Chapter News and Upcoming Events

Spring 2025

UPCOMING: WCSU Sigma Xi Winter Rudy Ruggles Talk (4/23/2024)

2024 – 25 Rudy Ruggles Research Award Winners
Julia Linke, Dr Jain (SigmaXi member-Harvard Chapter), Dr. Dude and Dr. Munn at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

Dissecting the effects of mechanical stress on immunosuppression in glioblastoma

“Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive, malignant brain cancers, and has a median patient survival of less than 15 months. GBM is highly refractory to most available treatment strategies, which has been attributed to its highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME is impacted by increased mechanical stresses, that arise as the GBM tumor grows in the space confined by the skull, but the precise involved molecular pathways are unknown. To identify new biomarkers for the GBM cancer progression due to mechanical stress, the winners of this year’s award cultured in vitro glioblastoma cancer cell lines under increased mechanical stresses. They isolated RNA material from these cells and sequenced for their bulk transcriptomics signatures. This allowed analysis of which genes are upregulated due to the increased mechanical stress in these cancer cells, and observing that distinct glioblastoma cell types react differently to the same mechanical stimulus.”

Spring 2024

UPCOMING: WCSU Sigma Xi Spring Meet and Greet (4/18/2024)

UPCOMING: WCSU Sigma Xi Winter Rudy Ruggles Talk (4/18/2024)

2024 Rudy Ruggles Research Award

WCSU Sigma Xi Winter Meet and Greet (1/25/2024)

A meeting among Ridgefield Math and Science leadership and representatives from WCSU. Connections made via Sigma Xi! Building relationships and finding ways to collaborate!