Fauna BIO has an interesting business model that seeks to exploit the basic science of special animal phenotypes for insight into the development of new therapeutics (think GLP-1 agonists).

Click here to learn more about Fauna Bio.

UK Biology Annual Alumni Weekend - 2025

Thursday, October 23 - Saturday, October 25, 2025

Join Alumni, friends, and members of the Department of Biology to celebrate our Annual Biology Alumni Weekend featuring the following opportunities below.

*Thursday, October 23 

16th Annual Thomas Hunt Morgan lecturer, Dr. Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado of the Stower's Institute, will provide a scientific lecture, "Understanding the Sources of Regenerative Capacity in Animals," at 2 p.m. in the Thomas Hunt Morgan building, room 116.

Friday, October 24: 

Coffee & Networking - Meet current undergraduate and graduate students and connect with fellow alumni to share your career experience. 10-11 a.m., W.T. Young Library, Multipurpose Room (B-108C), 401 Hilltop Ave., Lexington, KY 40508

Meet Current Biology Faculty - Come learn about the exciting research and innovative teaching going on in our department from 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. in the Don and Cathy Jacobs Science Building, Room 361M, 680 Rose St., Lexington, KY 40508

Thomas Hunt Morgan Reception - Drinks and food with fellow alumni and members of the department at the historic Thomas Hunt Morgan House in downtown Lexington, 210 North Broadway, 40507 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Check out the fun we had in previous years here.

Saturday, October 25: 

Alumni Tailgate - UK vs. Tennessee. 5 p.m., game starts at 7:45pm Location: Tobacco Research Lawns, 1401 University Drive, Lexington, KY 40503
Pictures of the tailgate location below.

RSVP here!  We’re looking forward to seeing you!

*The Thomas Hunt Morgan lecture was created in 2009 to honor the research career of Thomas Hunt Morgan, a Lexington native and graduate of the University of Kentucky, and to honor the outstanding scientists whose work reflects the highest achievement in genetics, molecular biology, and developmental biology. This lecture gives scientists the opportunity to highlight their work to basic researchers, physician scientists, research faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate and undergraduate students.  

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.

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.

Dr. Antonis Rokas | Rokas Lab

Bio:
Antonis Rokas is a professor at the Departments of Biological Sciences and of Biomedical Informatics at Vanderbilt University and a holder of the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Biological Sciences. He also serves as the founding director of the Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative (http://www.vanderbilt.edu/evolution), an interdisciplinary center that unites scholars from diverse disciplines with broad interests and expertise in evolution-related fields. Rokas received his B.S. in Biology from the University of Crete, Greece (1998) and his Ph.D. from Edinburgh University, Scotland (2001). Before joining Vanderbilt in the summer of 2007, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2002–2005) and a research scientist at the Broad Institute (2005–2007). Research in the Rokas lab focuses on the study of the DNA record to gain insight into the patterns and processes of evolution. Through a combination of computational and experimental approaches, his current research aims to understand the molecular foundations of the fungal lifestyle, the reconstruction of the tree of life and the evolution of human pregnancy-associated traits.

Abstract:
Eutherian mammals have characteristic lengths of gestation that are key for reproductive success, but relatively little is known about the processes that determine the timing of parturition. This issue remains one of biology's great unsolved mysteries and has significant clinical relevance because preterm birth is the leading cause of infant and under 5-year-old child mortality worldwide. In my talk, I will describe my team’s and collaborative efforts to understand the genetic architecture of gestation length in (European) humans, the evolutionary forces acting on human loci involved (and an approach for extending this for any complex trait), and the evolution of gestation length in relation to other life history traits across mammals.

Watch the seminar here!