Meet the Student Science Jeopardy Winner!
Written by Mentor Dr. Chris Westlake and Student Intern Abhi Senthilkumar
Student mentor Dr. Chris Westlake has worked with Student Science Jeopardy winner, Abhi Senthilkumar for the past several years. He shared these sentiments about Abhi. Abhi is a fantastic example of the top notch summer students we are fortunate to have in the laboratory. He first joined as a WHK student and quickly emersed himself in a project investigating the structure of the primary cilia and how membranes function in the assembly of this important signaling organelle. Over three summers with us, Abhi has brought a huge level of creativity, computer savvy and excitement to projects in my laboratory. This summer he was tasked with creating movies from raw electron microscopy images and combining with computer generated models that beautifully explain the mechanism of ciliogenesis. As always, he took to this new challenge and became an expert on directing and building these often complex movies. In addition, he also helped mentor a college intern and two WHK students. His participation in the NCI Science Jeopardy contest is just another example of his lead by example leadership style, and the energy and joy he brings to the laboratory everyday!
Abhi attributes his journey to Student Jeopardy Tournament stardom through many experiences. He shared that I can’t count how many hours I have spent on Wikipedia reading about obscure countries and historical events. On vacation, my favorite place to be is the local museum. In high school, this love for trivia propelled me to join the Urbana academic team, on which I spent three amazing years including one Frederick County Academic Tournament win. When we heard about the NCI Science Jeopardy competition, me and Arvind, another intern in the lab, immediately signed up. We both wanted to win, but the free t-shirt for playing was incentive enough. Science trivia has never been my strong suit, so I didn’t know what to expect, but from the first question I felt locked in. As the tournament progressed, there were moments where my limits were tested (like when I made a bad Final Jeopardy wager and lost the first round), but the cheering support of my friends in the lab kept me motivated and I pulled through. The NCI merch made the victory feel all the sweeter. I have to thank Dr. Westlake, my mentor, for giving us interns the flexibility and freedom to do activities like these. I have been in the Westlake Lab for three summers now, and it has been an amazing place to grow and learn how to work in a scientific environment, along with developing my communication and leadership skills. I also want to thank Suzanne, who feels like my second mentor in the lab, and the other interns – Geethika, Arvind, and Zach – for making this summer very fun. Finally, I want to thank the Frederick Scientific Library staff for running an awesome competition that I hope I can experience again.
Student Science Jeopardy Tournament Recap
Written by Library Intern, Brandon Tran
The 16th annual Scientific Library Jeopardy Tournament was held on July 27, 2023.
This year’s competition featured 23 participants. Students demonstrated their knowledge across an expansive spectrum of subjects, ranging from the periodic table to basic coding language.
After an intense round of final Jeopardy with contestants racing to answer questions. Abhi’s valiant effort ultimately led to his victory, securing 1st place with 3900 points. Susannah Armstrong and Alison Murphy tied for 2nd place and in 3rd place were Olivia Bindewald and Lizzie Goodwin.
Thank you to Alan Doss, the Scientific Library’s Chemical Sciences Informationist, who hosted the game with Dr. Dina Sigano and Dr. Stephen Andersen as judges. And thank you to all who participated and supported this year’s Jeopardy game!
LIBRARY INSTRUCTION
Library Orientations
Library Orientation sessions are held monthly via Webex on Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. The dates of upcoming sessions are October 12, November 9, and December 14. We invite all employees to attend these sessions to learn about the many services and resources offered by the Library. Registration is not required.
If you are not able to make it to our scheduled webinars, our librarians can work with your schedule to provide one-on-one training at your convenience via Webex or Microsoft Teams. For questions, or if you have a suggestion for a class offering, please contact us with your thoughts.
Resource Training
The Library’s instruction team is pleased to announce that the Fall 2023 Resource Training Schedule is available on the Library’s Orientations and Classes website. Class dates and descriptions are also linked on the Events Calendar. Announcements & Webex meeting links will be sent on the NCIF community listservs. We are pleased to announce a new webinar on Managing Publications on Friday, December 15 at 11:00 a.m. and a series of EndNote Advanced webinars in November.
Tuesday, October 17, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 19, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
MANAGING REFERENCES WITH ENDNOTE
Thursday, October 26, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
ENDNOTE ADVANCED: BUILDING YOUR LIBRARY
Thursday, November 2, 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
ENDNOTE ADVANCED: WORKING WITH WORD DOCUMENTS
Thursday, November 9, 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
ENDNOTE ADVANCED: EDITING OUTPUT STYLES
Thursday, November 16, 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
ENDNOTE ADVANCED: WORKING WITH YOUR LIBRARY
Thursday, November 30, 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Friday, December 15, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
RESOURCE OF THE MONTH
Each month the Library will feature a different resource and offer to provide more supporting information about this resource. We are pleased to announce that Webex webinars will accompany the October and November Resources of the Month (see below). Watch for announcements about the resources highlighted in 2023 or e-mail the Library for more information:
OCTOBER – WEB OF SCIENCE & INCITES 
Learn about new and upcoming changes to Web of Science and InCites for faster and easier searching, analysis and benchmarking of biomedical publications and citations.
Web of Science webinar - Tuesday, October 17, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
InCites webinar - Thursday, October 19, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
EndNote allows you to manage and share your references, easily create and format bibliographies, search and cite references, and much more.
Webinars every Thursday all month (excluding Thursday, November 23), 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
DECEMBER - bioRxiv 
Featured Website
Essential Science Indicators (ESI) ranks countries, authors, institutions, and research fields based on citation counts found in the Web of Science database. It also analyzes Web of Science data to discover emerging fields of scientific research. This interesting analysis tool can be accessed free of charge by NCI at Frederick employees by visiting the Scientific Library’s Databases webpage.
20th Library Book Swap Planned for Wednesday, September 27
The Library Staff is excitedly preparing for their 20th Book Swap! The popular event had been paused for a few years due to the pandemic. However, this Fall seemed like the perfect time to revive the long-standing tradition. A new twist this year is the location. Rather than setting up in the Building 549 Lobby, the Library’s Journal Alcove will house the books during the duration of the Swap. Those employees who made donations will get the first choice of the books, but after a set time, everyone will be invited to come and make selections of the remaining titles. The Fall theme is “The s’more you read, the s’more you know.” The Library looks forward to seeing many employees participate in this well received event!
Book Swap items are being collected now through Tuesday, September 26. There are two drop off locations. Feel free to stop by the Scientific Library located in Building 549, Monday through Friday between 8:30am - 4pm. There is also a collection box and sign up sheet located at the ATRF in the E Wing around E2003.
Current Awareness Service
The Scientific Library offers current awareness services which includes the Daily Science News and alerts the Librarians can set-up for you based on your interests. Alerts can be run daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly, depending on the resource.
This service enables timely updates to arrive directly to your inbox. Alerts can help to:
- Monitor news and journal coverage of your research area
- Track advances in technology, research and development
- Stay current on biomedical and drug research
- Identify new research opportunities
- Track product life cycles
- Stay abreast of regulations and legislation
- Know when an author of interest publishes a new article
- Monitor who is citing your work or citations of interest
For more information, contact our librarians:
Alan Doss is our Chemical Sciences Informationist; he has worked in lab environments and specializes in chemical research and provides bibliographic chemistry searches. His Laptop Librarian Program areas are: Molecular Histopathology Laboratory (MHL), the Center for Advanced Preclinical Research (CAPR), and the Vaccine, Immunity, and Cancer Directorate (VICD). Alan regularly provides long-haul Covid and HPV related items for VICD as well as the latest scientific news related to cancer research to MHL and CAPR.
Matt Stirling is our Biosciences Informationist; his background is in biotechnology and he specializes in pharmaceutical development and clinical trials topics. Bioscience knowledge areas include all aspects of the biological sciences, biochemistry, and other interdisciplinary areas. His Laptop Librarian Program area supports the Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate (CMRPD). A recent example of the Laptop Librarian service includes a presentation on medical writing resources and style guides to CMRPD staff.
New Items at the Library
Genetics and Genomics in Medicine
CRC Press, 2nd edition, 2022.
Description: DNA technologies are explained, with emphasis on the modern techniques that are revolutionizing the use of genetic information in medicine and indicating the role of genetics in common diseases. Epigenetics and non-coding RNA are covered in-depth as are genetic approaches to treatment and prevention, including pharmacogenomics, genetic testing, and personalized medicine. A dedicated chapter charts the latest insights into the molecular basis of cancers, cancer genomics and novel approaches to cancer detection. Coverage of genetic testing at the level of genes, chromosomes and genomes has been significantly expanded and updated. Extra prominence has been given to additional genomic analyses, ethical aspects, and novel therapeutic approaches. Various case studies illustrate selected clinical applications.
Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine
Wiley-Blackwell, 10th edition, 2023.
Description: The latest edition of the gold-standard in cancer science and clinical oncology references now available electronically!
In the newly revised Tenth Edition of Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine, a team of distinguished researchers and practitioners delivers a comprehensive and up-to-date discussion of cancer science and clinical oncology practice. The book contains timely and indispensable information on epidemiology, etiology, cancer biology, immunology, prevention, screening, clinical presentation, pathology, imaging, and therapy.
Grounded in a fundamental understanding of cancer biology, Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine combines scientific principles with clinical practice. It contains hundreds of full-color illustrations and photographs, tables, graphs, and algorithms that complement and enhance the complex topics discussed within the book. This book is an invaluable clinical tool that provides readers with overview boxes, additional references, and other pedagogic features designed to make the content easy to access and comprehend.
Invention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure
The MIT Press, 2023.
Description: Drawing on his vast breadth of scientific and historical knowledge, Vaclav Smil explains the difference between invention and innovation, and looks not only at inventions that failed to dominate as promised (such as the airship, nuclear fission, and supersonic flight), but also at those that turned disastrous (leaded gasoline, DDT, and chlorofluorocarbons). And finally, most importantly, he offers a “wish list” of inventions that we most urgently need to confront the staggering challenges of the twenty-first century.
Filled with engaging examples and pragmatic approaches, this book is a sobering account of the folly that so often attends human ingenuity—and how we can, and must, better align our expectations with reality.
Lewin’s Essential Genes
Jones & Bartlett Learning, 4th edition, 2020.
Description: Extensively reorganized and revised with the latest data from this rapidly changing field, Lewin's Essential GENES, Fourth Edition, provides students with a comprehensive overview of molecular biology and molecular genetics. Chapter material has been updated throughout, including a completely revised chapter on regulatory RNA, to keep pace with this advancing field.
Molecular Cell Biology
W.H. Freeman & Company, 9th edition, 2021.
Description: Molecular Cell Biology remains one of the most authoritative and cutting-edge resource available for cell biology. The author team, consisting of world-class researchers and teachers, incorporates medically relevant examples where appropriate to help illustrate the connections between cell biology and health and human disease. Emphasis on experimental techniques that drive advances in biomedical sciences and introduce users to cutting edge research teach the skills they need for their careers.
Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues
Crown, 2023.
Description: Drawing on the latest research in fields ranging from genetics and anthropology to archaeology and economics, Pathogenesis takes us through sixty thousand years of history, exploring eight major outbreaks of infectious disease that have made the modern world. Bacteria and viruses were protagonists in the demise of the Neanderthals, the growth of Islam, the transition from feudalism to capitalism, the devastation wrought by European colonialism, and the evolution of the United States from an imperial backwater to a global superpower. Even Christianity rose to prominence in the wake of a series of deadly pandemics that swept through the Roman Empire in the second and third centuries: Caring for the sick turned what was a tiny sect into one of the world’s major religions.
By placing disease at the center of his wide-ranging history of humankind, Kennedy challenges some of the most fundamental assumptions about our collective past—and urges us to view this moment as another disease-driven inflection point that will change the course of history. Provocative and brimming with insight, Pathogenesis transforms our understanding of the human story.
New Infectious Diseases Resource
NCI at Frederick and FNL employees now have access to the Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy—one of the most trusted sources in infectious disease therapy since 1969. Widely used by pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, and nurses, Sanford Guide improves patient care by providing carefully curated recommendations based on the latest evidence. Sanford Guide Web Edition integrates Antimicrobial Therapy, HIV/AIDS Therapy, and Hepatitis Therapy into a single searchable website for maximum coverage and ease of use. The Sanford Guide collects treatment guidelines, current news, disease overviews, drug information, and more into a single one-stop shop for infectious disease and antimicrobial therapy. The resource includes access to the complementary mobile app, and also offers monthly infectious disease news updates via the ID Guide which is e-mailed to users.
Please contact the Scientific Library if you have any additional questions or need searching tips regarding the Sanford Guide.