Seminar Series
Each semester, we host the Biological Sciences Seminar Series sponsored in part by the Orrin Foster Lecture Fund. We invite you to attend our seminar series, and other in-person events this semester.
Fall 2025 Seminar Series
Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
NSC 216
8/28/25
Hung Nguyen, UB Chemistry
"Structure and dynamics of RNA in biomolecular condensate"
Host: Z Wang
9/4/25
Eric Strobel, UB Biology
Title: "The mechanism of cotranscriptional glycine sensing by a tandem aptamer riboswitch"
Host: Gokcumen/Walker
9/11/25
Elizabeth Thomas, UB Earth Sciences
"What lies beneath: Climate and ecosystems during ancient ice-free periods recorded in sediments from beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet"
Host: C Krabbenhoft
9/18/25
Genevieve Konopka, UCLA
"Cell type-specific transcriptional networks related to autism"
Host: Jae Lee
10/2/25
Lisa Limeri, Texas Tech University
Title: TBA
Host: Costello
10/9/25
Graduate Student Research Showcase:
Sydney Brongo;
Sai Wu, Serine phosphorylation of protein arginine methyltransferase Hmt1 is critical for controlling its protein levels.
10/16/25
Walter Dodds, Kansas State University
Host: C Krabbenhoft
10/23/25
Yasir Ahmed-Braimah, Syracuse University
Host: Gokcumen
10/30/25
Yolanda Huang, UB Microbiology
"Functional genomics to assess how gut anaerobes tolerate stress"
Host: Rusche
11/6/25
Todd Rideout, UB Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Title: TBA
Host: Z Wang
11/13/25
María Recuerda, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Title: TBA
Host: Baiz
11/20/25
Dheeraj Roy, UB Physiology & Biophysics
"From anterior thalamic cell types to cognition"
Host: Xu-Friedman
12/4/25
Erik Andersen, Johns Hopkins University
"From GWAS to gene: adventures from pangenomes to drug resistance"
Host: Ferkey
Related Events
Past Seminars
AY 2024 – 2025 Seminars
Spring 2025
THURSDAY SEMINARS, 3:45 p.m.
O’Brian 109, UB North Campus
1/30/25
Eric Phizicky
University of Rochester
Title: The biology of tRNA modifications: Insights from evolutionarily distant yeast species
2/13/25
Research Showcase: Mahasweta Acharjee, Tharun Mahendran
Acharjee: Identifying the network of genes influenced by the NAD+ dependent deacetylase Sir2 to allow adaptation to low NAD+ stress in the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis.
Mahendran: Biomolecular Condensates Can Enhance Pathological RNA Clustering
3/13/25
Rachael Blair
UB Biostatistics
Title: Leveraging network models and machine learning for precision control in biological systems
3/27/25
Victor Albert
UB Biological Sciences
Title: Roles of genomic "structural variants" in plant evolution
4/3/25
Research Showcase: Liwen Li, Roxana Gonzalez
Li: Molecular genetics and pathogenic mechanisms of FOXG1 syndrome
Gonzalez: Investigating Career and Research Experience Access Through Evidence (iCREATE) among undergraduate biology majors at the University at Buffalo
4/10/25
Jennifer Houtz
Allegheny College
Title: Birds and bacteria: microbe-mediated phenotypes in wild birds.
4/17/25
Mattheos Koffas
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Title: Engineering the production of animal-free animal natural products
5/1/25
Genevieve Konopka
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Title: Cell type-specific transcriptional networks related to autism
Fall 2024
THURSDAY SEMINARS, 3:45 p.m.
NSC 218, UB North Campus
8/29/24
Shermali Gunawardena
UB Biological Sciences
Hunting for Huntingtin cargoes: Clues as to how defective trafficking within axons can initiate neurodegeneration.
9/26/24
Sarah Hird
University of Connecticut
Comparative Analyses of the Avian Microbiome
10/3/24
Jay Bangs
UB Microbiology & Immunology
GPIs, Sphingolipids and Secretory Trafficking in African Trypanosomes
10/10/24
Distinguished Alumni: Jerry Shen
AceLink Therapeutics
Leveraging of glycolipid biology in the development of groundbreaking therapies for genetic diseases of glycolipid metabolism
10/24/24
New Frontiers: Paul Ahlquist
University of Wisconsin, Madison
New Frontiers
11/7/24
Marc Halfon
UB Biochemistry
Regulatory genomic of class Insecta
12/5/24
Research Showcase: Christopher Osborne, Alix Matthews
Osborne = Using a Pangenome to Explore the Role of Whole Genome Duplication in Facilitating Adaptive Radiation
Matthews = Picky eaters: selective microbial diet of avian ectosymbionts
Spring 2024 Seminar Series
THURSDAY SEMINARS, 3:45 p.m.
NSC 215, UB North Campus
January 25, 2024
Vincent Lynch
UB Biological Sciences
Evolutionary transcriptomics implicates new genes and pathways in human pregnancy
February 1, 2024
Melissa McCartney
UB Pharmacology & Toxicology
Cornerstone over Capstone: The case for structured career development opportunities early in the undergraduate Biology curriculum as a way to influence science and Biology identities
Host: Daniels
February 8, 2024
Research Showcase
Emily Mehle: C. elegans wild isolates reveal natural variation in avoidance behaviors (Lab: Ferkey)
Charikleia Karageorgiou: Ancient AMY1 gene duplications primed the amylase locus for adaptive evolution upon the onset of agriculture (Lab: Gokcumen)
February 15, 2024
NO SEMINAR
February 22, 2024
Alfredo Oliveros Amaya
UB Bological Sciences
Adenosine regulation of cognition and neuroinflammation in chemobrain
February 29, 2024
Veena Prahlad
Roswell Park, Dept. Cell Stress Biology
Neuronal control over cell stress response pathways in a metazoan
Host: Ferkey
March 7, 2024
Marcella Baiz
UB Biological Sciences
Genetic divergence among colorful wood warblers and consequences for gut microbiome
March 14, 2024
James Chappell
Rice University
Genetically engineering microbial consortia and non-model microbes using programmable RNA tools
Host: Strobel
March 21, 2024
NO SEMINAR (SPRING BREAK)
March 28, 2024
Bin He
University of Iowa
Tough and sticky: Evolution of stress response and adhesin gene family in pathogenic yeasts
Host: Rusche
April 4, 2024
Thomas Walz
Rockefeller University
Cryo-EM studies of membrane proteins in nanodiscs
Host: Rusche
April 11, 2024
Yeong Shin Yim
University of Pennsylvania
Exploring CD8+ T cells in non-pathological brain conditions
Host: J Lee & S Lee
April 18, 2024
Curt Sigmund
Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
The renin-angiotensin system in the brain: Regulation and role in blood pressure and fluid homeostasis
Host: Daniels
April 25, 2024
Alan Hinnebusch
NIH Distinguished Investigator
Direct and indirect mechanisms controlling translation initiation in vivo
Host: Walker
SPECIAL EVENT: GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
All seminars:
THURSDAYS at 3:45 p.m. ET
NSC 225, North Campus
9/7/23 Trevor Krabbenhoft (UB Biological Sciences)
Evolutionary genomics and origins of polyploid fishes in the Laurentian Great Lakes and beyond.
9/14/23 Masayuki Onishi (Duke)
Cytokinesis without F-actin and its coordination with chloroplast division in Chlamydomonas. Hosted by Cullen.
9/21/23 Silu Wang (UB Biological Sciences)
On the origin of biodiversity: an integrative dive into the colorful avian speciation continuum.
9/28/23 Andrew Wojtovich (University of Rochester)
Controlling mitochondrial energetics and ROS production with light. Hosted by Ferkey.
10/12/23 Elizabeth McCarthy (SUNY Cortland)
Understanding the consequences of allopolyploidy on flower color evolution in Nicotiana (tobacco). Co-hosted by Lindqvist and Albert.
10/19/23 Jennifer Surtees (UB Biochemistry)
Msh2-Msh3-mediated DNA mismatch repair: a tipping point between genome stability and genome instability. Hosted by Rusche.
10/26/23 Scott Kanoski (Southern California)
Memories from around the table: hippocampal integration of satiation signaling and neurocognition. Hosted by Daniels.
11/2/23 Laurie Read (UB Microbiology & Immunology)
RNA binding proteins in control: Multifaceted gene regulation by Trypanosoma brucei DRBD18. Hosted by Rusche.
11/9/23 Graduate Student Research Showcase
Holly O'Shea (Lee Lab) Examining mitochondrial dysfunction in FOXG1 Syndrome.
Beth Vohwinkel (Yu Lab) Dissecting the role of protein arginine methylation in FOXG1 function during brain development.
11/16/23 Zhen Wang (UB Biological Sciences)
Exploring Plant Natural Products to Improve Human Health: A Case Study of Cardiac Glycosides.
11/23/23 Thanksgiving Holiday
11/30/23 Sarah Bowman (Hauptman-Woodward Institute)
Adventures and challenges in diffraction-based structural biology Hosted by Zhen Wang.
Spring 2023 Seminar Series
THURSDAYS at 3:45 p.m.
COOKE HALL 121, UB North Campus
2/9/23 Angela Oliverio (Syracuse University)
Probing the eco-evolutionary dynamics of microbial systems.
2/16/23 Holly Justice (UB)
Overview of UB's resources for graduate student career planning.
3/2/23 Anne Stone (Arizona State University)
New Frontiers Distinguished Speaker
Tracking a Killer: Using ancient DNA to understand the evolutionary history of tuberculosis.
3/9/23 Research Showcase: Daniel Macguigan (Krabbenhoft)
and Jacob Bowman (Lynch)
Dan: Genomic architecture of ecological speciation.
Jacob: Relaxed selection of spermatogenesis genes of Gorilla gorilla gorilla and cell death pathway genes of elephant Loxodonta africana.
3/16/23 Reuben Peters (Iowa State University) From Angströms to Evolution and Agriculture with Diterpenoid Natural Products.
3/30/23 Todd Castoe (University of Texas, Arlington) Stress response pathways and the origins of novelty: how snakes regenerate organs and regulate venom.
4/6/23 Kathryn M. Kauffman (UB Oral Bio) Resolving phage-bacteria interactions: from the ocean to the oral microbiome.
4/13/23 Shinjae Chung (University of Pennsylvania) Neural circuits underlying sleep and emotional regulation.
4/20/23 Corey Krabbenhoft (UB BIO) Environmental characteristics regulating long-term decline of a freshwater game fish.
4/27/23 Seema Mattoo (Purdue University) From Bacteria to Humans - Fic Protein in Cellular Signaling.
5/4/23 Tamara Doering (Washington Univ Saint Louis) Tricks of the trade: virulence mechanisms of a pathogenic yeast.
5/11/23 Paul L. Boutz (University of Rochester Medical Center) Nuclear containment: countering the threat of oncogenic transcripts through RNA surveillance.
Spring 2023 Seminar Series Poster
Fall 2022 Seminar Series
Thursdays at 4:00 p.m.
Natural Sciences Complex (NSC) 215, UB North Campus
September 8, 2022
Dr. Georg Jander, Cornell, Boyce Thompson Institute, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Glucosinolates and Cardiac Glycosides”
September 15, 2022
Dr. Derek Daniels, Professor and Chair, UB Biological Sciences, “Separate but overlapping glucagon-like peptide-1 circuits that control feeding and drinking"
September 22, 2022
Dr. David Heppner, UB Chemistry, “Overcoming drug resistance in EGFR mutant cancer: Molecular insights for modern drug design”
October 6, 2022
Graduate Research Showcase
-Beatriz Gonzales, “Regulation of Cdc42 Protein Levels Impacts a Cell Differentiation Program in Yeast”
-Emily Carroll, “Sterol cleaving enzyme identified in the foxglove plant”
October 13, 2022
Dr. David Shechner, University of Washington, “Meet the neighbors: A universal technology for probing RNA-interactions and RNA-scaffolded subcellular compartments in situ”
October 20, 2022
Dr. Xiuqian Mu, UB JSMBS, “Genetic and epigenetic control of retinal cell differentiation”
October 27, 2022
Dr. Ekin Atilla-Gokcumen, UB Chemistry, “Ceramide-1-phosphate regulates cellular senescence”
November 3, 2022
Dr. Nicole Martinez, Stanford, “Uncovering new functions of RNA modifications in mRNA processing”
November 10, 2022
Dr. Stephanie Gupton, UNC, “Coordinating Cytoskeletal Dynamics and Membrane Remodeling in Neuronal Morphogenesis”
November 17, 2022
Dr. Sarah Walker, UB Biological Sciences, “Translational control of gene expression: Unexpected mechanisms and consequences of eIF4 factor regulation”
December 1, 2022
Dr. Dave Toczyski, UCSF, “Regulation of the cell cycle and metabolism by the ubiquitin pathway (and visa versa)”
December 8, 2022
Dr. Adam Session, SUNY-Binghamton, “K-mer identification of allopolyploid subgenomes”
