Past Seminars
This archive details past seminars hosted as part of our annual Current Topics in Genetics Seminar Series held each Spring. These seminars showcase a diverse range of speakers and topics that reflect the program’s commitment to interdisciplinary research, training, and scientific exchange. Explore previous years to learn more about the speakers, themes, and scholarly conversations that have shaped the series over time.
2026
| 3/23/26 MERF 2117 | Andrew Lieberman, MD, PhD Gerald Abrams Collegiate Professor of Pathology, Director of Neuropathology University of Michigan “Deconstructing polyglutamine-mediated neuromuscular degeneration” Hosted by Mark Schultz, PhD |
| 3/30/26 Biology Building East Room 101 | Keith A. Maggert, PhD Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology University of Arizona "Ribosomal DNA: a model for genome instability in evolution and cancer" Hosted by Lori Wallrath, PhD |
| 4/6/26 MERF 2117 | Ariel Bazzini, PhD Associate Investigator Stowers Institute for Medical Research "Temporal and spatial post-transcriptional gene regulation during embryogenesis and viral infection" Hosted by Ryan Boudreau, PhD |
| 4/13/26 MERF 2117 | James F. Martin, MD, PhD Vice Chair of Integrative Physiology Baylor College of Medicine "Hippo Signaling in Heart Regeneration" Hosted by Genetics Graduate Students |
| 4/20/26 MERF 2117 | Sarven Sabunciyan, PhD Associate Professor of Pediatrics Johns Hopkins School of Medicine "Extracellular Vesicle mRNAs in Psychiatric Disorders: Passive Biomarkers or Active Biological Signals" Hosted by Ginny Willour, PhD |
| 4/27/26 BSB Aud 3 - Watzke | Emily Bates, PhD Associate Professor of Pediatrics - Developmental Biology University of Colorado School of Medicine "Electrical control of limb and craniofacial development" Hosted by Martine Dunnwald, PhD |
2025
| 5/05/2025 101 BBE | Karla Kaun, PhD Associate Professor of Neuroscience Brown University “Molecular Changes Underlying Alcohol Reward” Hosted by Seth Tomchik, PhD |
| 4/28/2025 101 BBE | Shelley Lumba, PhD Assistant Professor of Cell & Systems Biology University of Toronto “One signal, two kingdoms: How strigolactones are perceived by plants and fungi" Hosted by Bin He, PhD |
| 4/21/2025 2117 MERF | Anjana Rao, PhD Professor La Jolla Institute for Immunology “The TET-DNMT-ASXL1-OGT axis: regulation of DNA and histone methylation, clonal haematopoiesis, and cancer” Hosted by Markus Kuehn, PhD |
| 4/14/2025 2117 MERF | Carsten G. Bönnemann, MD, Habil. Senior Investigator – Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood National Institute of Health “Childhood ALS and the Missing 6th Sense: Novel SPT and PIEZO2 Associated Syndromes” Hosted by the Genetics Graduate Students |
Canceled 4/7/2025 | Andrew Lieberman, PhD Professor of Pathology, Director of Neuropathology University of Michigan “Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy: more than just a motor neuron disease” Hosted by Mark Schultz, PhD |
| 3/31/2025 2117 MERF | Pejman Mohammadi, PhD Associate Professor of Pediatrics – Division of Immunology University of Washington, Seattle "Multimodal analysis of RNA sequencing data powers genetic discovery" Hosted by the Genetics Graduate Students |
2024
| 4/29/24 101 BBE (Kollross) | Molly Duman-Schell, PhD, Navari Family Professor, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics Faculty host: Dan Eberl, Ph.D. |
| 4/22/24 | Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, Director, Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics Faculty host: Arlene Drack, M.D. |
| 4/15/24 | No Seminar |
| 4/8/24 101 BBE (Kollross) | Vilhelm Bohr, MD, PhD, Professor, D, SC Host: Genetics Graduate Program student invited speaker |
| 4/1/24 | Janine Kwapis, PhD, Paul Bery Early Career Professor and Assistant Professor of Biology Faculty host: Ted Abel, Ph.D. |
| 3/25/24 | Ryan Corces, PhD, Assistant Investigator Host: Genetics Graduate Program student invited speaker |
| 3/18/24 | Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine Faculty host: Ryan Boudreau, PhD |
2023
| 5/1/23 101 BBE (Kollross) | Laura Landweber, PhD, Professor, Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, and Biological Sciences, and Systems Biology. Columbia University “RNA-Mediated Genome Rearrangements in the Ciliate Oxytricha” |
| 4/24/23 | Helen Jones, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics “In utero gene therapy; Targeting and improving placental development and function |
| 4/17/23 Virtual | Lucy Bai, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Penn State University “Binding Mechanism of Pioneer Factors” |
| 4/10/23 | Cat Pinnaro, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics University of Iowa “Turner syndrome and Associated Phenotypes: The X chromosome and Beyond” |
| 4/3/23 | Seth Tomchik, PhD, Professor, Department of Neuroscience & Pharmacology University of Iowa “Nf1 Ras GAP effects on repetitive motor behaviors and metabolic alterations” |
| 3/27/23 | Mark Schultz, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics University of Iowa “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Proteostatic therapeutics for Niemann-Pick type C disease” |
| 3/20/23 | Elena Semina, PhD, Professor and Chair, Division of Developmental Biology Medical College of Wisconsin “Exploring Underlying Causes of Rare Developmental Phenotypes” |
| 2/20/23 | Quasar Padiath, MBBS, PhD, Associate Professor Human Genetics, and Department of Neurobiology University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health “The role of the nuclear lamina in disease and development” |
| 1/30/23 101 BBE (Kollross) | Marc Freeman, PhD, Director and Senior Scientist Oregon Health & Science University, Vollum Institue “Neuronal remodeling in complex metazoans” |