Dr. Lynn Martin | Martin Lab

Bio:
Dr. Lynn B. Martin is a professor of global, environmental and genomic health sciences in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in biology from Virginia Commonwealth University and completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University, followed by postdoctoral training in psychology and neuroscience at The Ohio State University.

His research focuses on physiological ecology, disease ecology and ecological epigenetics, with an emphasis on how organisms respond to environmental change. Much of his work uses wild vertebrates — especially birds and small mammals — to understand how variation in immune function, hormones and gene regulation shapes health, host competence and adaptation in natural populations.

Abstract:
Why do some populations colonize new areas whereas others fail? This question is becoming more and more important to answer as we continue to change the planet. For about two decades, my lab has been studying how one of the world’s most common species, the house sparrow, has achieved its success. Whereas we have considered a variety of behavioral and physiological mechanisms, we are finding that one epigenetic process, namely the regulation of gene expression via DNA methylation, was particularly important. In this talk, I’ll present highlights of our current work on how the interplay of foraging behavior, infection with gut pathogens and physiological defenses has enabled some birds to found new populations and hence colonize many parts of the world.

Dr. Lynn Martin | Martin Lab

Bio:
Dr. Lynn B. Martin is a professor of global, environmental and genomic health sciences in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in biology from Virginia Commonwealth University and completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University, followed by postdoctoral training in psychology and neuroscience at The Ohio State University.

His research focuses on physiological ecology, disease ecology and ecological epigenetics, with an emphasis on how organisms respond to environmental change. Much of his work uses wild vertebrates — especially birds and small mammals — to understand how variation in immune function, hormones and gene regulation shapes health, host competence and adaptation in natural populations.

Abstract:
Why do some populations colonize new areas whereas others fail? This question is becoming more and more important to answer as we continue to change the planet. For about two decades, my lab has been studying how one of the world’s most common species, the house sparrow, has achieved its success. Whereas we have considered a variety of behavioral and physiological mechanisms, we are finding that one epigenetic process, namely the regulation of gene expression via DNA methylation, was particularly important. In this talk, I’ll present highlights of our current work on how the interplay of foraging behavior, infection with gut pathogens and physiological defenses has enabled some birds to found new populations and hence colonize many parts of the world.

Dr. Lynn Martin | Martin Lab

Bio:
Dr. Lynn B. Martin is a professor of global, environmental and genomic health sciences in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in biology from Virginia Commonwealth University and completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University, followed by postdoctoral training in psychology and neuroscience at The Ohio State University.

His research focuses on physiological ecology, disease ecology and ecological epigenetics, with an emphasis on how organisms respond to environmental change. Much of his work uses wild vertebrates — especially birds and small mammals — to understand how variation in immune function, hormones and gene regulation shapes health, host competence and adaptation in natural populations.

Abstract:
Why do some populations colonize new areas whereas others fail? This question is becoming more and more important to answer as we continue to change the planet. For about two decades, my lab has been studying how one of the world’s most common species, the house sparrow, has achieved its success. Whereas we have considered a variety of behavioral and physiological mechanisms, we are finding that one epigenetic process, namely the regulation of gene expression via DNA methylation, was particularly important. In this talk, I’ll present highlights of our current work on how the interplay of foraging behavior, infection with gut pathogens and physiological defenses has enabled some birds to found new populations and hence colonize many parts of the world.

Dr. Nick Keiser | Keiser Lab

Bio:
Nick Keiser is a behavioral disease ecologist interested in how behavioral trait variation can influence infectious disease dynamics. His mentees study questions at the nexus of animal behavior, parasitology and disease ecology in a variety of such (mostly invertebrate) study systems as flies, spiders, ticks, snails and their associated parasites.

Abstract:
The fields of animal behavior and infectious disease are both typified by heterogeneity. Differences among individuals, between social groups and between populations in their behavioral trait compositions can all alter the dynamics of infectious diseases. In this seminar, I will address how animal behavior can alter host-pathogen interactions across different scales from individuals to populations in several study systems. These study systems will weave three tales on behavioral trait diversity, behavioral parasitology, and parasite manipulation of host behavior.

Watch the seminar here!

Dr. Nick Keiser | Keiser Lab

Bio:
Nick Keiser is a behavioral disease ecologist interested in how behavioral trait variation can influence infectious disease dynamics. His mentees study questions at the nexus of animal behavior, parasitology and disease ecology in a variety of such (mostly invertebrate) study systems as flies, spiders, ticks, snails and their associated parasites.

Abstract:
The fields of animal behavior and infectious disease are both typified by heterogeneity. Differences among individuals, between social groups and between populations in their behavioral trait compositions can all alter the dynamics of infectious diseases. In this seminar, I will address how animal behavior can alter host-pathogen interactions across different scales from individuals to populations in several study systems. These study systems will weave three tales on behavioral trait diversity, behavioral parasitology, and parasite manipulation of host behavior.

Watch the seminar here!

Dr. Nick Keiser | Keiser Lab

Bio:
Nick Keiser is a behavioral disease ecologist interested in how behavioral trait variation can influence infectious disease dynamics. His mentees study questions at the nexus of animal behavior, parasitology and disease ecology in a variety of such (mostly invertebrate) study systems as flies, spiders, ticks, snails and their associated parasites.

Abstract:
The fields of animal behavior and infectious disease are both typified by heterogeneity. Differences among individuals, between social groups and between populations in their behavioral trait compositions can all alter the dynamics of infectious diseases. In this seminar, I will address how animal behavior can alter host-pathogen interactions across different scales from individuals to populations in several study systems. These study systems will weave three tales on behavioral trait diversity, behavioral parasitology, and parasite manipulation of host behavior.

Watch the seminar here!

Dr. Nick Keiser | Keiser Lab

Bio:
Nick Keiser is a behavioral disease ecologist interested in how behavioral trait variation can influence infectious disease dynamics. His mentees study questions at the nexus of animal behavior, parasitology and disease ecology in a variety of such (mostly invertebrate) study systems as flies, spiders, ticks, snails and their associated parasites.

Abstract:
The fields of animal behavior and infectious disease are both typified by heterogeneity. Differences among individuals, between social groups and between populations in their behavioral trait compositions can all alter the dynamics of infectious diseases. In this seminar, I will address how animal behavior can alter host-pathogen interactions across different scales from individuals to populations in several study systems. These study systems will weave three tales on behavioral trait diversity, behavioral parasitology, and parasite manipulation of host behavior.

Watch the seminar here!

Dr. Nick Keiser | Keiser Lab

Bio:
Nick Keiser is a behavioral disease ecologist interested in how behavioral trait variation can influence infectious disease dynamics. His mentees study questions at the nexus of animal behavior, parasitology and disease ecology in a variety of such (mostly invertebrate) study systems as flies, spiders, ticks, snails and their associated parasites.

Abstract:
The fields of animal behavior and infectious disease are both typified by heterogeneity. Differences among individuals, between social groups and between populations in their behavioral trait compositions can all alter the dynamics of infectious diseases. In this seminar, I will address how animal behavior can alter host-pathogen interactions across different scales from individuals to populations in several study systems. These study systems will weave three tales on behavioral trait diversity, behavioral parasitology, and parasite manipulation of host behavior.

Watch the seminar here!

Dr. Nick Keiser | Keiser Lab

Bio:
Nick Keiser is a behavioral disease ecologist interested in how behavioral trait variation can influence infectious disease dynamics. His mentees study questions at the nexus of animal behavior, parasitology and disease ecology in a variety of such (mostly invertebrate) study systems as flies, spiders, ticks, snails and their associated parasites.

Abstract:
The fields of animal behavior and infectious disease are both typified by heterogeneity. Differences among individuals, between social groups and between populations in their behavioral trait compositions can all alter the dynamics of infectious diseases. In this seminar, I will address how animal behavior can alter host-pathogen interactions across different scales from individuals to populations in several study systems. These study systems will weave three tales on behavioral trait diversity, behavioral parasitology, and parasite manipulation of host behavior.

Watch the seminar here!

Dr. Afshin Beheshti 
 

Bio:
Afshin Beheshti, Ph.D. is a professor of surgery and of computational and systems biology at the University of Pittsburgh. He serves as director of the newly launched Space Center for Space Biomedicine and as associate director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Pitt​. In addition, Beheshti holds a visiting scientist appointment at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard​.

Abstract:
Human spaceflight presents significant health challenges driven by microgravity, space radiation, isolation and other environmental stressors. Recent multi-omics research has revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction is a central biological consequence of space travel, contributing to systemic impacts such as accelerated aging, cardiovascular disease, and impaired metabolic function. Data from astronaut missions and ground-based space analogs demonstrate persistent mitochondrial suppression even after returning to Earth. This talk highlights how space serves as an accelerated model for studying human diseases and aging, offering insights applicable both to space exploration and terrestrial medicine. Using advanced 3D organoid models and multi-omics analysis, we have identified promising countermeasures, including the natural flavonoid Kaempferol, which restores mitochondrial bioenergetics and reverses radiation-induced gene expression changes in multiple tissues. These findings underscore the critical role of mitochondria as both biomarkers and therapeutic targets for sustaining human health in deep space missions, while also advancing precision medicine strategies on Earth.