ISB News

ISB’s Trans Proteomic Pipeline Software in Demand

Luis Mendoza and Eric Deutsch, of the Moritz lab, were at CINVESTAV (a federal institute in Irapuato, Mexico) last week to teach a workshop on the Trans-Proteomic Pipeline software. From Luis (pictured above): "We covered the basics of data analysis of tandem mass spectrometry data using the TPP, including the justification and theory behind the methods as well as interpretation of the results via hands-on tutorials. We had a full…

Best Way to Get Kids to Like Science? Inspire Teachers

By Hillary Lauren Science teachers and principals from Schmitz Park and Arbor Heights Elementary Schools in West Seattle attended a day-long workshop co-hosted at the Institute for Systems Biology. During their visit to ISB, the educators were enthusiastic to collaborate, learn about new curriculum materials, and see first-hand what an innovative science research space looks like at ISB. “The day signified much more than these teachers learning about some instructional…

Science Education Impact

The educators who work at ISB continue to influence how science is taught in the State of Washington. Claudia Ludwig and Dina Kovarik, members of the Baliga Lab education team, recently helped the Highline School District apply for a $1,000 grant to use toward systems science materials and teacher training. Highline’s Arts and Academics Academy received the award, which will also provide students with “real-world” lab experience.

ISB Hosts 2nd Annual Valerie Logan Luncheon on Nov. 13

Photo above: Valerie Logan during the 2012 Valerie Logan Luncheon. To inspire students and imbue them with a love for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), we must inspire their teachers. ISB has always held this philosophy and, at the 2nd Annual Valerie Logan Luncheon on Nov. 13, we will celebrate our vision for bringing quality STEM education to all students and also honor Dr. Meena Selvakumar as the recipient…

WA State Adopts Next Generation Science Standards

PRESS RELEASE SEATTLE, Oct. 3, 2013 – After a two-year process, Washington State will officially adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). It is the eighth state in the country to make the commitment. Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) has been one of the leaders in the process of developing the standards and preparing local school districts for the implementation of NGSS. “It is unusual for a nonprofit scientific research…

ISB Leads the Way in Helping Washington Schools Adopt and Implement Next Generation Science Standards

Washington State is expected to be among the first 10 states to officially adopt the Next Generation Science Standards. The NGSS were released in spring 2013 after a two-year development process and reflect the most contemporary research on science and science learning in determining what K-12 students ought learn in order to be prepared for college. Washington State is one of 26 lead states that have been instrumental in the…

Guest Post: Harvard at ISB

Guest Post By Alia Qatarneh Research Assistant, Life Sciences Outreach Program Harvard University The realm of research is changing. The understanding of a scientific phenomenon is no longer a journey on a one-way road. It is an active collaboration between many departments, professionals, and experts, resulting in interdisciplinary frameworks that can tackle the vast principles of biology. Systems biology combines those aspects and allows for the exploration of how components…

UW Students Get a Taste of Systems Biology

“It was very interesting to learn how all the different backgrounds, such as one person having majored in physics, computer science, or chemistry, can come together to achieve a goal. Also, how some have bachelors or postdoc degrees. I also learned more about how PDMS is used and how there are teams that create their own equipment for experiments and data.” – LSAMP Student This afternoon, a group of freshmen…

Greater Good: Successful High School Interns

Every summer, ISB welcomes a group of high school interns, hosted through our Systems Education Experiences program. ISB is proud of its collaborative and cross-disciplinary culture and we work hard to nurture an environment that allows our staff to achieve at a high level. It was especially gratifying to get this comment from one of our interns, who had just completed her time here: “At ISB, I witnessed collaboration that…

K-12 Science Education: MESA Math Scholars Visit ISB

Just as the Seattle tourist traffic picks up in the summer, the intern and visitor traffic at ISB spikes during July and August. It’s always inspiring to see the fresh faces of high school students in our halls. On Aug. 7, the MESA Math Scholars came to ISB to visit our labs and spend some time with a few of our scientists. MESA stands for Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement and…

To Inspire Students, We Have to Inspire their Teachers

JUNE 24, 2013 — Dr. Lee Hood, ISB’s president, says that we have to “infect” kids with the excitement of science. The same can be said about their teachers. It may even be more crucial to inspire teachers, because they’re the ones who have the most impact on the greatest number of kids. At ISB, the transfer of knowledge to society is a part of our core. Supporting K-12 science…

ISB Education Team: Next Gen Science Standards for Teachers

ISB is committed to K-12 science education. Today, to launch a new OSPI Math & Science Partnership, we are hosting 40 teachers from Seattle Public Schools and 20 teachers from Renton Public Schools to help them develop curriculum aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (and how all that fits with Common Core Standards). Go, ISB education team! (Full gallery)

Dr. Lee Hood Honored for Inspiring Future Scientists

Dr. Lee Hood during the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research’s annual fundraising event on June 4, 2013. Dr. Hood received the Alvin J. Thompson Award for inspiring future scientists. Previous winners of this award from ISB include Dr. Nitin Baliga and Dr. Lee Rowen. Photo by Chris Witwer/ISB.

ISB K-12 Science Education Team Helps ‘STEM’ School Develop Curriculum

Riverpoint Academy in Spokane has been working with ISB’s K-12 science education team to develop curriculum that falls under “STEM” – science, technology, engineering and math. Riverpoint describes itself as a STEM school that also teaches arts, humanities and entrepreneurship. Some educators and administrators from Riverpoint and the Mead School District, as well as other community leaders visited ISB on May 3 and 4 to participate in a workshop to…

Systems Biology and Systems Medicine Curriculum in Middle and High Schools?

By Dana Riley Black, Director of ISB’s Center for Inquiry Science Healthcare continues to be listed as a “high-demand” field, meaning there continue to be significant and projected employment opportunities in the field.  A recent employment gap analysis by Washington State released on April 3 suggests a projected deficit of 472 healthcare jobs filled annually in the state (see: http://www.wtb.wa.gov/HighDemandFields.asp). As a result, many middle and high schools are turning…

Inspiring Future Scientists

Our president, Lee Hood, has always been committed to K-12 science education. When heard that a group of elementary school children were coming to ISB to take a tour, he made sure to take the time to speak to them.