Carleton College Biology Department Seminars
2011-2012 Academic Year

Mondays, 3:30-4:30 PM in Olin 141

Some events are scheduled for a Friday. In those weeks, please check to see if there is also a Monday seminar.

Seminar requirements (a reminder for seniors):

Seniors need to attend 14 seminars over the academic year to fulfill the comps seminar requirement.

If you have any questions, please contact Lorie Tuma, 222-4884

Link to Past Seminar Events

FALL 2011                                                       

Sept 12 - No Seminar - Opening Convocation

Sept 19 - Jonathan M. Jacobs, Research Assistant, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. "The Ralstonia solanacearum in planta transcriptome -how to succeed in a hostile habitat."  Host: Raka Mitra

Sept 26 - Dr. Jennifer A. Pietenpol, Director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Professor of Molecular Oncology. "From a Single Gene to the Genome:  Therapeutic Advances for a Difficult-to-Treat Breast Cancer"   Host: John Tymoczko

Oct 3 - Dr. Larry J Young,  William P. Timmie Professor, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University.  "Neurobiology and Evolution of Monogamy: Implications for Autism."  Host: Matt Rand

Oct 10 - Dr. W. Gibson Wood, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota. "Statins - good for the heart, good for the brain: Neuroprotective mechanisms of simvastatin."  Host: Fernan Jaramillo

Oct 17 - Mid term break - No Seminar

Oct 24 - Dr. Sarah Meerts, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Carleton College. "The Neurobiology of Female Reproductive Behavior." Host: Matt Rand.

October 31 -  Dr. Tony Gamble, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota. "Using phylogenies to study the evolution of complex traits in geckos."  Host: Jennifer Wolff.

Nov 7 -  Dr. Robert Zink, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota. "What's really interesting about Darwin's finches is still unclear"  Host: Mark McKone 

Nov 14 -  Dr. Eric Lonsdorf, Chicago Botanic Garden. "The birds and bees of jobs in ecology and conservation."  Host: Mark McKone

WINTER 2012

Jan 4 - First day of classes

Jan 9 - BioChemistry candidate

Jan 16 - Dr. Carrie S. Ketel, Assistant Professor of Biology, Bemidji State University. "Neocentromeres and SET domain proteins in Candida albicans."  Host: Jennifer Wolff

Jan 23 - Dr. Stephen C. Ekker, Professor of Biochem/Molecular Biology. Mayo Clinic.  "InSciEd Out Zebrafish Molecular Genetics in the 21st Century."  Host: Jennifer Wolff

Jan 30 - Dr. Kevin Crisp, Assistant Professor of Biology, St. Olaf College. "Cellular Basis of a Simple Form of Learning in the Leech Host: Fernan Jaramillo

Feb 6 - Mid-term break (No seminar)

Feb 13 - Dr. Sarah Boyer, Assistant Professor of Biology, Macalester College. "Biogeographic History of Tiny Daddy Long-Legs: Unraveling the Evolutionary Relationships of the Mite Harvestment."   Host: Dan Hernandez

Feb 20 -  Dr. Robinn Epinga, Mayo Clinic, "Pancreatic cancer metastasis: a Not-So-Great Migration",
Host: Sabrice Guerrier

Feb 27 -  Dr. Linda Kinkel, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota. "The Underground Arms Race:  Microbial Competition and Pathogen Inhibition in Soil." Host: Dan Hernandez

March 5 -  Dr. Ed Hall, USGS Research Biologist, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University. "Linking microbial and ecosystem ecology: what matters and how to measure it." Host: Dan Hernandez

SPRING 2012

March 26 - First day of class

April 2 -   Ecosystems Candidate Talk

April 9 -   Ecosystems Candidate Talk

April 16 - Ecosystems Candidate Talk

April 23 - Dr. Elizabeth Addis '02, HHMI Science Teaching Post-doctoral Fellow, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. "The effects of seasonality on  testosterone in birds."  Host: Matt Rand.

April 30 - Midterm Break (No Seminar)

May 7 -  Dr. Jerry F. Husak, St. Thomas University, "Linking steroids, performance, and fitness in lizards." Host: Matt Rand

May 14 - Will Kruesi '07, Graduate Student, University of California Berkeley, "Dosage Compensation: Controlling Gene Expression Across an Entire Chromosome." Host: Jennifer Wolff

May 21 - Dr. Susanne M. Votruba, NIH/NIDDK, "Om nom nom: what determines how much we eat?" Host: John Tymoczko

May 28 -Dr. Thomas W. Abrams '72, Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "A bistable synaptic switch contributes to an attention-like mechanism."   Host: Fernan Jaramillo