealing with different sexual health topics.

Joslyn Art Museum curator Karin Campbell discussed the artwork of California digital artist Jennifer Steinkamp at the April 16, 2013, Omaha Science Café at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Steinkamp’s latest installation, Madame Curie, inspired by Marie Curie, is/was an enveloping panoramic work of some of the favorite flowers of the Polish physicist and chemist, who also was an avid gardener. “After reading Curie’s biography, Steinkamp became intrigued by her love of nature,” Campbell said. “She is one of the most accomplished time-based, digital video artists working today.” Campbell is the Phil Willson Curator of Contemporary Art at Joslyn, where she curated the fall 2012 exhibition Under Pressure: Contemporary Prints from the Collection of Jordan Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. Before starting at Joslyn in June 2012, Campbell curated the 2011-2012 installment of Espai 13, an annual series at La Fundació Joan Miró, in Barcelona, Spain. Titled The End is Where We Start From, her series featured commissions by five young, female artists. From 2006-2009, Campbell served as curatorial assistant in the contemporary art department at Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, where she helped organize Life on Mars, at the 55th Carnegie International. As a graduate student at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Campbell worked alongside artist Jon Rubin to conceive Thinking About Flying, a commissioned project featuring homing pigeons.

The  February 7, Omaha Science Cafe, at the Slowdown included guest speaker Lindsay Novak, sex therapist. She gave the presentation “In the Next Room: A history of sex medicine.” Novak has a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a double major in exercise science and women’s studies, and a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is one of three certified sex therapists and the only board certified sexologist in the state. She is the author of the “Sex & Relationship blog” on Omaha’s LiveWellNebraska.com. She has taught numerous undergraduate and graduate courses and lectured for both professional and community events. This special café was in partnership with the Blue Barn Theatre. At the end of the café, Amy Lane, a UNO instructor and guest director at the Blue Barn Theatre, discussed the upcoming production, “In the Next Room.” For more information on the Blue Barn Theatre: www.bluebarn.org

Radiation: Facts, Fantasies and Phobias was the topic of the Jan. 10, 2012 Omaha Science Café at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. in Omaha. Attendees heard from David Crouse, Ph.D., a former professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Those who attended learned about how public perceptions of human radiation exposure have developed over time and how that fits with current scientific evidence. The lecture addressed what is known about acute and chronic radiation exposure in humans and discuss recent events following the earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima, Japan as well as other historic events. Dr. Crouse, who also served as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and graduate studies, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Illinois University and his doctoral degree in radiobiology from the University of Iowa. In 1977, after three years of doing his post-doctoral training at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago studying the late effects of radiation, Dr. Crouse joined UNMC as an assistant professor. His research interests, mostly funded by the National Institutes of Health, have been related to the re-development of the immune and hematopoietic systems following radiation exposure and bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Dr. Crouse has taught in many areas of cell biology and radiation biology and has taken a lead role in promoting an understanding of the science and ethics that relate to stem cell biology. He has developed programs and taught courses on responsible conduct in research and other important career issues for graduate students, post-docs and junior faculty.

News articles have suggested strange goings-on within waterways across the country. At the Omaha Science Cafe on June 7, we learned how ’emerging contaminants’ can produce alarming effects at low levels, why this is different than what scientists have seen before, and perhaps most importantly, what can be done about it. Alan Kolok, Ph.D., director of the Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and interim director of the Center for Environmental Health and Toxicology in the College of Public Health, presented “Biologically active compounds as pollutants: Strange goings-on in U.S. waterways.”

On Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 7:00pm, at the Slowdown the guest speaker was Ally Dering-Anderson Pharm.D., R.P., who gave a presentation on “High Expectations? Legalizing Marijuana, Some Things to Consider.” Ally is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy. She teaches in the Pharmacy Law and Ethics Class.

Those who attended the Omaha Science Café on Nov. 9, 2010  heard about the latest treatment and research in HIV and AIDS. Susan Swindells, M.B.B.S., medical director of the HIV Clinic at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, spoke from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Slowdown located at 729 N. 14th St. Dr. Swindells is the Terry K. Watanabe Professor of Internal Medicine in the UNMC section of infectious diseases. She is also director of the UNMC Ryan White Title III Program, the Nebraska AIDS Drug Assistance Program, and the Nebraska AIDS Education and Training Center. A native of England, she earned her medical degree from University College in London in 1977, with postgraduate training in England and the University of Washington in Seattle. She has been involved in HIV care since 1988. AIDS was discovered in 1981. A clinician and active researcher, Swindells has been principal investigator on many clinical trials. She is on the leadership of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group of the National Institutes of Health. An active teacher on the UNMC campus and outside, she has published multiple articles in scholarly journals, and both contributed to and edited textbooks.

Tom Tape, M.D., professor and vice chairman for clinical affairs in the department of internal medicine at UNMC, discussed “What does health care reform mean to us?” at the April 6, 2010, Omaha Science Cafe. His presentation, at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. in Omaha, focused on understanding the impact of health care reform. Dr. Tape discussed what this historic legislation means now and in the future, including how it impacts employees, employers, Medicare, Medicaid, heath care work force shortages and health insurance exchanges. Dr. Tape has served on a joint review committee with UNMC, The Nebraska Medical Center and UNMC Physicians studying the health care reform process. He also is governor of the Nebraska chapter of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Tape received his bachelor degree from Dartmouth College in 1977 and medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1981. He completed his residency in internal medicine and research fellowship in general internal medicine at the University of Rochester in New York. In 1986, he joined the internal medicine faculty at UNMC. His research has focused on better understanding how physicians make diagnostic and therapeutic medical decisions.

The March 2, 2010, Omaha Science Cafe focused on the science behind brewing and distilling beer. Zac Triemert, former co-president of Lucky Bucket Brewing Company and the Sòlas Distillery, was the featured speaker. His talk focused on the science of brewing and distilling. Both brewing and distilling start out the same way, managing the chemistry of breaking down the starches in grain into fermentable sugars. The next step is microbiology, managing the yeast fermentation of those fermentable sugars. Triemert talked about how air, light, time and temperature affect quality of beer. He also discussed the principals of distilling for making vodka, rum and whiskey. Before founding Lucky Bucket and Sòlas, Triemert earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and chemistry, and a master’s degree in brewing and distilling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He worked as a fermentation microbiologist for six years and was head brewer at Upstream Brewing Company. Lucky Bucket first launched in 2008 and Sòlas Distillery in 2009.

Chris Fisher, Ph.D.,  presented “Sex, Sexuality, and Sexual Health,” during his Omaha Science Cafe presentation at the Slowdown on February 9, 2010. Dr. Fisher’s talk  focused on what is really known about sex and what is yet to be discovered. Dr. Fisher, an assistant professor in the UNMC College of Public Health,  is a sexual health behaviorist who has trained with nationally recognized leaders in sexuality education, sexual health, gender and human sexuality. Dr. Fisher works to address sexual health, wellness and education issues at the individual and community levels. He also has interests in policy implications particularly as they relate to sexuality education for adolescents and the socio-cultural dynamics of human sexuality.