Frederick Sachs, professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, has received a four-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue the work of his laboratory on the mechanical responsiveness of the heart and on a novel peptide derived from tarantula venom that influences the mechanism.

"According to the World Health Organization, as of 1997 the most common cause of death in the world is cardiovascular disease," Sachs said. "Many of these deaths are caused by arrhythmias that may arise by abnormal excitation of cells caused by stretching mechanosensitive channels in weakened tissue."

These channels or pores in the cell membrane-called stretch-activated channels because stretching the membrane causes them to open and close-have been implicated in functions as diverse as the senses of touch and hearing, muscle contraction and coordination, and blood pressure and volume regulation.

Sachs and his collagues were the first to observe and describe the action of stretch-activated channels, and to identify a peptide that blocks this action.

"For example, cells swell during congestive heart failure. The peptide interferes with that process. We also know from earlier work that stretching the heart can initiate fibrillation. If we can block the stretch-activated channels, we may be able to block fibrillation, a major cause of death following heart attacks," he said.

Rich to read her work at literary series

Poet and political activist Adrienne Rich will read from her work at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Screening Room of the Center for the Arts on the North Campus as part of the "Wednesdays at 4 PLUS" literary series.

A cultural icon and well-known, longtime political activist, Rich is the author of 20 books of poetry, many of which reflect political and feminist themes and stylistic experimentation. She also is the author of noted essays on poetry, feminism, motherhood and lesbianism, including the popular collection "Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution." Her work includes "An Atlas of the Difficult World" (1991) and "Dark Fields of the Republic: Poems 1991-1995" (1995).

"Wednesdays at 4 PLUS" is a Poetics-Program production.

For further program information, call 645-3810.

Bank official to speak

Barbara Walter, senior vice president and branch manager of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Buffalo Branch, will speak on “Current Issues in Central Banking” at 1 p.m. tomorrow in 31 Capen Hall on the North Campus.

The lecture is sponsored by the Department of Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Walter joined the Federal Reserve Bank in 1971 as a research assistant assigned to the Domestic Research Department. She has held a number of positions at the bank in a variety of areas, including Bank Examinations, Foreign Banking Applications, Data Processing, Open Market Operations, and Credit and Risk Management. She also has served as assistant to the president.

In April 1994, Walter was named vice president of the Research and Market Analysis Group, with the responsibility for regional economics and the Research Support Function.

In March 2000, she was promoted to senior vice president and manager of the Buffalo Branch.

Walter is on the board of the Financial Women’s Association of New York and is a member of the Science Education Committee of the New York Academy of Sciences. She recently was elected to the board of the Niagara International Trade Council.

Social sciences scholarships awarded

Jermaine Richardson and Mahoganey Jackson, both of Buffalo, have been named recipients of Beulah Alexander Memorial Scholarships in Social Sciences at UB.

Richardson, a graduate of Hutchinson Central Technical High School, is planning to major in exercise science, while Jackson, a graduate of the Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts, intends to major in nursing. Both are freshmen at UB.

The scholarships for outstanding African-American students from Western New York are funded through a gift to the College of Arts and Sciences by alumnus Beuline Crawford in honor of her mother.

Richardson and Jackson will receive $1,000 per year for up to four years, as long as they remain in academic good standing.

Video series to begin Oct. 24

The Professional Staff Senate and the Leadership Development Center will present a Fall 2000 Brown Bag Video Series designed to help participants get a leg up on leadership.

The series will kick off with “Who Moved My Cheese?” The focus of the one-hour program—scheduled for noon on Oct. 24 in 730 Kimball Tower, South Campus, and again at noon on Oct. 25 in 106 Jacobs on the North Campus—will be coping with change on both a personal and professional level.

The 13-minute animated motivational film, “Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life,” is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Spencer Johnson and is used by corporate giants such as AT&T, Coca-Cola, Ford, Hewlett-Packard and McDonald’s.

The second in the series, “1001 Ways to Energize Teams!”—designed to jump-start team workers toward the end of improving productivity—will debut at noon on Nov. 14 in 730 Kimball Tower and will run again at noon Nov. 15 in 106 Jacobs.

“Make ’em Laugh: How to Use Humor in Presentations,” the third and final program of the series, is designed to give presenters a comedic edge in the world of public speaking. The program will be held at noon on Dec. 5 in 730 Kimball and at noon on Dec. 6 in 106 Jacobs.

After each video presentation, Ed Brodka, assistant director of the Leadership Development Center, will facilitate an open discussion.

All programs are free, but reservations are requested. They can be made by calling the Professional Staff Senate Office at 645-2003 or by email at pssenate@acsu.buffalo.edu.

Friends of Center for the Arts to hold Masquerade Ball

The Friends of the Center for the Arts will present the second-annual Masquerade Ball from 6 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 28 in the Atrium of the Center for the Arts on the North Campus.

The theme for the ball is “Memorable Moments in Movies.” The center’s Atrium will be transformed into a movie sound stage with theatrical lights and sets. Guests are encouraged to come as their favorite movie character or to wear creative black tie or colorful masks. Costumes will be judged for prizes. The evening also will include a special performance by the Zodiaque Dance Company and StudioWerks Dance Ensemble, featuring students from the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Dinner for the event will be catered by Daffodils. The evening will begin in the CFA Art Gallery with an open bar featuring hors d’oeuvres. The sit-down dinner, to be served in the Atrium, will include a mixed green salad with herb-vinaigrette dressing, beef tenderloin with crabmeat-stuffed shrimp and red-wine tarragon sauce accompanied by mashed sweet potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Dessert will be a black forest cake.

The event will benefit the Center’s Doug Varone Dance Company residency in April. This community outreach program, designed to expose children to professional dance, will bring together dance students, students of related performing and fine art disciplines, local dance companies and school audiences. Residency activities and master classes will be provided at no cost to area schools interested in participating.

Event chairperson is Renee Paulsen. Honorary chairs are UB President and Mrs. William R. Greiner. Tickets for the Masquerade Ball are $100. For tickets and more information, call 645-6774.

2 shows to highlight Off Center Series

The Center for the Arts will present two unique performances, MacHomer and Seen & Heard, in November as part of The Off Center Series of programs offered with students in mind.

MacHomer will be performed at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Nov. 3 in the Center for the Arts Atrium on the North Campus. Described as “The Simpsons do MacBeth,” MacHomer is a one-man vocal spectacular, written and performed by Rick Miller, that features more than 50 voices from TV’s favorite dysfunctional family in a hilarious performance of Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy. More than 300 hand-painted slides and an original musical score, both by Miller, accompany the show, which stars Homer Simpson as MacHomer and Marge as Lady MacHomer.

Seen & Heard will perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Black Box Theatre in the Center for the Arts. Described as “Lily Tomlin meets Victor Borge,” Seen & Heard is the genre-bending collaboration between cellist/composer Stephen Katz and dancer/truthsayer BJ Goodwin. They merge choreography, dramatic characterization and multi-tracked cello scores into theater that borders on clowning. Formerly known as Cello Movement Theatre, this will be the duo’s second appearance in the Center for the Arts.

Now in its fourth year, The Off Center Series is programmed specifically with students in mind. Each performance is unique, versatile and progressive. Tickets are kept at affordable prices for students.

Tickets for MacHomer and Seen & Heard are $9 in advance and $11 day of performance. Tickets are available at the Center box office from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and at all Ticketmaster locations. For more information, call 645-ARTS.

Brickman to perform

Romantic pianist Jim Brickman will perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts.

“Jim Brickman—Live In Concert” also will feature vocalist Anne Cochran and electronic violinist Tracy Scott Silverman.

Brickman’s hugely successful hit song “Valentine,” a duet with vocals by country-music star Martina McBride, established him as one of the first instrumental artists in decades to make his mark on contemporary radio. That chart hit was followed by “The Gift” with Collin Raye and Susan Ashton, “Your Love” with Michelle Wright and “After All These Years” with his longtime friend, Anne Cochran.

Tickets for “Jim Brickman—Live In Concert” are $35, $32 and $29.50. They are available at the Center for the Arts box office from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and at all Ticketmaster locations.

For more information, call 645-ARTS.

Charlie Hunter Trio to perform

Guitarist Charlie Hunter and the Charlie Hunter Trio will perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the North Campus.

Returning to UB by popular demand, Hunter plays a unique, eight-string guitar that allows him to simultaneously cover deep, rich bass lines with chordal accompaniment and single-note melody lines. He blends more traditional jazz and hard bop with elements of funk and pop.

Throughout his relatively brief—yet diverse—career, Hunter has avoided the pitfalls of predictability by bringing new ideas to the table and seeking out new cohorts to collaborate with on each tour and recording. The guitarist-bandleader recorded his first Blue Note album in the early 1990s and has gone on to explore different musical territories in each subsequent release. He will appear at UB in a trio setting with conga player Chris Lovejoy and drummer Stephen Chopek. Reaching a very diverse audience, Hunter continues to explore what he calls “improvisational-oriented pop music,” expanding the palette and reach of jazz to a new generation.

Tickets for the Charlie Hunter Trio are $14 for the general public and $12 for UB students. They are available in the CFA box office from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and at all Ticketmaster locations.

For more information, call 645-ARTS.

Brazilian dancers to perform

The Brazilian folk-dance company Balé Folclórico da Bahia will perform at 8 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the North Campus.

The troupe’s current 11-week tour will present the world premiere of “Carnaval 2000,” a repertory of authentic folkloric dance and music based on the three different influences that formed the Brazilian people: African, from the introduction of slavery in the late 16th century; Indigena, the Brazilian natives, and European, through the Portuguese colonization.

The only professional folk-dance company in Brazil, the 32-member troupe has achieved considerable international success, in particular at France’s Lyon Biennale de la Danse in 1994 and 1996, at Sydney Festival and at Spoleto Festival USA in 1997.

Tickets for the UB performance are $18, $15, $9 and $7 for UB students. They are available at the Center for the Arts box office from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and at all Ticketmaster locations.

Symposium to look at biophotonics, nanomedicine

The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, in conjunction with the Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics, will present a three-day symposium on “Current Advances in Biophotonics and Nanomedicine” Oct. 19-21 in the Marriott Hotel, 1340 Millersport Highway.

The programs will feature a host of distinguished speakers from UB, as well as the academic- and industrial-science community at large, to discuss the up-and-coming fields of bioimaging, artificial vision, medical lasers, nanomedicine, artificial blood and photodynamic therapy.

Legendary Western New York inventor and researcher Wilson Greatbatch, perhaps most notable for the development of the pacemaker, will be the keynote speaker at the Oct. 20 dinner.

Admission to the symposium is $200 for the full conference, or $250 after Oct. 20, with registration limited to 250. Admission for students is $50, and a per-day rate of $100 is offered. Tickets for the Oct. 19 dinner only are $35.

For further information or to register for the symposium, contact Amy Eglowstein at the institute at 645-6800, ext. 2105.

NYU lawyer to speak

“When Law Goes Pop: The Vanishing Line Between Law and Popular Culture” will be the topic of a lecture by Richard Sherwin, professor of law at New York University, to be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 20 in 306 Clemens Hall on the North Campus.

The lecture is sponsored by the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, the Center for the Americas and the Series on Literature and Society.

In the lecture, the title of which is also the title of Sherwin’s new book, Sherwin will analyze the jury system in our media-saturated age, examining the role of vivid storytelling in successful litigation while cautioning against misusing that opportunity to seduce or “illicitly persuade” juries.

Citing the media circus surrounding such notorious trials as the Menendez brothers and O.J. Simpson, Sherwin will argue that an attorney has a professional obligation to function as a brake on popular passions and prejudices in court, not to feed into the tendency to inflame the audience with techniques that the media uses.

Otherwise, he says, lawyers risk undermining society’s continued trust in the jury system.

A professor at NYU since 1988, Sherwin also has worked as an assistant district attorney.