Susquehanna Valley Section

February 2010 Meeting

The three hundred and eighty seventh meeting of the American Chemical Society Susquehanna Valley Section will be held on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 on the University of Scranton campus. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Room 100 of the Loyola Hall of Science (Loyola Hall of Science is located on Monroe Avenue next to the Rose Garden or across the street from the construction site of the new science facility. The speaker will be Dr. Hani Atamna of The Commonwealth Medical College who will present a talk entitled "Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's Disease and a Hundred Year-old Drug". The meeting will be preceded by a reception and dinner.

Directions: see below.

Reception and Dinner: The meeting will be preceded by a reception and dinner from 5:30-7:15 p.m. at Kildare's Irish Pub in the Cottage Room , 119 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503. Their website is kildarespub.com and their telephone number is: 570.344.4030. The dinner will be served à la carte. If you are interested in attending the dinner please RSVP to Debbie Jennings, jenningsd1@scranton.edu or call 570.941.6286 by 4:00 p.m. on 16 February 2010.

Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's Disease and a Hundred Year-old Drug
Atamna's research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) led to two major projects. First, identifying the molecular mechanism that connects Amyloid-β _Aβ_ peptides to AD's key cytopathologies (e.g., decline in complex IV, impaired iron-homeostasis, and oxidative stress). We are currently pursuing this lead to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for AD. Second, we discovered that methylene blue (a hundred year-old drug) effectively delays senescence and prevents the age-related declines in complex IV, mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitochondrial function. Methylene blue prevented the age-related decline in cognitive function and muscle strength in old mice. We are pursuing a clinical trial on AD patients using methylene blue.

Hani Atamna obtained his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel and conducted his postdoctoral research at University of California, Berkeley. He then joined the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, CA as an Assistant Scientist, and was promoted to Research Scientist in 2003. He has recently joined The Commonwealth Medical College as an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Biochemistry. His research interests are focused on possible treatments for age-related neurodegenerative diseases by studying the interplay between mitochondria and the intermediary metabolism.

Walking Directions from the University of Scranton to Kildare' Irish Pub:
The walking distance from the Parking Pavilion to Kildare's is approximately 4 blocks. When exiting the main Parking Pavilion entrance on Monroe Avenue, turn right and keep walking straight until you reach Linden Street. Then turn right again and walk down approximately 2 blocks to the traffic light at Jefferson Avenue. You will walk past a church on your left. At the light, you will cross Jefferson Avenue and then turn left and walk one block to Spruce Street and cross the street. Keep walking straight and shortly you will see Kildare's Irish Pub on the right hand side. The facility is a blue building and directly across the street from the Radisson Hotel at Lackawanna Station (major Scranton landmark).
NOTE: When you are coming off the Central Scranton Expressway and you come to the red light at Jefferson Avenue, you can see Kildare's across the street to the left. Kildare's is across the street from the Radisson Hotel at Lackawanna Station.

DIRECTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON:
I-80 East to I-81 North to Exit 185 (Central Scranton Expressway) Follow signs to campus (on right). Before the first traffic signal, turn sharply right onto Madison Ave. Proceed 2 blocks and turn right at the light onto Mulberry St. After 1 block, turn right into the main entrance (level 2) of the Parking and Public Safety Pavilion, and park on the 4th and 5th levels (ONLY). Please do not park in any other area other than what is designated. Loyola Hall of Science is located on Monroe Avenue next to the Rose Garden or across the street from the construction site of the new science facility. For a map of the campus (see below).

See a campus map.