The Academic Minute for 2020.06.29-2020.07.03

The Academic Minute from 06.29 – 07.03

Monday, June 29th
Kevin Doyle – Longwood University
Substance Abuse Disorders
Dr. Kevin Doyle is a professor in the Counselor Education program at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia and Chair of the Department of Education and Special Education. Prior to that, he taught for 14 years as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia. He also has a part-time private counseling practice, specializing in group work with individuals with substance use disorders, including healthcare professionals, such as physicians, nurses, and dentists.

Tuesday, June 30th
Sarai Blincoe – Longwood University
Trust
Dr. Sarai Blincoe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Assistant Dean of Curriculum and Assessment in the Cook-Cole College of Arts & Sciences. She joined the Longwood faculty in 2012 after earning her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Kentucky.

Wednesday, July 1st
Ian Danielsen – Longwood University
Programs for Students with Disabilities
Assistant Professor Ian Danielsen earned his Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1992. He then worked for the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice for nearly ten years in an intensive treatment program for sexually reactive youths.  He then worked for almost four years as a Clinician for a private agency providing residential treatment services for sexually reactive adolescent boys in foster care.

He began serving as the Director of the Greater Richmond SCAN Children’s Advocacy Center in June of 2006. Serving also as an adjunct faculty instructor for the VCU School of Social Work from 2009 to 2016, Ian has coordinated several important projects including earning Accreditation from the National Children’s Alliance, forming new multidisciplinary child abuse teams, and engaging in statewide legislative advocacy efforts.

Thursday, July 2nd
Amorette Barber – Longwood University
T-Cells
My research focuses on tumor immunology. Current cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation result in adverse side effects. Therefore, the development of novel therapies that specifically target tumor cells and minimize damage to healthy cells is desirable. One option is to use cells of the immune system, specifically T cells, which kill cells that appear dangerous or foreign. To maximize tumor cell-targeting by T cells, genetic engineering is used to express receptors that enhance tumor cell recognition. These receptors, named chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), endow the T cell with two properties: 1) they provide a way to recognize the tumor cells and 2) they activate many cellular functions to eradicate the tumor.

Friday, July 3rd
Catherine Franssen – Longwood University
Outdoors as PTSD Therapy
Dr. Catherine L. Franssen is the director of the NeuroStudies minor and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Longwood University in Farmville, VA. A broadly trained neuroscientist, her current research is in behavioral neuroendocrinology- examining how environmental enrichment can reduce stress & anxiety, and improve cognition. Her research has been published in the academic journals Nature, Neuroscience, Brain Research, Stress, Journal of Neuroendocrinology, and other top journals, as well as featured in several popular press books. Franssen holds a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from the University of Chicago.