Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Teen Science Cafe | Breast Cancer Research
2020-09-11 16:45 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | NC
Speaker: Dr. Checo Rorie, Associate Professor of Genetics | North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

About Dr. Rorie: Dr. Rorie is an Associate Professor and the Interim Chair of the Department of Biology at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. He has a Cancer Genetics and Cell Biology laboratory where he studies breast cancer health disparities. His research is focused on understanding the mechanisms of breast cancer health disparities. He uses cell line models to investigate the role that microRNAs and the environment play in the aggressive behavior of triple negative breast cancer that contributes to disparities.

Join us for the September Virtual Teen Science Cafe to discuss Dr. Rorie’s journey and current research. There will be time to ask questions and to connect with other teens!

*Please Note: The Zoom link will not be live until 4:45 p.m. If you’re having trouble accessing it, please reload the page at 4:45 p.m. and try again.

Teen Science Cafe: Using Plastics to Combat Climate Change
2020-11-13 16:45 - 18:00 | NC
Join us for this Teen Science Cafe with Jeromy Rech; we will discuss creating new types of plastics including those that can conduct electricity and be used in solar panels. We will also have a virtual lab tour to see where some of this chemistry is done. Finally, we’ll look at some applications of these plastics including flexible solar panels, foldable smart phones, solar powered greenhouses, and more!

About the Speaker: Jeromy is currently a fifth-year chemistry graduate student in Wei You’s lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a polymer chemist, he designs new types of plastics which are used to make semi-transparent and flexible solar panels. Outside of the lab, Jeromy is also a chemistry professor at Durham Technical Community College and a robotics referee for FIRST Robotics.

*Please Note: This event is free but pre-registration is required.

Teen Science Cafe | An Electric Heart
2020-12-11 16:45 - 18:00 | NC
The heart is a complex organ powered by electricity to move blood throughout an entire organism. In this Teen Science Cafe, we will explore the cells responsible for electrical activity in the heart, cardiac pacemaking cells, and what characteristics these cells need to function.

About the speaker: Kandace Thomas is a 5th year Genetic and Molecular Biology PhD student, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In addition to her studies, Kandace is a published author and entrepreneur; she aspires to be an undergraduate Biology professor after she graduates in Fall 2021.

Teen Science Cafe: Epidemiology, Global Health, and HIV
2021-03-12 16:45 - 17:45 | NC
Join us for a discussion with doctoral students Cyrus Sinai (Health Geography) and Griffin Bell (Infectious Disease Epidemiology) will provide an overview of the field of epidemiology within the context of global public health. Participants will learn about the epidemiologic perspective, especially as it pertains to HIV/AIDS, a disease which has arguably been the greatest public health challenge of the last century. The presenters will also provide personal anecdotes and lessons learned from their time in the field.

About the Speakers

Griffin Bell | Griffin Bell is a PhD student, infectious disease epidemiologist, and biostatistician at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He predominately studies malaria and HIV, and frequently uses geographical methods in order to map spatial disease distributions and describe disease ecology. Griffin’s work is based in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Malawi, however, he also has major projects in Gabon, Ghana, and South Africa.

Cyrus Sinai | Cyrus Sinai is a PhD student at UNC Chapel Hill studying health and medical geography. He is interested in finding ways to improve disease surveillance in remote, resource-limited settings in sub-Saharan Africa, and using GIS / mapping techniques to help guide public health interventions. Before coming to UNC, Cyrus worked in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for three years mapping remote villages for the Ministry of Health.

Please note that this event is FREE but registration is required.

Teen Science Cafe: Our Vanishing Night
2022-05-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Science Stage, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
OUR VANISHING NIGHT

For generations, everyone experienced the breathtaking beauty of an unspoiled night sky, with views into our universe of thousands of stars and the Milky Way. In this program, you’ll discover how light pollution affects our view of the night sky, find out how to participate in a worldwide citizen-science campaign to document light pollution, and try your hand at designing better streetlights that put light only where it’s needed. Under the planetarium dome, you’ll experience a stunning night sky studded with stars, just as our ancestors did—and as we could too, if we reduced light pollution.

About our speaker: Amy Sayle, PhD, communicates astronomy to the public and tells stories about the stars under the Morehead Planetarium sky, at skywatching events, on night paddles at Jordan Lake, and under dark skies at Bryce Canyon National Park’s annual astronomy festival. She is a founder and coordinator of the North Carolina Science Festival’s annual Statewide Star Party, which features dozens of skywatching events from the NC mountains to the coast on the same weekend in April.

About Teen Science Cafe: Teen Science Cafe is a monthly event, inviting teens to talk directly with scientists about their work. Designed specifically for ages 13-18, we invite guests to ask questions and participate in interesting discussions. This is a free event and offers an opportunity for socializing before the talk with a mini pizza party. Pizza served outside Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at 5:30 pm. The program will begin at 6:00 pm.

RSVP on Facebook for Updates

Photo credit: Steve Christensen. Image: Milky Way over Jordan Lake.

Teen Science Cafe | Back to the Geosphere: Impacts of CO2 Sequestration Underground
2022-11-18 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Science Stage, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Geological carbon sequestration involves capturing atmospheric CO2, condensing it into liquid form, and pumping it into deep underground aquifers. Scientists have been exploring the environmental impacts of carbon sequestration, including changes to groundwater geochemistry, subsurface microbial community composition, and the potential for fracturing and escape of CO2 back into the atmosphere. I’ll give an overview of these impacts and share data illustrating the impact of high CO2 concentrations on subsurface microbial communities.

About our speaker: Megan Plenge is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her dissertation research focused on microbial controls on water chemistry. She is currently involved with the National Association of Geoscience Teacher (NAGT) as the North Carolina representative to the South East section, and as a program chair for their national conference, the Earth Educator Rendezvous.

Teen Science Cafe: From the Rainforest to the UN: How Science Informs Climate Change Policy
2022-12-09 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium Fulldome Theater, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Professor Angel Hsu found herself in the lowland jungles of Costa Rica while studying abroad the summer after her freshman year at Wake Forest University, experiencing the beauty of glass tree frogs and sound of howler monkeys, but wondering, “What good is the science I’m discovering, if global warming and deforestation eventually lead to the demise of the rain forest?” This question motivated her to study climate change policy when she returned to the classroom. In this interactive talk, Prof. Hsu will talk about how science informs policy, drawing on her experience at the frontlines of international climate change policy.

About the speaker: Angel Hsu is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She is the Founder and Principal Investigator of Data-Driven EnviroLab, an interdisciplinary group that uses emerging technologies and data-driven approaches to solve problems related to climate change policy. Angel previously held appointments at Yale-NUS college in Singapore as Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and was also the lead author of the 2018 UNEP Emissions Gap report chapter on non-state actors and an author for the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. Angel holds a PhD in Forestry and Environmental Studies from Yale University, an M Phil in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge, and a BS in Biology and BA in Political Science from Wake Forest University.

Teen Science Cafe | Digital Media and the Teenage Brain
2023-02-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Science Stage, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
UNC researchers, Kara Fox and Maria Maza, will share studies that show how digital media is impacting teens’ development as well as how teens are impacting the development of digital media.

For more information about UNC’s Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development work, visit https://www.teensandtech.org/

About our speakers:

Kara A. Fox is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at UNC Chapel Hill, working with Dr. Mitch Prinstein. She graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in psychology and visual media studies. Subsequently, as a research assistant at Alpert Medical School of Brown University, she worked on several studies examining mental health and treatment access among youth in the juvenile justice system. She is interested in the role of digital social norms and processes in development and health among adolescents and young adults. In addition to research, Kara loves teaching, working with children and families, and writing. In her free time, Kara enjoys knitting and crocheting, reading, and playing with her dog Laika.

Maria T Maza is a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her B.S. in Neuroscience and Education from Bates College in 2018. Following graduation, she worked as a research assistant and imaging coordinator with Dr. BJ Casey at Yale University. Her research aims to explore the impact of biosocial factors and technology on the developing brain and subsequent health risk behaviors. In her free time, Maria enjoys dancing, hiking, and baking.

Kara Fox, PhD Student, UNC-Chapel Hill

Maria Maza, PhD Student, UNC-Chapel Hill

Teen Science Cafe | Canaries of the Creek: Bioindicators Water Quality
2023-03-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Science Stage, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Do you like scavenger hunts? How can you tell if creek water is clean and healthy. Join environmental educators and researchers Heather Holley and Sammy Bauer for a walk through the science of looking for certain kinds of stream bugs (aquatic macroinvertebrates) that need clean, unpolluted water to survive. What will you find as you dig through real-world data in local creeks and streams.

About our speakers:

Sammy Bauer (she/they) is an environmental educator and professional science communicator. She spends the bulk of her time teaching folks how to protect local waterways from pollution. Prior to pivoting into non-formal education, Sammy taught 6th grade Language Arts and Social Studies in Warren County, North Carolina. Sammy has a bachelor’s degree in communications and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. If you ask her about creek critters, rock climbing, or hotdog toppings, she will get very excited.

Heather Holley is an avid outdoors and nature lover with over 25 years in environmental and arboricultural experience in the private and public sectors. She has served as a Trail Crew Leader, Arboricultural Genetic Researcher, City Arborist, and Engineering/Stormwater Professional. Heather currently is the Stormwater Specialist for the Town of Carrboro Stormwater Division and has work for the City of Charleston, SC and the City of Doral, Fl. She studied Environmental Science at NC State University. If you ask her about her family, sewing, camping, horror movies, nature, or Disney, she will get very excited.

Sammy Bauer (she/they)

Heather Holley

Carolina Science Cafe | Let's Chat about ChatGPT
2023-04-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Gizmo Brew Works, 157 E Franklin St #100, Chapel Hill, 27514
Finally returning after a 3-year hiatus, the Carolina Science Café returns to Franklin Street on a new day and a new location as Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program.

ChatGPT is an advanced language model from OpenAI, which has been making headlines as one of the most powerful AI models to date. Such AI models are being seen by some (including the) challenging human conceits about language and creativity on the one hand, and criticized as being glorified talking parrots on the other. In this talk, we will briefly delve into what ChatGPT and other language models are, how they work, and their potential impacts on public life, science, and the future of work and the creative arts. We will also discuss the ethical and societal implications of data-driven AI, such as issues of privacy and bias.

We will be joined by Shashank Srivastava, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at UNC Chapel Hill who studies natural language processing, with special interests in grounding language in perception, neuro-symbolic methods, and interactive machine learning. Earlier this year he sat on a panel for ChatGPT in Context, a discussion of this new technology and its real and imagined impacts on the campus community — and beyond.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Gizmo Brew Works on Tuesday, April 4, starting at 6:00 p.m.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Teen Science Cafe | Decoding the Structure of Birdsong
2023-04-21 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Science Stage, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Teen Science Cafe is for you! This program is just for young adults, ages 13-18, and it’s free!

Birdsong is a unique form of animal communication, as it faces evolutionary pressures from mate selection and social learning, and it possesses a vast amount of diversity. There is still much left to understand about how this variation arises and its relevance in interactions between individuals of the same species.

This talk will examine an element of birdsong that has remained relatively enigmatic to researchers: syntax, or the sequence of notes within a song. By exposing wild male songbirds to songs with familiar and scrambled syntax, we can continue to decipher how information is conveyed in animal communication systems.

About The Speaker:

Emma Reinhardt is a graduate student in the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She joined Dr. Keith Sockman’s lab after graduating with a BS in biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2020. Emma has worked with a variety of organisms, ranging from yeast to lizards to crabs, before landing on songbirds. She is interested in understanding which elements of birdsong are most relevant in reproductive interactions. In pursuit of this, Emma spends her summers in the mountains of southwest Colorado to collect data on a population of Lincoln’s sparrows, a small, brown bird with a wildly complex song.

Schedule

5:30 pm – Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm: Pizza social. Pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Discussion & activities. Presentations will take place at the Science LIVE! Stage.

*Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Carolina Science Cafe | Rethinking How We Use Our Landscapes
2023-05-02 18:00 - 19:00 | Gizmo Brew Works, 157 E Franklin St #100, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
How do we rethink our landscape usage? Let’s start with three positive outcomes: benefits to mental health, alleviation of food insecurity, and conservation for pollinators by planting habitats. Using data from mental health research and case studies on food insecurity on campus, we will explore the benefits of reconnecting with the natural world through gardening. Edible Campus UNC is currently partnering with the Chicago Botanical Garden on the community science project Budburst, a collection of researchers, educators, gardeners, and community scientists working together to illustrate the human impacts on the natural world around us.

This month we will be joined by Kyle Parker, a former UNC philosophy graduate who has spent the last decade working directly with UNC students growing organic produce for the UNC community. Now in his third year as coordinator at Edible Campus UNC, Kyle is at his best leading groups of students during volunteer workdays or engaging with visitors and foragers out in the gardens.

In recent years, he has consulted with students and staff from dozens of universities within the US and internationally regarding Edible Campus’ unique model for utilizing landscapes within urban environments to not only grow food but to also serve as pollinator habitats. Edible Campus is at the forefront of rethinking urban landscape usage to provide maximum utility to both humans and the environment.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Gizmo Brew Works on Tuesday, May 2nd, starting at 6:00 p.m.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Carolina Science Cafe | Bacteria Get Hangry Too
2023-06-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Gizmo Brew Works, 157 E Franklin St #100, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Individual bacterial cells are miniscule, yet bacterial communities are responsible for activities that have major consequences for our planets, including causing infectious disease and carrying out major geochemical cycles. When considering the mechanisms by which such small cells carry out globally important functions it becomes clear that bacterial cells must work collectively to coordinate their activities and respond to their environment.

But how are such activities coordinated? Are there rules that determine how the community organizes and which activities different bacteria take? We will explore how bacterial communities are organized and what might be the benefits of having communities that are composed of many members that carry out unique roles.

This month we will be joined by Adam Rosenthal, an Assistant Professor in the UNC Medical School department of Microbiology and Immunology. Adam has been studying bacterial communities from backgrounds as diverse as the termite-gut and industrial fermenters. His newly established lab is trying to understand the extent and role of bacterial cell-to-cell differences during bacterial infection.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Gizmo Brew Works on Tuesday, June 6th, starting at 6:00 p.m.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Carolina Science Cafe | Artemis II: There and Back Again
2023-07-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Gizmo Brew Works, 157 E Franklin St #100, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Join Nick Eakes, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador and Astronomy Educator from Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, to discuss Artemis– NASA’s new lunar exploration program. For the first time in over 50 years, humanity is going to set foot on the Moon – sending the first woman and first person of color to the lunar surface.

Through the Artemis missions, NASA will implement new technology to study our closest neighbor in new and better ways, with the ultimate goal of preparing for future human missions to Mars. Nick will provide the history and context of the Artemis program as well as updates on where we are in the mission timeline.

Nick Eakes has been an informal science educator at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (MPSC) since 2008. Nick is a proud product of Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools and went on to receive his BA in Psychology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2012. Along with actively presenting astronomy programs in the planetarium, Nick designs curriculum, travels the state with the NC Science Festival, and is currently the coordinator of Morehead’s astronomy outreach programs – including the Mobile Planetarium and Skywatching.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Gizmo Brew Works on Tuesday, July 11th, starting at 6:00 p.m.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Carolina Science Cafe | The Dark Side of the Universe
2023-08-01 18:00 - 19:00 | Gizmo Brew Works, 157 E Franklin St #100, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Join us on the first Tuesday of every month for Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For this month, we will be joined by Adrienne Erickcek to learn about dark energy and what that means for how our universe operates.

Designed for adults, this program explores the science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines.

Observations of the oldest light in the Universe and other astronomical measurements indicate that only 5% of the current energy content of the Universe is made of elements found on the periodic table. The other 95% is composed of dark matter and dark energy: dark matter is responsible for the growth of galaxies, while dark energy shoves galaxies apart at an accelerating rate. I will discuss how we infer the existence of dark matter and dark energy and how we hope to learn more about these key drivers of cosmic evolution.

A simulated image of the first dark matter structures to form in the universe.

About the Speaker:

Adrienne Erickcek joined the UNC physics and astronomy department in 2013 after completing a joint postdoctoral fellowship at the Canadian Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. She developed an interest in cosmology while an undergraduate student at Princeton University, and she went on to receive her Ph.D. in cosmology from Caltech. For the past several years, her research has focused on the first dark matter structures, and in 2018 she was awarded an NSF CAREER grant to investigate how to use dark matter to probe the evolution of the Universe during its first second.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Gizmo Brew Works on Tuesday, August 1st, starting at 6:00 p.m.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Carolina Science Cafe | Malaria in Africa: Ecology, Mitigation, and Challenges
2023-09-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Gizmo Brew Works, 157 E Franklin St #100, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Join us on the first Tuesday of every month for Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For this month, we will be joined by Dr. Michael Emch to explore spatial and timing patterns of malaria in the developing world.

Designed for adults, this program explores the science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines.

You might have noticed the recent news that there have been several locally acquired cases of malaria in the United States in both Texas and Florida for the first time in 20 years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 2,000 cases of mostly travel-related malaria were diagnosed in the United States each year. What does that mean for us here in North Carolina and the rest of the country more broadly? What is malaria and how is it transmitted? Learn more at our September Carolina Science Cafe to find out!

Half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria and there are almost 250 million cases globally and more than half a million deaths annually. More than 90% of the cases and deaths are in Africa, mostly in children. Malaria elimination is a goal with most countries attempting to become malaria-free within the next two decades. While there has been great progress in this fight, there have been recent setbacks. This discussion will describe malaria ecology, mitigation tools, and some of the challenges such as climate change.

Michael E. Emch, PhD, a health geographer, is a W.R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Geography and Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also a Fellow of the Carolina Population Center. He has published widely in the subfield of disease ecology, mostly of infectious diseases of the developing world. He directs the Spatial Health Research Group. He is also a member of the UNC Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology, and Ecology Lab. Many of the courses he teaches are about spatial components of health and disease.

His present research includes an NIH-funded study to evaluate the effectiveness a malaria vaccine in Malawi, Ghana, and Gabon, an NSF-funded study on the landscape genetics of swine influenza, and an NSF-funded study on the relationships between household energy use for cooking and heating and respiratory infections in Southern Africa.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Gizmo Brew Works on Tuesday, September 5th, starting at 6:00 p.m.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Preparing for Tomorrow’s Pandemics Today | Carolina Science Cafe
2023-10-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
About the Program:

Join us on the first Tuesday of every month for Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For this month, we will be joined by Dr. Timothy Sheahan to explore preparing for tomorrow’s pandemics today with broad-spectrum antivirals.

Designed for adults, this program explores the science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. Please note the Carolina Science Cafe will be moving to a new location at Haw River Tap & Table in Carrboro for the foreseeable future.

Being a virologist is a lot like being a detective. Constantly problem solving and trying to stay one step ahead of the next villain. Viruses are found all over the world and they affect everyone everywhere they go. We never know when or what virus will emerge next, but Dr. Tim and his team will be ready for the challenge.

During this cafe we will discuss questions like:

What is a virus and how do we get sick?

How and why antiviral drugs are made?

How long is the drug development process?

How do we learn about viruses that we have not even found yet?

What can we do to prepare for tomorrow’s pandemics today? Broad-spectrum medical countermeasures that are effective against all the Coronaviruses known today will likely work against future emerging Coronaviruses. Thus, the development of broadly acting medical counter measures is key to our future pandemic preparedness.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Sheahan is an NIH funded virologist working at the host pathogen interface to develop new methods of viral control. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire in 1999, he moved to Boston to try to make a career in punk rock music but soon realized that he enjoyed pipetting more than playing guitar. In 2003, he began his graduate training at UNC Chapel Hill with Dr. Ralph Baric focusing coronavirus (CoV) spillover and the design broadly acting vaccines and therapies. After postdoctoral studies on hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the laboratory of 2020 Nobel Laureate Dr. Charles M. Rice at the Rockefeller University, he became an Investigator at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) working to develop host targeting antivirals to treat acute respiratory infections. Tim became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2015.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheahan and colleagues generated preclinical proof-of-principle data that remdesivir and molnupiravir were broadly active against the CoV family suggesting these antivirals could be employed to treat future emerging CoV. This work helped accelerate the clinical testing of these antivirals in early 2020. Sheahan is currently working to develop broad-spectrum inhibitors of emerging CoV and is also developing mouse models of chronic hepacivirus infection within which to study the effect of antiviral therapy on the development of liver disease and cancer.

Sheahan has been active in communicating the importance of antivirals during the pandemic on television and print media including a feature in GQ Magazine. Three new human CoV have emerged in the past 20 years. Thus, the development of broadly acting therapies for CoV will remain of focus of Dr. Sheahan’s research to be better prepared for tomorrow’s pandemics, today.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, October 3rd, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Carolina Science Cafe | Why do men die 10 years before women?
2023-11-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Join us on the first Tuesday of every month for Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For this month, we will be joined by Dr. Marc Rogers to explore the stigma of men’s health during Movember to raise awareness for men’s health – specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.

Designed for adults, this program explores the science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. Please note the Carolina Science Cafe has moved to a new location at Haw River Tap & Table in Carrboro.

Men on average die around 10 years younger compared to their female counterparts. In an effort to close this gap, we will discuss maintaining a man’s health as they age starting from their early 20s into late into their retirement years. Routine screenings for prostate cancer, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, elevated blood pressure, colon cancer and testicular cancer will be discussed along with more in depth information about erectile function, low testosterone, penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease), and male fertility concerns to help maintain quality of life.

About the Speaker:

Marc J. Rogers, M.D. is an associate professor in the Department of Urology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Healthcare in Chapel Hill, NC. He graduated with his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his urology residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received his fellowship training in male infertility and sexual medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Rogers is a member of the American Urological Association, Sexual Medicine Society of North America, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction.

Dr Rogers’ clinical interests include male infertility, vasectomy reversals, treatment of erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease, including complex reconstruction techniques, hypogonadism, and male urinary incontinence. He is the author of multiple peer-reviewed articles and review articles and has presented research at national and international meetings. He is interested in promoting resident education and promoting an improved awareness of men’s health in the community.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, November 7th, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Teen Science Cafe | Does warmer mean hungrier?
2023-11-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Science Stage, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Join us for our November Teen Science Cafe!

Please join us at Morehead Planetarium on Friday, November 17th for a very exciting Teen Science Cafe! We will be joined by Esteban Agudo, a marine ecologist interested in how environmental characteristics (i.e. temperature, structural complexity) affect marine communities in a time of global change. Our guiding question will be “How is climate change affecting predation in marine communities?”

The western doors up the big stairs will open at 5:30 for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:00 and wrap up around 7:00.

Temperature affects every aspect of the biology of ectotherms (cold blooded animals). Through my research I study the effects of temperature changes on predation rates (e.g., how much an organism eats) of marine organisms including whelks, starfish, and reef fishes in the Galapagos Archipelago. As climate change is causing the ocean to get warmer, we need to know how temperature affects the interactions between species to better predict the future of marine communities.

About Esteban:

I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. While I was an undergrad majoring in Biology, I learned to scuba dive and found I could combine my passion for science and my passion for the ocean into a career. After finishing my undergrad, I went into graduate school and did my master also in my home country, studying the importance of corals as provider of shelter for reef fishes. Afterward I worked as lab manager in the same lab for a couple of years, where I spend most of my time traveling across the Venezuelan coast and islands studying the health status of coral reefs and helping students to develop their own projects. In 2019 I moved to North Carolina to start my PhD at UNC in the Bruno Lab where I had been studying the effect of temperature on interactions between species on reefs in the Galapagos.

Program Schedule

5:30 pm – Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm: Pizza social. Pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Discussion & activities. Presentations will take place at the Full Dome Theater.

*Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Carolina Science Cafe | New Frontiers in Hydrology
2023-12-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
NASA’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography Mission: A New Eye in the Sky for Earth’s Water

Join us on the first Tuesday of every month for Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For this month, we will be joined by Dr. Tamlin Pavelsky to discuss how his team is verifying data from a new NASA’s SWOT mission that is recording the first global survey of Earth’s water cycle with unprecedented accuracy.

Please note the Carolina Science Cafe will be moving to a new location at Haw River Tap & Table in Carrboro for the foreseeable future.

In December 2022, NASA and its international partners launched the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, a new satellite that uses radar to measure Earth’s rivers, lakes, and oceans. SWOT’s groundbreaking technology allows us to measure ocean currents, observe floods, and monitor water resources in ways that were previously impossible. In this talk, we will explore some of the first results from SWOT and what they might mean for our understanding of water on our planet.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, December 5th, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

About Tamlin:

Tamlin Pavelsky is a professor of global hydrology in the Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Department at the University of North Carolina. He is also NASA’s Hydrology Science Lead for the recently launched SWOT satellite mission. Tamlin earned his BA in Geography from Middlebury College and a master’s and PhD, also in Geography, from UCLA. He uses satellite imagery, field measurements, and other tools to study the world’s rivers and lakes. Tamlin grew up outside of Fairbanks, Alaska in wood-heated cabins with no electricity or running water.

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Quantum Computing in Your Future | Carolina Science Cafe
2024-01-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Join us for our next instalment of the Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For this month, we will be joined by Dr. Dan Stancil from NC State to discuss the future of quantum computing. This event has been rescheduled due to previous inclement weather and will now take place on Tuesday, January 16th.

Please note the Carolina Science Cafe has moved to Haw River Tap & Table in Carrboro next to Cat’s Cradle.

Refrigeration coils keep the quantum computer at sub zero temperatures. IBM Q Dilution Refrigerator (Credit: Graham Carlow)

Quantum Computing is an approach that uses the unusual quantum mechanical properties of the microscopic world to potentially solve computational problems that have never before been feasible, and to significantly accelerate others.

The talk will include an introduction to quantum computing, global trends and an anticipated technology timeline, and an overview of some promising application areas. An overview will also be given of the IBM Quantum Innovation Center at NC State and its activities.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, January 16th, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

About Dan:

Daniel D. Stancil is the Alcoa Distinguished Professor and Executive Director of the IBM Quantum Innovation Center at NC State. His early interest in radios and electronics launched an engineering career that has been–and continues to be–fun and rewarding. Along the way he picked up engineering degrees from Tennessee Tech (B.S.E.E.) and MIT (M.S., E.E. and Ph.D.). He has spent many years as a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at both Carnegie Mellon University and NC State. He was Head of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at North Carolina State University from 2009-2023.

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

PFAS in North Carolina Drinking Water | Carolina Science Cafe
2024-02-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Community impacts and interventions to reduce human exposure.

Join us for our next instalment of the Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For February, we will be joined by Dr. Detlef Knappe from NC State to discuss Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in North Carolina drinking water.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic organic chemicals that are widely used in industry and in consumer products. Many PFAS are persistent, bioaccumulative, mobile, and toxic, and PFAS occur widely in drinking water. The talk will include an overview of (1) PFAS occurrence in NC drinking water, (2) efforts to eliminate sources of PFAS pollution, and (3) interventions to reduce human exposure to PFAS.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, February 6th, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

About Detlef

Detlef Knappe is the S. James Ellen Distinguished Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at NC State University. In 1985, he moved from a small Black Forest town in Germany to a small prairie town in Illinois, where he began his undergraduate studies. In 1996, he received his PhD degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and joined the faculty at North Carolina State University. Detlef’s research interests broadly encompass drinking water quality and treatment with the goal of reducing human exposure to organic contaminants.

He is the Deputy Director of NC State’s Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, and he serves on the North Carolina Secretaries’ Science Advisory Board (jointly convened by the NC Departments of Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services). Apart from his passion for clean drinking water, Detlef enjoys kayaking, gardening, and brewing beer in his somewhat limited spare time.

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Resource Links

CompTox Chemicals Dashboard (epa.gov)

Home – SixClasses.org

PFAS-Free Products – PFAS Central

Contact Email: knappe@ncsu.edu

Teen Science Cafe | State of Our Climate
2024-02-16 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Science Stage, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Please join us at Morehead Planetarium on Friday, February 16th for a very exciting Teen Science Cafe! For this month we will be joined by North Carolina’s State Climatologist, Dr. Kathie Dello to hear about climate and weather trend in North Carolina.

The western doors up the big stairs will open at 5:30 for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:00 and wrap up around 7:00.

Join State Climatologist Kathie Dello for an overview of the past year in North Carolina’s weather and climate, including major events and impacts to agriculture and other sectors. This program webinar will include historical and future perspectives about our recent climate conditions and an opportunity for Q&A with the State Climate Office.

About Dr. Dello

Kathie Dello is the state climatologist of North Carolina and the director of the North Carolina State Climate Office. She is the 5th permanent director and first woman to hold this position at the NCSCO in the office’s history. Kathie also serves as the co-director of the NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessment (RISA) for the Carolinas, the Carolinas Collaborative on Climate, Health, and Equity (C3HE).

Program Schedule

5:30 pm – Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm: Pizza social. Pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Discussion & activities. Presentations will take place at the Science Stage located on the 1st floor.

*Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Directives from the Deep Sea | Carolina Science Cafe
2024-03-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Join us for our next installment of the Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For the March cafe, we will be joined by professional science communicator Marley Parker to learn what life is like during a deep-sea ocean expedition.

How do benthic organisms impact our daily lives? Why (and how) should we invest resources to explore the seafloor? Are submersibles safe? In this talk, Marley Parker will discuss these questions, and share photos, videos, and stories from several of her deep sea research expeditions.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café will be hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, March 5th, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

Meet the Speaker

Marley Parker has spent the past decade working as a professional science communicator. At the beginning of 2018, she left her full-time position at UNC Research to start her own business as a freelance photographer, videographer, and science writer. In the past six years, Marley has specialized in documenting deep sea research. She has joined over 20 expeditions on various research vessels in the Pacific, the North Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Carolina Science Cafe | Life under a Solar Eclipse
2024-04-02 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Extraordinary Darkness: How Animals Respond to Solar Eclipses

Join us for our next installment of the Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For the April cafe, we will welcome Dr. Lisa Paciulli and Dr. Adam Hartstone-Rose from NC State University to discuss wildlife under a solar eclipse. This event is a part of the North Carolina Science Festival, a statewide, month-long celebration of science.

Until the “Great American Eclipse” of 2017, the only broad study of animal behavior during a solar eclipse was conducted during an eclipse that passed through New England in 1932 – all other descriptions were fairly anecdotal, and many were contradictory. In 2017, Dr. Hartstone-Rose’s lab did a study of how 17 species of animals at a zoo on the path of totality reacted to this phenomenon, and the results were amazing! Come learn about which animals reacted to the eclipse, how they reacted, and what their plans are for the eclipse happening on April 8th – including how you can contribute to the research!

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café is hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, April 2nd, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

About The Lab

The Hartstone-Rose Lab studies functional morphology and comparative anatomy in vertebrates. They examine the relationship between anatomical form and behavioral functions through studies of animal behavior, soft-tissue muscle dissections and analysis, and morphological analysis of the craniodental anatomy of both extant and extinct species. Beyond their morphological research, they have several funded projects aimed at broadening participation in STEM.

Learn More: Dr. Hartstone-Rose Research Lab (google.com)

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Teen Science Cafe | Evolution of Animal Behavior
2024-04-19 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Science Stage, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Feisty females: hyenas and lemurs and meerkats, oh my!

Please join us at Morehead Planetarium on Friday, April 19th for a very exciting Teen Science Cafe! For this month we will be joined by Duke University professor Dr. Christine Drea to explore species where females display physical and behavioral traits that are usually associated with males.

Dr. Drea will talk about a few special primate and carnivore species, in which all female members display physical and behavioral traits that are typically associated with males. Despite the species’ very different lifestyles, they share the same unusual suite of behavioral traits – including more rough-and-tumble play, scent marking, and aggression than males – that ultimately relate to increased female competition and contribute to making dominant females much more reproductively successful than lower females.

The western doors up the big stairs will open at 5:30 for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:00 and wrap up around 7:00.

About the Speaker

Dr. Christine Drea is a Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and of Biology at Duke University. Her research interests are in the mechanisms, development, function, and evolution of animal social and reproductive behavior, with a focus on exceptional mammals, including hyenas, lemurs, and meerkats. The general premise driving this selection is that unusual species test our understanding of normal processes and function as ‘experiments of nature.’

Her team’s current work, conducted in parts of Africa and at the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina, is centered on the role of androgens in female dominance and aggression, the neuroendocrine mediators of social bonding and cooperation, the evolution of chemical communication, and the role of microbes in mediating animal behavior and wellbeing. A passion for wildlife and wild spaces fuels teaching, mentoring, and public outreach aimed at encouraging curiosity about and appreciation of the world around us, as well as activism in support of nature conservancy. Service within the academy is focused on improving diversity and achieving equity in the workplace.

Program Schedule

5:30 pm – Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm: Pizza social. Pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Discussion & activities. Presentations will take place at the Science Stage located on the 1st floor.

*Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Carolina Science Cafe | Atmospheric Aerosols
2024-05-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Big Things Have Small Beginnings: How understanding atmospheric aerosols can save lives and help our climate

Join us for our next installment of the Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For the May cafe, we will welcome Dr. Will Vizuete from Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (ESE) in the Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café is hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, May 7th, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

Exposure to atmospheric aerosols are believed to cause annually 8.3 million premature deaths worldwide. Atmospheric aerosols are also an important atmospheric radiative forcer and plays a critical role in our understanding of the impacts of climate change. Tackling problems of air pollution mortality and climate change are the global public health challenges that motivate this talk.

In this talk, find out about how his research is helping us understand how we form atmospheric aerosols, and its connection to human health and climate change. Learn how the latest computing science is being used to build computer simulations of the atmosphere to understand how these aerosols are formed, where they go, and how they impact humans and the planet.

Dr. Vizuete is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (ESE) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). The ESE Department resides within the Gillings School of Global Public Health and is primarily oriented toward graduate education. His department’s research scope spans water, air, and the sublayer environments and is focused on their interactions from an engineering and science perspective.

Within the department, Dr. Vizuete works within the two interdisciplinary programs of “Air Quality and Atmospheric Processes” and “Human Exposure and Health Effects.” his research is primarily conducted within interdisciplinary teams where this diversity of expertise, coupled with their engineering background, has allowed me to develop novel engineering solutions for public health problems. For fun, Dr. Vizuete is a WXYC DJ and plays bass in a traditional ska/reggae band The Unsustainables.

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Teen Science Cafe | FIRST Carrborobotics
2024-05-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Science Stage, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States
Please join us at Morehead Planetarium on Friday, May 17th for a very exciting Teen Science Cafe! For this month we will be joined by FIRST Robotics team Carrborobotics who has just returned from the national competition. They will be showcasing this year’s robot, discussing the challenges they faced, and how to get involved.

Their team is completely student led and managed. We are nearly equal in our male-female ratio. Carrborobotics is a space open to all, regardless of appearance or orientation. We aim to provide a space within STEM where underrepresented groups are able to learn and grow their skills.

Carrborobotics pushes to bring out the best in our members and are constantly learning about ourselves through the construction of our robots and the friendships the team forms. Most of our team members have been in the local school system since elementary and take pride in visiting their past schools and getting younger students involved in STEM at early ages.

The western doors up the big stairs will open at 5:30 for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:00 and wrap up around 7:00.

Established in 2019, Carrborobotics is a FIRST® Robotics Competition team. We are based in Carrboro, North Carolina, and represent the students of Carrboro High School. Currently, our team is student-led by two captains, with the guidance of our lead mentor, Dr. Morais.

Learn More About the Team

Schedule

5:30 pm – Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm: Pizza social. Pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Discussion & activities. Presentations will take place at the Science LIVE! Stage.

*Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Carolina Science Cafe | Environmental Justice
2024-06-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
How Environmental Justice Improves Environmental Science

Join us for our next installment of the Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For the June Cafe, we will welcome Dr. Ryan Emanuel, a tenured faculty member at Duke University’s Nicolas School for the Environment.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Café is hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, June 4th, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

Environmental justice is the idea that everyone deserves to be protected from environmental harm (e.g., pollution, natural disasters), allowed access to environmental benefits (e.g., green space), and included equitably in environmental decision-making processes. While many who are familiar with these ideas typically think about science and technology as tools to promote justice, we do not often consider how environmental justice can improve the work of environmental scientists and professionals.

This science café will tackle this issue head on as Ryan Emanuel shares his perspective as a water scientist whose work has been deeply influenced (and improved) by the principles of environmental justice. Using examples from his new book on Indigenous environmental justice in North Carolina, On the Swamp, and from his other work, Emanuel highlights the importance of understanding and acknowledging the two-way relationship between environmental justice and environmental science.

About the Speaker

Ryan Emanuel is a hydrologist and community-engaged scholar from North Carolina. He is currently an associate professor of hydrology at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and formerly worked as a professor in the College of Natural Resources at NC State University. At Duke, Emanuel’s research group studies the impacts of climate change and unsustainable development on water and watery places. His group also partners with Native American Tribes in North Carolina to understand environmental change from their perspectives as First Peoples. Emanuel is the author of On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice. He belongs to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

Learn more about his work: Ryan E. Emanuel, Ph.D. (ryanemanuel.com)

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Carolina Science Cafe | Psychology of Sports Injuries
2024-07-02 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Psychologically-Informed Practice to Enhance Health Outcomes after Sport-Related Injury

Join us for our next installment of the Carolina Science Cafe, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center’s free, current science awareness program. For the July cafe, we will welcome Shelby Baez, Ph.D., ATC, Director of the Psychology of Sport Injury Laboratory in UNC’s Department of Exercise and Sport Science.

Designed for adults, this program explores science topics making national and international headlines and offers the chance to meet the experts behind the headlines. The Carolina Science Cafe is hosted at Haw River Tab & Table in Carrboro on Tuesday, July 2nd, starting at 6:00 p.m. with light appetizers available for all attendees.

When people have negative mental reactions to getting injured, like feeling more scared of getting hurt again and losing confidence, they often struggle to get back into their sport and have a higher risk of getting injured again. Psychologically-informed practice is a way of taking care of patients that considers their physical, mental, and social needs, and it helps improve how well they recover from injuries.

This approach has been proven to make athletes perform better and stay healthier. This talk will cover the latest research on how people mentally respond to injuries and the best ways to help them get back into their sport and feel good again.

About the Speaker

Dr. Baez’s research examines the impact of psychosocial factors on health outcomes after sport-related injury. Her lab seeks to identify clinically feasible psychosocial interventions to improve health outcomes. Dr. Baez has been funded by the National Institutes of Health to support her work. She was the recipient of the American College of Sports Medicine New Investigator Award in 2023 and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association New Investigator Award in 2024.

Learn More About Dr. Baez Research

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!
