Biology Department Seminar Series
The Biology Department Seminar Series invites guest speakers from research institutions around the country to share their research results several times each semester.
Biology thesis students also present their work through the Biology Seminar Series.
Human impact is reshaping the planet and its ecosystems in ways never before seen. Animals and plants are rapidly changing to find ways to live alongside us. What challenges do these species face in their journey to keep pace with us? What can these changes tell us about how life works? Can the solutions found by natural selection help us deal with some of the biggest problems facing human health and well-being in the world we’ve built for ourselves?
Dr. Mitra Asgari, Cornell University
Understanding the processes driving the heterogeneous distribution of backswimmers (Notonecta sp.) in fishless ponds
Dr. Teresa Lee, Emory University
Repressive chromating enables longevity and its transgenerational inheritance
Esther Jieun Park, M.S., Duke University
How the developing gut absorbs protein for growth and survival: Baby mammals absorb proteins differently from adults
Dr. Karmella Haynes, Emory University
Genomic Analysis to achieve multi-gene regulation by chromatin design
Dr. Brian Castellano, Genentech
Signaling pathways for cellular growth and personal development
Dr. Kerry A. Rouhier, Kenyon College
Piecing together details of valine catabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana
Dr. Diyendo Massilani, Yale School of Medicine
Ancient DNA: Decoding evolution from fossilized genes
Dr. Naima Starkloff, Davidson College
Geographic and host effects on parasite diversity in a clade of North American Songbirds
Dr. Jeremy Whitson, Davidson College
New approches to understanding biological aging
Dr. Alberto Soto, Harvey Mudd College
Population growth in ecology
Dr. Tera Levin, University of Pittsburgh
The evolution of immunity and pathogenesis in host-microbe battlegrounds
Dr. Arianna Smith, Davidson College
Prenatal stress and the developmental origins of asthma: Could placental thyroid hormone be a link?
Dr. Suegene Noh, Colby College
Evolution of a symbiosis between an amoeba and its bacteria
Dr. Sabriya Rosemond, Vanderbilt University
Making space for brilliance
Dr. Jeffrey McKinnon, East Carolina University
Color evolution in Sticklebacks and speciation in ancient lakes: Science and Communication with a freshwater focus
Dr. T-Wen Lo, Ithaca College
Serendipity in science: From unexpected collaborations to discoveries in C. elegans
Dr. John Quinn, Furman
Where to Save Biodiversity: Supporting Conservation Decision Making Beyond Protected Areas
Dr. Devyn Gillette, Duke
Put Your Dukes up: Ineffective Innate Immune Responses to Infection
Dr. Debbie Thurtle-Schmidt, USCF
What Regulates the Regulators? Investigating How Genomic Organization Contributes to Transcriptional Regulation
Chicka Fujii '17, Davidson College
Thesis Presentation: Modeling CD4 gene regulation with short-lived EGFP
Jon Lim '17, Davidson College
Thesis Presentation: Investigating Roles of Testis-Specific Subunits in Mediating ATP Synthase Interactions and Nebenkern Shaping in Drosophila
Zachary Zapatero '17, Davidson College
Thesis Presentation: Deciding To Be A Helper: Exploring The In Vivo Function Of The Cd4 Enhancer NCE
Dr. Terry Fry, NIH
Immunotherapy for Pediatric Leukemia: At the Intersection of Science and Clinical Medicine
Dr. Beth Destasio, Lawrence University
Investigating the Complexity of Neuronal Gene Expression
Dr. Kevin Saunders '05, Duke
Progress Towards Developing a Protective HIV-1 Vaccine
Dr. Jim Oliver, UNCC
Topic Pathogenesis of Vibrio vulnificus
Chika Fujii '17, Jon Lim '17, Zachary Zapatero '17, Davidson
Thesis Previews
Dr. Susan Sloan, Visterra
From Bench to Clinic: Designing Antiviral Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics
Dr. Amy Cheng Vollmer, Swarthmore
The Importance of Mentoring and Networking
Zach Carico '10, Duke
How to Assemble a Diverse Pool of T Cell Receptors: Modern Technologies Help Answer an Old Question