Seminars

September 8 

“Emerging RNA viruses: Antiviral and innate immune control"

Sara Cherry, PhD, University of Pennsylvania

Host: Ryan Langlois, PhD

September 15 

Title: TBA

Andrew Adams, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota

Host: 

September 22 

"Translational control of gene expression in methanogenic archaea"

Rodney Tollerson, PhD, University of Auburn

Host: Kevin Lang, PhD

September 29

"Visualizing and manipulating immunity with light"

Minsoo Kim, PhD, University of Rochester

Host: Jesse Williams, PhD

October 6

Title: TBA

Shabaana Khader, PhD, University of Chicago

Host: Tyler Bold, PhD

October 13, **ROOM CHANGE TO 1-101 MRF**

"Bacterial stress responses and surface adhesion in shear flow"

Joseph Sanfilippo, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

Host: Bruno Lima, DDS, PhD, and Julia Willett, PhD

October 20

"Cell Biology of Coronavirus Assembly and Egress"

Thomas Gallagher, PhD, Loyola University Chicago

Host: Lou Mansky, PhD

October 27

"A novel CAF population coordinates hyper-suppressive regulatory T cell recruitment and localization in lung cancer"

Nicholas Arpaia, PhD, Columbia University

Host: Mike Farrar, PhD

November 3

Title: TBA

Chelsie Armbruster, PhD, University of Buffalo

Host: Julia Willett, PhD and Gabi Farulla-Bastian

November 10

Title: TBA

Daria Esterhazy, PhD, University of Chicago

Host: Brian Fife, PhD

November 17

"Can targeting the fungal septin cytoskeleton improve existing antifungal therapies?"

Jose Vargas-Muniz, PhD, Virginia Tech

Host: Anna Selmecki, PhD

November 24: NO SEMINAR

December 1

Title: TBA

Megan Horn Orzalli, PhD, U Mass Medical School

Host: Craig Bierle, PhD

December 8

Title: TBA

June Round, PhD, University of Utah

Host: Xavier Revelo, PhD

Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology Student Seminar Series
Fall Semester 2025
THURSDAYS, Noon-1:00 p.m.

Hybrid seminar held in 1-110 LRB/MTRF and available by livestream Zoom Link

SEPTEMBER 4
Drake Williams, DDS, PhD, Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, MICaB Grad Faculty Candidate
“Unique spatial organization promotes local immunity at the oral barrier”
Faculty Advocate: Jesse Williams

SEPTEMBER 11
Carla Rothlin, PhD, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, MICaB Graduate Faculty Candidate
“Curious about the response to cell death? An invitation to a life fueled by curiosity and discovery”
Faculty Advocate: Sara Hamilton Hart

SEPTEMBER 18
Craig Byersdorfer, MD/PhD, Department of Pediatrics, MICaB Graduate Faculty Candidate
“Reprogramming T cell. metabolism to modify in vivo immunity”
Faculty Advocate: Bruce Blazar

SEPTEMBER 25
Amanda Haeberle, "Host synovial fluid components drive liquid aggregates and biofilm changes for Enterococcus faecalis"
Advisor: Julia Willett
Student Host: Lexi Luo
Faculty Reviewers: Matt Aliota, Christina Camell, Simon Liang

OCTOBER 2
Sourav Ghosh, PhD, Department of Pharmacology, MICaB Graduate Faculty Candidate
“Decoding the response to cell death and damage”
Faculty Advocate: Sara Hamilton Hart

OCTOBER 9: **ROOM CHANGE: 1-101 Microbiology Research Facility (MRF)**
Steven Friedenberg, DVM, PhD, Department of Veterinary Medicine, MICaB Graduate Faculty Candidate
“Barking Through Barriers: Developing Canine Models of Naturally Occurring Autoimmune Disease”
Faculty Advocate: Marc Jenkins

OCTOBER 16
Brigitte Flannery, "Characterizing a novel role of the NP exonuclease using a safe Pichinde virus model for hemorrhagic fever-causing arenaviruses"
Advisor: Hinh Ly and Yuying Liang
Student Host: Julia Pritchard
Faculty Reviewers: Declan Schroeder, Frank Cichocki, Jannell Bazurto

OCTOBER 23
Hannah Hillman, "Targeting Trem2 in Atherosclerosis Progression and Regression"
Advisor: Jesse Williams
Student Host: Celeste Phillips
Faculty Reviewers: Tom Griffith, Mike Farrar, Martina Bazzaro

OCTOBER 30: **ROOM CHANGE: 2-102 CMRR**
Caleb Kim, "Identifying Immune-impaired Sepsis Patients and Improving T-cell Activity using Interleukin-7 immunotherapy"
Advisor: Tom Griffith
Student Host: Keval Parikh
Faculty Reviewers: Roberta O'Connor, Brian Fife, Justin Drake

NOVEMBER 6
Charlie Roll, "PIEZO1 mechanosensing in Autoimmune Valvular Carditis"
Advisor: Bryce Binstadt
Student Host: Hudson Li
Faculty Reviewers: Anna Tischler, Tanya Freedman, Peter Gordon

NOVEMBER 13
Grant Hickok, Title: TBA
Advisor: Ingunn Stromnes
Student Host: Hunter Houseman-Eddings
Faculty Reviewers: Will Harcombe, Bruce Walcheck, Ameeta Kelekar

NOVEMBER 20
John Roy Lozada, "Exploring the Double-Edged Nature of Natural Killer Cells in Human Health and Disease"
Advisor: Frank Cichocki
Student Host: Max Hellrung
Faculty Reviewers: Yinduo Ji, Steve Jameson, Chris Pennell

NOVEMBER 27: No Seminar- Thanksgiving Break

DECEMBER 4
Terran Stenger, "Enhancing the Natural Killer Cell Response Against Ovarian Cancer"
Advisor: Jeff Miller
Student Host: Elise Femino
Faculty Reviewers: Lou Mansky, Xavier Revelo, Emil Lou

DECEMBER 11
Cara-lin Lonetree, "Enhancing TCR-engineered T cell therapy with IL-15 cytokine fusion proteins for pancreatic cancer"
Advisor: Ingunn Stromnes
Student Host: Emma Dehm
Faculty Reviewers: Hinh Ly, Hai-Bin Ruan, David Largaespada

DECEMBER 18
Robert Maddox, "Characterizing the Effects of the Novel Bacteria-derived Natural Compound Mensacarcin Against the Apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum"
Advisor: Roberta O'Connor
Student Host: Marley Bishop
Faculty Reviewers: Caitlyn Holmes, Jesse Williams, Kaylee Schwertfeger

To view the Masonic Cancer Center Seminar Series, click here.