Seminars

SEPTEMBER 21
Katherine Borden, PhD, Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University

Abstract
Host: Kathleen Boris-Lawrie

SEPTEMBER 28
Michael Gerner, PhD, Department of Immunology, University of Washington
Host: Carla Rothlin

OCTOBER 5
Christine Salomon, PhD, Center for Drug Design, University of Minnesota
Host: Roberta O'Connor

OCTOBER 12
Matt Buechler, PhD, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto
Host: Carla Rothlin

OCTOBER 19
Katie Bar, MD, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
"HIV-specific antibody responses after early ART initiation in humans and NHP: challenges and opportunities"
Host: Pam Skinner

OCTOBER 26
Onyinye Iweala, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Host: Alexa Weingarden

NOVEMBER 2: TBA

NOVEMBER 9
June Round, PhD, Department of Pathology, University of Utah
Host: Xavier Revelo

NOVEMBER 16
Jay Vornhagen, PhD, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Indiana University
"From poop to practice: bridging correlation and causation in the gut"
Host: Caity Holmes

NOVEMBER 23: NO SEMINAR

NOVEMBER 30
R. Kip Guy, PhD, Dean and McKnight Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota
Host: Mike Gale

DECEMBER 7 
Tuoqi Wu, PhD, Department of Immunology, UT Southwestern, TX
Host: Steve Jameson

Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology Student Seminar Series Fall 2026
Thursdays, Noon-1:00 p.m.
Hybrid seminar held in 1-110 LRB/MTRF and available via Zoom Link
 

SEPTEMBER 10
Ryan Martinez, MD, PhD, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, MICaB Graduate Faculty Candidate
“”
Faculty Nominee: Kris Hogquist

SEPTEMBER 17
Chris Brooke, PhD, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, MICaB Graduate Faculty Candidate
“”
Faculty Nominee: Ryan Langlois

SEPTEMBER 24
Perianne Smith
“Investigating CD8 T cell recruitment and retention at the maternal fetal interface"
Advisor: Nathan Schuldt
Student Host: Catherine Andres
Faculty Reviewers: Matt Aliota, Martina Bazzaro

OCTOBER 1
Gabi Farulla-Bastian
“Clumping in CAUTI: Enterococcus faecalis biofilm architecture changes in response to chemical cues in artificial urine media”
Advisor:  Julia Willett
Student Host: Melanie Barksdale
Faculty Reviewers: Hinh Ly, Rita Perlingeiro, Peter Gordon

OCTOBER 8
Mattie Soundararajan
“Nitrogen fixation for life beyond Earth"
Advisor: Katie Fixen
Student Host: Hannah Bergom
Faculty Reviewers: Larry Wackett, Monica Campo Patino, Ameeta Kelekar

OCTOBER 15
Alexa Weingarden, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine, MICaB Graduate Faculty Candidate
“Development and regulation of food-specific T cells in celiac disease and food allergy”
Faculty Nominee: Kris Hogquist

OCTOBER 22
Jax Dunning
“Programming T Cell Immunity: Principles of Prime-Boost Vaccination
Advisor: Dave Masopust
Student Host: MJ Franco
Faculty Reviewers: Daniel Bond

OCTOBER 29
Maryah Glover
“OX40 agonist immunotherapy induces type 1 regulatory CD4 T cells during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection"
Advisor: Tyler Bold
Student Host: Micala Hammond
Faculty Reviewers: Katie Fixen, Frank Cichocki, Simon Liang

NOVEMBER 5
Mark Salnikov
“Uncovering the diversity of antiviral responses across mammals"
Advisor: Ryan Langlois
Student Host: Daniel Kim Lee
Faculty Reviewers: Will Harcombe, Brian Fife, David Largaespada

NOVEMBER 12
Rizwan Mahmud
“"
Advisor: Kristina Burrack
Student Host: Suad Mohamed
Faculty Reviewers: Caity Holmes, Tanya Freedman, Scott Dehm

NOVEMBER 19
Enoc Granados Centeno
“B Cell leukemia induces a Tr1 CD4 T cell response and remodeling of the myeloid compartment to establish an immunosuppressive microenvironment"
Advisor: Mike Farrar
Student Host: Soumba Traore
Faculty Reviewers: Yinduo Ji, Sourav Ghosh, Stefani Thomas

NOVEMBER 26: NO SEMINAR- THANKSGIVING BREAK

DECEMBER 3
Alex Lenvik
“Mimicking Feeder-Cell Activation to Sustain NK Cell Potency"
Advisor: Frank Cichocki
Student Host: Matthew Watowich
Faculty Reviewers: Declan Schroeder, Geoff Hart, Zohar Sachs

DECEMBER 10
Trevor Tankersley
“"
Advisor: Sara Hamilton Hart
Student Host: Victor Yu
Faculty Reviewers: Lou Mansky, Yoji Shimizu, Kaylee Schwertfeger

DECEMBER 17
Michael Chang
“Aortic Intimal Resident Macrophage Contributions Towards Atherosclerosis Initiation and Lesion Growth"
Advisor: Jesse Williams
Student Host: Piper Zajac
Faculty Reviewers: Cari Vanderpool, Nikki Klatt, Walt Low

Cancer Center Seminar Series

Presented by Masonic Cancer Center. This interdisciplinary seminar series provides a venue for basic-science and clinical researchers to hear about cutting-edge work in all areas of cancer. The series features invited speakers and MCC faculty with expertise in selected topics related to cancer.

Seminars occur on Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00 a.m. in 1-125 CCRB