Seminar Series

Spring 2026

Our Biology seminar series take place in the Gottwald Science Center, the Auditorium (room A001) on most Mondays from 12-1 p.m.

Monday, January 12

Jen Moss, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech

  • Exploring the Contributions of Sex and Reproduction to Thermal Ecology: A Case Study in Plethodontid Salamanders

Monday, January 26

Dr. Isaac Skromne, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Richmond

  • Genomic Approaches to Investigate Cdx Transcription Factor Function During Vertebrate Body Development

Monday, February 9

Hijab Fatima, Imaging Scientist, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (UR Alum: Class of 2020 with a BS in Biology)

  • Sugar Coatings That Matter: How Glycosylation Shapes Natural Killer Cell Signaling

Wednesday, February 11 

Dr. Fenglian Xu, Visiting Lecturer, Biology Department, University of Richmond

  • How Do Neurons Work? Part 1: the Resting Membrane Potential (RMP)

Monday, February 16 

Dr. Tawny J. Chamberlain, PT, DPT, Adjunct Faculty, Brightpoint Community College

  • Articulations: It's a Joint Effort

Wednesday, February 18

Carrie Leonard, Assistant Research Professor, Department of Animal & Avian Sciences at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus

  • Keeping the Balance: Autonomic Control of Heart, Lungs and Eyes

Monday, March 16

Dr. Colleen Carpenter, Assistant Professor in Biology, University of Richmond 

  • Zebrafish Tales: Seizures, Genes, and Everything in Between

Monday, March 23 

Student Honors Presentations

  • Nora Correiro-Do Birds Spread Southern Ticks North? A Phylogenetic Analysis of Avian-Associated Ixodes scapularis
  • Jeff Tsai-Global Variation in Urban Rat Body Size: Ecological Drivers and Implications for Pest Management 

Monday, March 30 

Student Honors Presentations

  • Noelle Ledoux-Investigating Cryptic Diversity in Namib Desert Panagrolaimidae
  • Joyce Stern-Fouling-Resistant Voltammetric Xylazine Sensors for Detection of the Street Drug “Tranq"

Monday, April 6 

Student Honors Presentations

  • Trey Campbell-Genomic Sequencing and Protein Structure Analysis of Bayou Virus from Field Tissue Samples
  • Ritika Relwani-Investigating the Effects of Phenylcyclohexenones on PTZ-Induced Seizures in Zebrafish

Monday, April 13

Dr. Ximena Bernal, Professor of Biology, Purdue University, Research Associate, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar

  • Traffic, Noise and Artificial Light at Night: Human Impact on Frog Communication

 

Contact seminar series organizer Stacey Criswell with questions.