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
“Exploring mechanism of central and peripheral tolerance”
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