Chandler Marrs, PhD & CEO of Lucine Biotechnology at Dec 20th Meeting

Chandler Marrs, PhD, founder & CEO of Lucine Biotechnology will speak at the December 20th NevBio meeting at McCormick & Schmicks; Check-in at 11:30 am,(RSVP Here) Lunch & Program at 12 Noon. $30.
"Have you ever experienced the wrath of raging hormones?" Asked Dr. Chandler Marrs at the Tech Coast Angels Fast-Pitch Contest. Marrs won the competition for her presentation about delivering salivary diagnostics for hormone-related conditions in women from menstruation through menopause.

Lucine Biotechnology is a women's health research and diagnostics company focused on hormone-related conditions. The company combines advanced salivary hormone assay and computational analytic technologies with a massive web-based, patient-controlled, electronic health record and symptom tracking platform. Lucine's crowd-sourced R&D platform will launch in February 2012

Dr. Chandler Marrs received her BA in philosophy from the University of Redlands; MS in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University; and, MA and PhD in Experimental Psychology/ Neuroendocrinology from UNLV. Her research on the role of adrenal androgens in postpartum psychiatric disorders won top honors at UNLV.

Pain for over 3 Months? AquaStretch Will Help - George Eversaul-Nov 22nd

George Eversaul, A.P., created AquaStretch at the UNLV Wellness Center. AquaStretch is a new form of aquatic myo-fascial release that is effective in restoring flexibility and relieving chronic pains. AquaStretch is usually more effective than massage in relieving chronic aches and pains, and lasts three to four times longer. Eversaul has been selected to be on the Nevada Medical Tourism panel at the Governor's Conference on Tourism on November 30th. AquaStretch could be the start of a medical
& health tourism industry in Las Vegas. AquaStretch could be performed on tourists at the various hotels and spas in Las Vegas.

Luncheon is Tuesday, November 22nd; Check-in at 11:30, Program & Lunch at 12 PM at McCormick & Schmicks. Cost $30.

AquaStretch is a new way to reduce chronic pain and speed recovery from injuries and/or hip or knee replacements.

AquaStretch has helped reduce the pain associated with Fibromyalgia and Scoliosis.

AquaStretch can improve athletic performance such as golf and running and make athletic training less painful. Golfers may drive balls 20 to 30 yards further, and runners may improve their 1/2 marathon times by 5 minutes. It also helps reduce muscle soreness from over-training.

The American Council on Exercise supports AquaStretch as a tool to motivate people to maintain fitness programs, especially unfit people new to exercise.

Eversaul is seeking self-insured corporations and wellness programs to participate in AquaStretch Health Cost Savings studies because it may create substantial health cost savings for people with chronic back, neck, or joint pain, especially if occupationally aggravated such as casino dealers, food servers, and office workers.

"Turnaround at the UNLV Dental School" October 19, 2011, Wednesday

The UNLV School of Dental Medicine opened in 2002. During its first five years, the School suffered a number of problems. Finally, a new Dean, Dr. Karen P. West, was appointed in 2007 and in the succeeding five years the School has accomplished a dramatic business turnaround, putting it on sound footing to achieve its mission, build a national reputation, and attract top quality faculty and students.

The Turnaround Management Association is hosting this luncheon. The Dean of the UNLV School of Dental Medicine, Karen West & UNLV President Neal Smatresk will talk. Ferraro's Italian Restaurant at 4480 Paradise Road. Check-in is 11:30 am, and Lunch & Talk is at 12 pm. NevBio is a co-sponsor.

UNLV President Neal Smatresk & Dean Karen West of the UNLV School of Dental Medicine will talk about the "Turnaround of the Dental School", on Wednesday, October 19th. at the Las Vegas Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association. The luncheon is on October 19, 2011 at the Ferraro's Italian Restaurant at 4480 Paradise Road. Check in at 11:30; Talk & lunch at Noon. Cost $45. (NevBio is a co-sponsor.)

Steve Hill, New Director of Economic Development in Nevada - Oct 12th: Nevada's Future Starts Now!

Steve Hill, is the first Executive Director of the newly created Office of Economic Development in Nevada. The position is a cabinet level position in Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval's administration.

Steve Hill is a founder of Silver State Materials, a concrete, sand and gravel supplier in the Las Vegas area since 1987. Silver State was purchased by CalPortland in 2008 and Mr. Hill serves as Sr. Vice President, responsible for the Arizona - Nevada Materials Division.
Hill, currently the Sr. Vice President at CalPortland, a concrete, sand and gravel supplier in the Las Vegas area, will begin his position as Interim Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development effective October 3rd.

During Governor-elect Sandoval's transition, Hill served as Chair of the Economic Development Policy Committee and advised the Governor, Speaker and Majority Leader on economic development issues in preparation for the 2011 Legislative session. Hill is also a current member of the Commission on Economic Development.

Mr. Hill has served as the Chairman of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce State Policy Task Force and a past Chair of the Chamber's Board of Trustees. He was elected Chairman of Service1st Bank of Nevada. He is also a past Chairman of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas, as well as past Chairman of Government Affairs for the Las Vegas Chamber, the Associated Builders & Contractors and the Associated General Contractors.

In recent years Mr. Hill has served as a member of the Nevada Savings and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission, the Clark County Growth Task Force; the Trauma System Development Task Force; the RTC Regional Fixed Guideway Citizens Advisory Committee; the Clean Water Coalition; the legislative Interim Advisory Committee on Air Quality; and as Chairman of the Governor's Construction Liability Insurance Task Force.

Mr. Hill received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology which is a highly selective college of engineering, science and mathematics with under 2,000 students in Indiana.

Wed, Oct. 12th at McCormick & Schmicks. Check-in is 11:30 am, and Lunch & Talk is at 12 pm. $30

UNLV Astrophysicist Helped Discover a Black Hole Swallows a Star – Sept 29th

Dr. Bing Zhang is a world leader in the field of gamma-ray bursts He has published over 140 papers in refereed journals, including 6 articles in nature and two articles in science. As a main author, his discovery paper on the first x-ray afterglow of short duration gamma-ray bursts was ranked as #4 "breakthrough of the year" in 2005 by the Science magazine. Zhang had worked at NASA and Penn State University before joining UNLV in 2004. He has since earned tenure as a professor.

UNLV Astrophysicist Bing Zhang was part of an international team of scientists who discovered evidence of a supermassive black hole swallowing a star.Luncheon & Talk, Thursday, September 29th. Check-in 11:30 AM, Lunch 12 PM. Cost is $30.

Zhang is one of the world's leading researchers on gamma ray bursts. It was Zhang's analysis of the satellite data of the gamma ray bursts which helped the scientists determine that they were seeing something very unusual and unique. The results of the discovery were published in the August 2011 issue of Nature in an article titled, "Relativistic Jet Activity from the Tidal Disruption of a Star by a Massive Black Hole".

"Question & Mentoring" Last session of the Entrepreneurship Series – Sept 21st

"Question & Mentoring" will be the last session of the Entrepreneurship series and is probably the most important one.

The Importance of Questions: Asking the right questions lead to the right problems which then make it possible to find the real solution. One must be able to identify a customer's pain correctly through proper questioning to get the deep answers.

The instructor is Matthew Waymire, a CPA and business broker. As a business broker, he was in the top 25 out of 1,300 business brokers. Matt took a keen interest in how his clients were successful. Through careful observation, questioning and research, Matt has developed a profound understanding of successful entrepreneurs. He has also studied the methods that Stanford University had discovered from successful entrepreneurs.

Please join us on Wednesday, September 21st at McCormick & Schmicks. Check-in is 11:30 am, and Lunch & Talk is at 12 pm. $30

"How to Raise Venture Funding-Even Now" Wed, Sept 7th

Ian Dixon, CEO & Chairman of the SES Group, is going to talk about "How to Raise Capital for Your Venture". Ian has been able to raise money in this difficult environment. Saving Energy Solar, Inc., a Nevada corporation, was formed in 2007 for the purpose implementing solar energy and other energy concepts. This Luncheon & class are at Ferraro's Italian Restaurant at 4480 Paradise Road - New Location. Lunch is $30. 11:30 AM Check-in, 12 PM Start-Wed, Sept 7th

New Location! Ferraro's 4480 Paradise Road - Across from the Hard Rock Hotel

"Problem Solving Strategies & Other Skills" Wed-Aug 24th

This lunch class will cover two topics in which entrepreneurs excel:
1. Solving start up problems where one must act in an environment of unknown information and fuzzy parameters.
2. Exceptional listening and questioning skills which lead to superior problem solving.
12 Noon - Wed, Aug 24th McCormick & Schmicks. $30, lunch & program. Matthew Waymire, entrepreneurial advisor.

The two major topics:
The first topic: Solving known problems with a high degree of information and well-defined parameters versus solving unknown problems with a high degree of unknown information and fuzzy parameters. The first set of problems solving skills are good in an established business but can be death for a startup. The second problem-solving set of skills are where entrepreneurs excel. Making decisions under time pressure with incomplete information.

The second topic: Listening and questioning skills of successful entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs are very skilled at listening and questioning their end-users. It is not enough to walk a mile in the moccasins of your end-user you must walk a mile in the skin of the end-user and then translate those learnings into marketable and profitable endeavors.

"Intellectual Property: Patents, Trade Secrets, Trademarks and Copyrights" - August 10th

Seaton Curran, Esq. will talk August 10th, Wednesday at McCormick & Schmicks at 12 PM. $30 Cost. He will speak on these exclusive rights which allow owners of intellectual property to benefit from the property they have created.

Seaton Curran is a registered U.S. patent attorney working at Armstrong Teasdale in Las Vegas. He works with entrepreneurs, inventors, and design engineers. Seaton is a registered professional engineer in Nevada.

One of his areas is the renewable energy arena, including solar and wind energy, steam and gas turbine power systems, and sensor technology. He also works on strategic planning in the development of Nevada's renewable energy portfolio.

Prior to earning his J.D., Seaton was a project manager for a global engineering firm where he worked in on water and wastewater treatment projects. He served as the program manager for a large wastewater treatment and discharge project in Lake Mead, Nevada in which he obtained an extensive working knowledge of the water resources issues facing Nevada.

The UNLV Summer Undergraduate Research Experience - Poster Session-Tuesday-Aug 9th

The public poster session will he held on Tuesday, August 9, 2011, in the Science and Engineering Building (SEB) First Floor, between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Over 25 UNLV undergraduates and a cohort of 25 undergraduates selected from colleges and universities across the nation will mark the completion of ten-week intensive research projects with UNLV faculty members, including projects in the Life Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, and other disciplines. Grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), High Pressure Science and Engineering Center (HiPSEC) and the Nevada Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Program (INBRE) fund this important program.

I've attended last year's poster session and will be going again. The science and the students are phenomenal. Hopefully, everyone can stop by the SEB building at UNLV tomorrow between 10 AM to 12 PM.

"Developing Your Creativity" - Wed, July 27th

This Class will give you two simple ways of increasing your creative thinking.

Everybody needs to be able to come up with new ideas whether they are entrepreneurs or not. It is an extremely valuable tool to have for your success at whatever you do.

Successful entrepreneurs are keen observers of what's going on around them. When they are testing their ideas and products, they watch closely how potential clients react, touch and handle prototypes and ideas.

Mental stretching and focused creativity allow successful entrepreneurs to find ways around obstacles to new solutions.

1. Power of keen observation.
2. Stretching oneself mentally,
3. Focused creativity to find solutions.

Matthew Waymire, Entrepreneur.

July 13th - "Thinking like an Entrepreneur"

Matthew Waymire, our speaker, met a lot of successful but not book-smart entrepreneurs. He began studying what made them successful. He discovered a way of thinking that can help everyone be successful. Don't miss this one.

Non-Successful Entrepreneur Traps
1) Build It and They Will Come: Not Necessarily!
2) Too Much Overconfidence Hinders One's Ability to Learn
3) Solely Processing Information That Supports One's Position.

Matt will also talk about these psychological traps that keep people from being successful.

NevBio Entrepreneurial Series

July 13th, 2011 "Thinking like an Entrepreneur"

July 27, 2011 "Creativity Strategies of Entrepreneurs"

August 10, 2011 "Problems Solving Strategies"

August 24, 2011 "5 Entrepreneurial Traits"

September 7, 2011 "Action Strategies of an Entrepreneur"

September 21, 2011 "Closing & Failure strategies of an Entrepreneur"

These classes will be held at 12 Noon in the back room of McCormicks & Schmicks. $30 includes lunch and program. The instructor is Matthew Waymire, CPA, Business Broker and Entrepreneur.

Medical Marijuana Talk on July 15th

Edmund Schroback of Completely Legal, a co-operative which provides medical marijuana to its members in Las Vegas will talk on Medical Marijuana in Nevada at the July 8th NevBio luncheon.

Nevada allows patients that have chronic and debilitating diseases such as AIDS, cancer, glaucoma and conditions involving: cachexia, muscle spasms, seizures, severe nausea and severe pain to use medical marijuana. Nevada requires a person to have a doctor recommendation and a valid Nevada Medical Marijuana Card to ingest medical marijuana.

Marijuana is NOT Harmless ...(No drug is harmless)
Like any medicine, there are side effects. Marijuana use can be addicting. In the short-term, marijuana use can cause trouble with one's ability to think clearly and may impair short-term memory. Marijuana also leads to motor skill impairment and affects alertness, coordination and reaction time, which is why it should never be used prior to driving. There is also some evidence that marijuana use can exacerbate psychotic symptoms in those with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders.

Frequent and/or long-term marijuana use may significantly increase a man's risk of developing the most aggressive type of testicular cancer, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Should Medical Marijuana Be An Accepted Treatment?
Medical marijuana falls under Alternative medicine. Alternative medicine is any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine" or "that which has not been shown consistently to be effective." In some instances, it is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than a scientific (e.g. evidence-based) basis. If medical marijuana helps people and reduces the need for other drugs, should we make it part of conventional medicine?

Why a Talk on Medical Marijuana?

People are being treated with Medical Marijuana in Las Vegas. Our speaker, Edmund Schroback, told me that his patients suffer from cancer, HIV, Lupus, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, migraines and just, pain. Edmund had numerous stories about how it has helped his patients. Medical Marijuana is controversial. This meeting will be a good opportunity to learn more about how it has affected people in our community.

UNLV Dean to Speak on Engineering & MBA Collaborations to Create New Businesses on May 5th

On May 5th at the NevBio Luncheon, Dr. Rama Venkat, Dean of the College of Engineering & Students at UNLV will speak on WHY the 10th Annual Senior Design Competition (May 13th) is important to Las Vegas & WHY you should attend. Check-in for the luncheon is 11:30, Lunch 12 PM McCormick & Schmicks.

Many of the engineering senior design projects have commercial potential. The competition is funded by Fred & Harriet Cox. UNLV MBA students develop the business plans for these projects which can be turned into viable businesses. A number of the projects have won the distinguished Governor's Cup competition.

NevBio Honor Dennis Lindle, PhD with Foundation of Excellence Award

Please join us as we honor Dennis Lindle, PhD, Chairman of the UNLV Chemistry Department. Dinner & Cocktails at the Mundo Mexican Restaurant in the World Market Center start a 6 PM, Friday April 29th. The cost is $55.

Dr. Lindle has brought International recognition to UNLV in Photoionization (the area that Albert Einstein earn his Nobel Prize in Physics) and in Resonant Inelastic Soft-X-Ray Scattering. In both these areas he is one of the top three in the world.

He has also earned:
* UNLV Barrick Distinguished Scholar Award
* UNLV Barrick Scholar Award
*Nevada Board of Regents Outstanding Faculty Member
*UNLV College of Sciences Distinguished Researcher Award.

He was the statewide project Director for Nevada's National Science Foundation (NSF) Experimental Program for the Stimulation of Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Program, Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE).

He has brought in over $5.7 million in grants to UNLV

More importantly, Dennis has helped build the UNLV Chemistry Department for the last 20 years and has helped hire a number of the top people in the department.

For these reasons and more, NevBio is recognizing Dennis Lindle with a Foundation of Excellence Award for his efforts to build as base for biotechnology and science in Nevada.

Friday, April 29th, Cocktails at 6 PM, Dinner at 7 PM. Price is $55. Come for either or both.

"What You Should Know to Avoid Copyright Sins"

NevBio, Touro University, & Ballard Spahr are pleased to present, William Needle Esq., Chairman of the Ballard Spahr Intellectual Property Department. The topic of his talk is "What You Should Know to Avoid Copyright Sins" He will be speaking on March 2nd, 11:30 Check-in; Lunch & talk at 12 PM. $20. The lunch is at Touro University at 874 American Pacific Drive, Henderson.

UNLV’s EMITION Center: Developing Technologies for Nevada & the US – Feb 24th

Dr. Robert Schill, Jr is the Director of UNLV's Energy Materials Interaction Technology Initiative of Nevada (EMITION) Center. He will be speaking at the NevBio Luncheon on Thursday, Feb 24th at McCormick & Schmick's. 11:30 Check-in & 12 PM lunch & talk. $30.
REGISTER HERE
The EMITION center is looking at how pulsed power -- the ability to direct a mass of energy to a specific location over one-billionth of a second -- might help with everything from reducing air pollution to killing cancer cells. The sensors developed for use in the center's pulse power machines are being patented for possible use in the electronic and medical industry

Pulsed power has a long history of successful applications in the safe simulation of nuclear weapons effects and powering directed energy weapons (DEWs) for the DOD while enabling inertial confinement fusion for the DOE. Over the past ten years, an even more exciting future has emerged for pulsed power in material science, space science, and the biomedical sciences. UNLV significantly expanded its presence in the field in May of 2001 when it established the Energy Materials Interaction Technology Initiative of Nevada (EMITION) Center in the College of Engineering. Besides developing sources of pulsed power, the EMITION Center is dedicated to the study of the interaction of pulsed power (pulsed electrical power, pulsed electromagnetic energy, and pulsed particle beams) with materials for governmental, industrial, and medical applications.

The presentation highlights past and present collaborations the Center has enjoyed with local Nevada industries (e.g., Las Vegas Valley Water District, Remote Sensing Laboratory, past EG&G North Las Vegas, etc.) and national agencies (e.g., AFOSR, AFRL, DOE, Homeland Security). Through these collaborations we will show the capabilities of EMITION's laboratory resources (people and equipment infrastructure), training, patents, and present and potential future capabilities. For example, a new $1.2M microwave anechoic chamber was just recently added.

A vision shared by the three major universities in Nevada to work with Nevada industry on joint ventures satisfying local and national needs will be conveyed. It is hoped that this talk will plant the seed for future industry-EMITION collaborations. The presentation concludes with out-reach activities that seek to share, inspire, and bridge talents and knowledge among residents of all ages in Southern Nevada. A vision and motivation to extend out-reach activities to the nation may be introduced.

"So, When Will These Things Finally Work? State-of-the-Art Characterization of Interfaces in Energy Conversion Devices" Dr. Heske – Feb 10th NevBio

Dr. Clemens Heske and his group at UNLV team up with other universities, national labs, and companies who make devices for energy conversion - solar cells, fuel cells, photoelectrochemical cells that use sunlight to split water, nuclear fuel, light-emitting diodes, and others. He will be speaking at the NevBio luncheon on Thursday, Feb 10th: 11:30 Check-in & 12 PM lunch & Presentation. $30 at McCormick & Schmicks. 335 Hughes Center Drive.

Dr. Heske will talk on his current research, with particular emphasis on solar energy applications and focus on why it is important to study their interfaces on an atomic scale. To register Click Here

Clemens Heske received his Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in Physics from the University of Würzburg in Germany in 1998. After two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, he became a "wissenschaftlicher Assistent" at the University of Würzburg and completed his German Habilitation in Experimental Physics in December of 2003. In 2004, he joined the UNLV Chemistry Department as an Associate Professor for Materials/Physical Chemistry and promoted to Professor in the summer of 2009.

Dr. Heske uses soft x-rays to study surfaces and interfaces in a wide variety of material systems for energy conversion. With his group, he teams up with over 30 different national and international partners in academia, national labs, and industry to improve thin film solar cells, materials for hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, fuel cells, light-emitting devices, nuclear fuel, and other systems that involve interfaces and require a deeper understanding of their properties to optimize the performance and stability of the final device.

The Research Group of Dr. Clemens Heske uses a large number of spectroscopic and structural methods to study surfaces and interfaces of devices devoted to the conversion of energy.

Thin Film Solar Cells
Hydrogen Production
Hydrogen Storage
Carbon Nanomaterials
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Inorganic semiconductor devices
Bio-interfaces and liquids
Nuclear Fuel

Materials Breakthroughs at UNLV - Dr. David Hatchett an January NevBio Mtg

Dr. David Hatchett will be speaking at the NevBio Luncheon on "Materials Breakthroughs at UNLV & Developing Technology-Based Businesses in Nevada” on Tuesday, January 25th at Lawry's Prime Rib. Cost is $30.

Technological breakthroughs in materials research are happening at UNLV. External funding provided by NSF and DOE have provided research funds and infrastructure at UNLV that have made these discoveries possible. The general public does not realize that a large part of a researcher’s job is to obtain external funds to perform research. These funds provide money to the university in terms of overhead minimizing the taxpayer support of the educational program.

Cost analysis of programs in the Sciences and engineering often show large offsets based on the external funding acquired for research. However, the public rarely hears about the funding or research success of faculty at UNLV.

For example, we have produced hydrogen storage materials that are superior to any material currently available and have been independently verified to be the best materials produced to date.

We have developed methods for electrochemically reprocessing and reclaiming useful actinide and radioisotopes that can be used in biological imaging applications. These are bench top methods that eliminate traditional methods that are either more dangerous or expensive.

This talk will present the materials research in Dr. Hatchett’s laboratory and the fundamental challenges associated with bringing the research and technology to market.

In addition, the importance of core groups of researchers that are required for technology development will be highlighted.

Finally the role of multidisciplinary research and the ability to solve complex problems will be examined. These issues must be part of any discussion when developing or attracting technology-based businesses in Nevada.

David Hatchett obtained his Ph.D. in Physical/Analytical Chemistry from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah in 1997 and is an Associate Professor of Environmental/Analytical Chemistry at UNLV.

His research interests are Biodiesel/NaSicon, Polymer-Metal Composites, Foams/materials characterization and Electrochemistry of Actinides and Lanthanides