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

  • Jeff Tsai-TBD
  • Nora Correiro-Do Birds Spread Southern Ticks North? A Phylogenetic Analysis of Avian-Associated Ixodes scapularis

Monday, March 30 

Student Honors Presentations

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

Monday, April 6 

Student Honors Presentations

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

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.