OVATIONS

1. Cooperation, not Competition, Causes Evolutionary Leap

Distinguished University Professor at UMass Amherst Lynn Margulis has been singled out in 100 Greatest Science Discoveries of All Time by Kendall Haven.

Margulis is recognized for her groundbreaking theory of Complete Evolution. As Margulis argues, cooperation rather than competition accounts for the “survival of the fittest.” Margulis cites symbiotic relationships between organisms as the source of major evolutionary leaps forward.

At first received skeptically by colleagues in 1967, Complete Evolution is now widely recognized to fill gaps in Darwin’s theory. In the book, Haven says, “More than any scientist since Darwin, she has forced a radical revision of evolutionary thinking. Like Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and Darwin before her, Margulis has uprooted and changed some of science’s most deeply held theorems and assumptions.”

2. GoKids Supports Fitness and Learning in Boston Public Schools

GoKids, a new research/community initiative on the UMass Boston campus, is changing the way people think about exercise. Throw away your old ideas about gym. No jumping jacks or chin-ups here. GoKids turns high-tech into high energy.

According to GoKids Director Dr. Kyle McInnis, “Interactive games such as lighted walls and computerized dance pads help get kids engaged and moving.” Exercise becomes play. The result, says McInnis, is that “heart rates were high but their perceived levels of exertion were modest, which could result in longer exercise times and more calories burned compared to more traditional forms of exercise.”

A partnership with Boston Public Schools seeks to achieve daily physical activity goals while simultaneously making an impact on academic performance. “Imagine,” says McInnis, “if in the process of educating and motivating our youth to get physically fit, we can also teach math or science concepts and such higher-learning skills as teamwork and communication.”

www.gokids-boston.org

3. A Breakthrough in Lou Gehrig’s Disease Research

A team of researchers lead by Robert H. Brown Jr., M.D., D.Phil., the new Chair of Neurology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and UMass Memorial Medical Center, has discovered a new gene whose mutations cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurological disorder commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The breakthrough, which will lead to new cellular models of ALS and could accelerate the search for a treatment for the devastating disease, was documented in the February 27 issue of Science.

Brown, an internationally known researcher and physician who discovered the first genetic link to familial ALS more than a decade ago while at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, joined UMass Medical School in October. “UMass represents the most promising environment in which to apply RNAi and other technologies to develop advanced therapies for ALS and other devastating diseases,” Brown said.

UMass Medical School Chancellor Michael F. Collins, M.D., FACP, heralded Brown’s appointment, saying it ushered in “an exciting new era in translational medicine at UMass Medical School.”

“The opportunities for advancing his research among our scientific community are immense. We are at the center of an evolution in the life sciences, and innovative leaders like Dr. Brown are a key reason why we’ll be successful.”

4. A Nutritional Approach to Delay the Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease

A powerful combination of vitamins and other nutrients is proving to be a potent weapon in the fight against Alzheimer’s, memory loss, and dementia.

UMass Lowell researchers developed and tested the non-pharmaceutical supplement, and have published their findings that MemoryXL can delay the degeneration of those suffering from Alzheimer’s. It can also boost the memory of healthy adults, with reported gains as great as 20%.

In October, UMass Lowell Biological Sciences Professor Thomas Shea received $240,000 from the Massachusetts chapter of the National Alzheimer’s Association to fund a three-year study to determine if MemoryXL can also delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.

UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan said Shea’s research “combined scientific rigor with an eye on the end result.” Not only has his work increased knowledge of Alzheimer’s, “but he’s doing even more to improve the brain functioning and quality of life for patients.”

5. National Weather Service and Olympic Sailing Teams Use UMass Ocean Model

Dr. Changsheng Chen, a professor at UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology, and his team have developed an ocean computer model used around the world for the last decade to simulate coastal and open ocean currents. Known as FVCOM, the model is used by the National Weather Service to predict storm surges and flooding and by state and federal officials to manage fisheries. It was used by the 2008 Canadian Olympic Sailing Team to analyze currents off the coast of China and help the team plot strategy during the most recent Summer Olympic Games.