How long have you been with the department?
I started in the department in January 2025, so I have been here almost a year.

What motivated you to come to our department? 
I was excited about the diversity of questions, approaches, and model systems in this department. It is a great place to do interdisciplinary work on a non-traditional model system.

Where did you live before starting at UK? 
I moved from the bay area in California, where I was for graduate school and my postdoc, but I am originally from Massachusetts.

What are you most proud or excited about? 
I am so excited about getting the lab up and

What is your major? 
I’m currently a biology major.

Minors?
Political science.

What year do you graduate?
If all goes to plan, 2028.

Where are you from?
I’m from Lexington. 

Are you a first generation student?
No.

What motivated you to come to UK? To major in biology?
My parents were both alums, but truthfully I was interested in other universities outside of Kentucky. But UK has a large Biology Department with many helpful professors whom I couldn’t overlook. So far I’ve had a great experience and look forward to meeting more people within the department.

Have you had any mentors or professors who have

What is your connection to the Department of Biology?
I earned my Ph.D. from the Department of Biology in 1990. My work was under the supervision of Dr. Sheldon Steiner, and it was looking at the role of eicosanoids in myoblast fusion and differentiation. My work was heavily based on cell culture and biochemistry. As such, it gave me a chance to use a broad variety of technical skills.

What was your overall experience with the department? When I look back at the classes, graduate school was easy. I love the chance to explore different opportunities doing research rotations in my first year. Every one of the labs I was rotated through was exciting. I often think I only picked Shelly’s lab because his was the final rotation and I could just keep going

By Ryan Girves

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 1, 2025) — Throughout his career, Robin Cooper, Ph.D., has always been guided by curiosity. As a comparative physiologist in the Department of Biology in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, he has spent decades asking questions about how living systems work and encouraging students to ask their own.

The Chellgren Endowed Professorship gave Cooper the runway to amplify that spirit of inquiry, transforming his classroom and lab into even more powerful spaces where undergraduates

By Francis Von Mann

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 8, 2025) – In the Don & Cathy Jacobs Science Building, a mural sprawls across a whiteboard. On one side, a magnified cell with swirling, intricate layers. On the other, Charles Darwin circled by Galápagos finches and double helixes. It is equal parts science and art, memorialized with a signature in the corner: Shane D’Souza, Class of 2018.

Seven years later, D’Souza stands in front of that same mural – untouched by students who have long admired it – delivering a lecture on his research in pediatric ophthalmology. The audience of biology undergraduates leans in. His subject is technical, but his metaphors are clear and vivid. What

Biology Alum, Dr. Vince Gouge, was profiled on a UKNow article titled "From residents to patients: One couple’s full-circle journey with UK HealthCare". 

Click here to read the full article!

Tell us a little about yourself.

How long have you been with the department? 
Almost 7 years…!

What motivated you to come to our department? 
The uniquely strong focus on regeneration biology, the impressive number of non-traditional model organisms used in our research, and the incredibly supportive people.

Where did you live before starting at UK? 
Kansas City, MO.

Describe your time with the department so far. What are you most proud or excited about?

By Haven L. Patrick 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 14, 2025) — The University of Kentucky’s Office of Undergraduate Research has selected a cohort of Undergraduate Research Ambassadors — a group of outstanding students who serve as advocates for undergraduate research and creative scholarship at UK.

This year, the office awarded four students as Excellent Undergraduate Research Ambassadors in recognition of their outstanding contributions, achievements, dedication to promoting undergraduate research and creative opportunities across UK’s campus and fostering

By Avery Schanbacher and Francis Von Mann

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 9, 2025) -- Diksha Satish has always been a problem solver with a passion for helping people. That passion led her to pursue dual degrees in mathematics and biology at the University of Kentucky, combining analytical thinking with a desire to improve lives through science.

This Friday, Satish will graduate from the UK College of Arts and Sciences with dual degrees. Her academic journey has been shaped as much by research as by coursework.

During her first year at UK, Satish joined Lance Johnson’s neuroscience lab in the College of Medicine Department of

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 5, 2025) —  University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto has selected four graduating students to represent the Class of 2025 as speakers at UK’s May Commencement Ceremonies. The ceremonies take place Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10.

The students are Julianna Boulden, Ethan Morgan, Nigel Taylor and Tyler Chapman. 

Julianna Boulden

Boulden, from Richmond, Kentucky, is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music education from the UK College of Fine Arts. She will deliver the student address at the 9 a.m. Friday, May 9, ceremony.

During her time at UK, Boulden has been an active member of the campus music community, performing with the Wildcat Marching Band and Pep Band (as piccolo section leader), Wind Symphony, Symphony Band and Symphony Orchestra. She also served as a College of

Tell us a little about yourself.

What is your major?
Biology

Minors?
Microbiology

What year do you graduate?
2025 spring

Where are you from?
Brazil

What motivated you to come to UK?
UK has really good scholarships for international students and a great international community

To major in biology?
I was always very interested in scientific research, and UK was a great fit for biological research since it is an R1 institution.

Have you had any mentors or professors who have significantly impacted you?
Dr. Amelia

Tell us a little about yourself.

a. When do you graduate? 

I graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador in 2019. In 2023, I finished my master's in Biology at Columbus State University, Georgia. 

b. What motivated you to come to UK's department of biology?

I found a place to answer evolutionary questions in the Zenil-Ferguson lab. 

c. Where are you from?

I am from Quito-Ecuador, more precisely from Calderon.

Do you have any mentors or professors who significantly impacted your life in

My name is Jerri Alley. I grew up in Ashland, Kentucky. I live in Harrisonburg, Virginia now.

What is your connection to the Department of Biology? 

I was a biology major at UK. I graduated with a BS in Biology in 1992. 

What was your overall experience with the department? UK? 

I loved every aspect of my experience in the department of Biology! I felt very supported by faculty and staff.  My undergrad years were just before the William T. Young library was built, when the Biology Library was still on the third floor of the Thomas Hunt Morgan building. I worked in the library for 3 years during undergrad, and it was a great opportunity to get to know all the professors in the department. I also worked in Dr. Brian Rymond’s lab, which was a

By Francis Von Mann

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 19, 2025) – Palak Patel’s grandmother had tuberculosis in her ankle. It took 17 doctors to figure that out. Watching her family navigate a medical system that wasn’t built for them, Patel knew she had found her calling: becoming a Kentucky physician who serves the thousands of immigrant families who deserve better health care. 

Now a senior biology major in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College, Patel has spent four years building a foundation for her future. Through undergraduate research, academic mentorship and leadership experiences, she has built the confidence and skills necessary for medical school.

Patel grew up in Hopkinsville. Her parents and grandparents came to the United States from

By Charla Hamilton 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 19, 2025) — When Sara Khandani arrived in Kentucky at the age of 10, she faced an unfamiliar world. She had left behind her homeland of Iran, spoke limited English and was suddenly navigating a place that felt entirely foreign. Despite these challenges, she excelled academically, driven by a deep-seated determination and the values instilled in her by her family.

Khandani’s father was a physician in Iran, dedicated to treating patients of all ages. Sometimes patient care extended beyond

By Erin Wickey 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 13, 2024) — Julie Pendergast, Ph.D., and a team of researchers are exploring how disruptions to our body’s natural circadian rhythms and sleep affect health.

“Overwhelming evidence suggests that irregular circadian and sleep patterns, such as inconsistent bedtimes, wake times and eating schedules, are linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, metabolic disorders, cancer and reduced longevity,” said Pendergast, associate professor in the University of Kentucky's Department of Biology

By Jennifer T. Allen 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 24, 2025) — Plamedi Nsensele feels called to help others navigating their new life in the United States. 

“As an international student at the University of Kentucky, I see it as a blessing to pursue my education without the fear of needing help,” said Nsensele, a neuroscience and biology major from The Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Now, through the Step-Up Program, I’ve had the opportunity to work with immigrants from the same country as me, but with different circumstances.” 

Step-Up is an innovative service-learning program supporting high school students from immigrant and refugee families. The program helps them integrate into the United States. The program was recently awarded a Provost Impact Award for the 2024-25 academic year.

By Lindsay Travis 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 27, 2025) — Research conducted by an international team led by biologists at the University of Kentucky has found that the ability to regenerate complex tissue may be more widespread in mammals than previously thought — an important step toward figuring out why many most mammals, and humans in particular, have poor regenerative ability.  

Vertebrate regeneration is most commonly found in reptiles, amphibians and fish. In mammals it’s usually a limited ability:  deer regrowing antlers in the late spring or mice regrowing lost digit tips.

This latest study builds upon previous work using spiny mice by Ashley W. Seifert, Ph.D., a professor in the

By Beckman Foundation 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 24, 2025) — Growing up in Lexington, Kaitlyn Brock’s earliest exposure to research came from her stepmom, who was a student at the University of Kentucky participating in biology research. Now Brock and one of her four younger siblings attend UK. 

In 2022, the University of Kentucky was named a Beckman Scholars Program awardee. As one of just 14 institutions to receive the award, UK received funding support six scholar-mentor pairs over a three-year period. The Beckman Scholars Program provides