Under the Microscope Speaker Series
The Under the Microscope Speaker Series began in 2012 with the goal of building a community of learners amongst HCU students and faculty by inviting scientists to share their current biological research endeavors in a scientific seminar format. The speaker series engages students by challenging them to apply their textbook and classroom knowledge to the scientific research being presented and encouraging discussion about research and trending scientific topics. The HCU Biology department aims to bring Athens and Jerusalem together with our Under the Microscope Speaker Series, especially as it educates our students, making their world 鈥渄eeper, denser, and more beautiful鈥� (Pillar Seven, 鈥淭he Ten Pillars鈥�).
All students and faculty are welcome to attend the seminars and reception with light refreshments that follows.
Some of our past Under the Microscope speakers have included:
Summer Undergraduate Research Presentations, 2021-2022 RAMP Fellows
Jolie Schafer, Ph.D.,听HCU Class of 2012, Biology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,听Medical Science Liason, Kiadis
“From HCU Classroom to My Dream Job Within Biotech”, April 2020
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Scott M. Smith, Ph.D.,听Nutritionist, Manager for Nutritional Biochemistry,听Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory,听NASA Johnson Space Center
“The NASA Twins Study: The Nutritionist’s Perspective”, October 2019
Donna Chang,听President and CEO of Hope Biosciences
“The Future of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine”, September 2019
Jacob Flores, Oscar Benitez Jr., Peter Bolin, Arshaina Rehman, Tristan Henderson, Juan Cerda III
HCU Biology/BCMB Students, Summer 2019 Undergraduate Research Projects, September 2019
Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D.,听Dean of National School of Tropical Medicine, Professor in Department of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine,听Endowed Chair in Tropical Pediatrics, Texas Children鈥檚 Hospital,听Co-Director of Texas Children鈥檚 Hospital Center for Vaccine Development
鈥淒rug and vaccine development for tropical diseases鈥�, April 2019
Chris Amos, Ph.D.,听Associate Director of Quantitative Science,听Director for the Institute of Clinical and Translational Medicine,听Baylor College of Medicine
鈥淒evelopment and findings of a multinational study to understand genetic underpinnings of common cancers鈥�, March 2019
Bill Jackson, Ph.D.,听Founder and Chief Scientist,听Base Pair Technologies, Inc.
鈥淎ptamer Applications in Research, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics鈥�, February 2019
Charles S. Cox, Jr., M.D.,听George & Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Neurosciences,听Director of Program in Children鈥檚 Regenerative Medicine, Co-Director of Texas Trauma Institute, McGovern Medical School, UT Health
鈥淩egenerative medicine and cellular therapies 鈥� believe the data, not the hypotheses鈥�, November 2018
Kenneth Palle, Karen George, Ariana Maleki, Samantha Doskocil, Katherine Chu, Jacob Flores, John Coggins
HCU Biology/BCMB Students, Summer 2018 Undergraduate Research Projects, September 2018
Karen Posey, Ph.D.,听Assistant Professor,听Department of Pediatrics,听McGovern Medical School, UT Health
鈥淢olecular mechanisms that contribute to cartilage-related conditions鈥�, April 2018
Pei-Yong Shi, Ph.D.,听I.H. Kempner Professor, Human Genetics, Vice Chair for Innovation and Commercialization,听Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology,听University of Texas Medical Branch
鈥淎 single-dose live-attenuated Zika vaccine鈥�, February 2018
Megan Grove, M.S.,听Principal Laboratory Scientist,听Human Genetics Center, Department of Epidemiology,听School of Public Health, UT Health Science Center
鈥淕enetic and epigenetic laboratory methods to study the epidemiology of autism鈥�, December 2017
Michael Lorenz, Ph.D.,听Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics,听McGovern Medical School, UT Health
鈥淭he fungal pathogen Candida albicans subverts immune function through specialized metabolic adaptations鈥�, November 2017
听Ryan Riahi, M.D.,听Dermatologist, DermSurgery Associates,听HCU Alum
鈥淭opical Retinoids: Therapeutic Mechanisms in the Treatment of Photodamaged Skin鈥�, October 2017
Guillermina Lozano, Ph.D.,听Professor and Chair, Department of Genetics,听UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
鈥淭he p53 tumor suppressor pathway鈥�, September 2017
Dianna Milewicz, M.D., Ph.D.,听Chair, Department of Internal Medicine; Director, M.D./Ph.D. Program, McGovern Medical School, UT Health
鈥淲hy We Need Physician Scientists鈥�, May 2017
John Byrne, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, UT Health
鈥淜ey Concepts and Principles of Learning and Memory鈥�, April 2017
Rachel Miller, Ph.D.,听Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, UT Health
鈥淭ube or not tube: Wnt signaling in kidney tubulogenesis鈥�, March 2017
Hugo Bellen, DVM, Ph.D.,听Professor, Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics and Neuroscience, HHMI Investigator, Baylor College of Medicine
鈥淯ndiagnosed Disease and the Use of Flies in Diagnoses鈥�, February 2017
Mikhail Kolonin, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director, Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, McGovern Medical School, UT Health
鈥淎dipose Stromal Cell: Therapeutic Use, Pathological Roles, and Targeting鈥�, November 2016
Claudio Soto, Ph.D.,听Professor, Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, UT Health
“Protein Misfolding at the Root of Brain Diseases: Strategies for Treatment and Diagnosis鈥�, October 2016
Carrie Graham, M.S., Graduate Student, McGovern Medical School, UT Health
鈥淚nhibition of Candida albicans biofilms and virulence by Enterococcus faecalis bacteriocin, EF1097鈥�, September 2016
Rachel Hopp, Ph.D., Former HCU Biology Faculty Member
鈥淧ulling an All-Nighter: 听Sleep Deprivation听and Your Genes鈥�, April 2014
Hannah Wingate, Ph.D.,听Associate Professor of Biology, HBU
“Frankenfoods or fantastic foods? Do genetically modified foods make a healthy body?”, November 2013
Betty Thompson, Ph.D.,听Former HCU Biology Faculty Member
鈥淎nalyzing Buffalo Bayou: Clean Water for a Healthy Body鈥�, September 2013
Susan Cook, Ph.D.,听Professor of Biology, HBU
鈥淎dult Stem Cells – Recent Progress鈥�, February 2013
Curtis Henderson, Ph.D.,听Professor of Biology, HBU
鈥淲est Nile Virus Under the Microscope鈥�, September 2012
Honors in Biology Thesis Presentations:
Michael Clowers,听“Antimicrobial properties of听Solenopsis invicta听Transferrin”, May 4, 2018
HCU Faculty Mentor: Dr. Agnieszka Czopik
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Nemil Bhatt,听“Testing for Tetracycline Resistance in听Propionibacterium acnes听Using PCR”, May 5, 2017
HCU Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jackie Peltier Horn
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Kristen Ott,听“Effects of Src Inhibitor PD166285 on Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells”, May 5, 2017
HCU Faculty Mentor: Dr. Hannah Wingate
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Alexander Pop,听“The Effect of Infrasonic Mechanical Vibrations on the Biofilm Formation”, November 20, 2014
HCU Faculty Mentors: Dr. Jackie Peltier Horn & Dr. James Claycomb
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Anam Kesaria,听“An Analysis of Biofeedback, Alpha Waves, and Word Recall”, November 6, 2014
HCU Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachel Hopp
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Gloria Besil,听“Analysis of the Changes in Acquisition of Resistance to Bacteriostatic and Bacteriocidal Drugs by Escherichia coli”, November 15, 2013
HCU Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachel Hopp
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Jean Ghosn,听“Use of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to Detect听Naegleria fowleri听in Texas Lakes”, April 26, 2013
HCU Faculty Mentor: Dr. Hannah Wingate
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Heather Wilbourn,听“Influence of Bacteria and Dissolved Organic Carbon on Algal Growth”, April 27, 2012
HCU Faculty Mentors: Dr. Nicole Pinaire and Dr. Jackie Peltier Horn