2026-2027 Series

The Department invites scholars in Biology to present their research on most Thursdays throughout the academic year. The seminars are followed by a Q&A session.

Join us Thursdays 12:30-1:45 PM, at Regents 239.

Fall 2026

September 3, 2026

Dr. Melissa McCormick
Principal Investigator, Senior Scientist
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
“Interaction specificity and island communities, an example from orchids in the Republic of Palau”
Host: Martha Weiss

September 10, 2026

Rebecca Helm
Assistant Professor
The Earth Commons Institute
Georgetown University
“Adrift on the high seas: the ecology and biology of jellies on the ocean’s surface.”
Host: Martha Weiss

September 17, 2026

Dr. Ryohei Yasuda
Scientific Director and Managing Director
Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI)
“Decoding neuronal biochemical signaling for synaptic plasticity”
Host: Haiyan He

October 1, 2026

Dr. Katja Kasimatis
Assistant Professor of Biology
Department of Biology
University of Virginia
“Differences Derived from the Same Genome: Connecting Cryptic Signatures of Sex-Specific Selection Across the Lifecycle.”
Host: Manus Patten

October 8, 2026

Dr. Alison Patteson
Associate Professor of Physics
Co-Chair of the Community Committee
Syracuse University
Host: Maryam Kohram

October 15, 2026

Dr. Kristi Frank
Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Uniformed Services University
“Beyond the Cell Wall: Decoding the Genetic Networks that Link Lysozyme Resistance, Surface Homeostasis, and Cell Division in Enterococcus faecalis.”
Host: Tiffany Zarrella

October 22, 2026

Dr. Anne Simon
Professor of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetic
University of Maryland
“Virus Vectors as Delivery Vehicles for Peptides and siRNAs: The Future of Crop Protection?”
Host: ASM

November 5, 2026

Dr. Monica Dus
Associate Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
University of Michigan
Host: Isaac Cervantes-Sandoval

November 12, 2026

Dr. Jeffrey Taube
Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Dartmouth College
Host: BOGS

November 19, 2026

Dr. Arnaud Martin
Associate Professor of Biology
Department of Biological Sciences
George Washington University
Host: Elena Silva

Spring 2027

January 21, 2027

Dr. Andrea McQuate
Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology
University of New Mexico
Host: Thomas Coate

February 11, 2027

Dr. Douglas Blackiston
Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology
Tufts University
Host: Peter Armbruster

February 18, 2027

Dr. Ryan Hunter
Professor of Microbiology & Immunology
University at Buffalo
Host: Shaun Brinsmade

February 25, 2027

Dr. Eric Klann
Director, Center for Neural Science; Professor of Neural Science
NewYork University
Host: Haiyan He

March 18, 2027

Dr. Toshihori Hige
Associate Professor
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Host: Isaac Cervantes-Sandoval

April 1, 2027

Dr. Mauricio Cantor
Assistant Professor
Oregon State University
Host: Janet Mann

April 15, 2027

Dr. Eric Riddell
Assistant Professor in the Biology Department
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Host: BOGS