Medical College of Wisconsin Microbiology & Immunology Seminars

The annual Distinguished Lecture in Infectious Disease was established in 2009 and is a collaboration between the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Divisions of Infectious Diseases for adults and pediatric patients, Office of Global Health, and Center for Infectious Disease Research to bring speakers who are internationally known as experts in diverse aspects of Infectious Diseases to MCW.

2025
Damian Krysan, MD, PhD

2024
Audrey Odom John, MD, PhD

2023
Jean-Laurent Casanova, MD, PhD

2022
Tobias Hohl, MD, PhD

2021
COVID

2020
COVID

2019
Linda K. Bockenstedt, MD

2018
David A. Relman, MD

2017
Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD

2016
Toni Darville, MD

2015
Steve Calderwood, MD

2014
Eric Rubin, MD, PhD

2013
Alice Prince, MD

2012
Allen Steere, MD

2011
Barbara Murray, MD

2010
Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD

2009
Jane Koehler, MD

Microbiology & Immunology Graduate Student RIP presentations take place in-person on Fridays from 12–1 p.m. Please contact the M&I Seminar Committee, microseminar@mcw.edu, for room location or other information.

September 27, 2024
Rip Kick-off

October 4, 2024
Perrin Schupbach
Advisor: N/A
p66Shc and TRPC channels: A Potential Interplay in Regulation of Renal Vascular Reactivity

October 11, 2024
Alexis Uitenbroek Knotek
Advisor: Kristich
The peptidoglycan hydrolase MltG is phosphorylated in response to cell wall stress in Enterococcus faecalis

October 18, 2024
Kelli Sommers
Advisor: Dittel
Neuronal protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1) activation induces microtubule destabilization altering axonal transport in models of neuroinflammation

October 25, 2024
Rip Event
Advisor: N/A
Chili Cook Off and Pumpkin Carving

November 15, 2024
Nathan Witman
Advisor: Wen
Divergent clonal B cell expansion in hospitalized COVID-19 patients that developed prothrombotic platelet-activating antibodies

November 22, 2024
Olaide Abiona
Advisor: Salzman
Investigating the role of tuft cells in Paneth cell secretion of antimicrobial peptides

December 6, 2024
Lexi Kazen
Advisor: Kirby
Investigating the influence of the microbiota on energy balance in C57BL/6J mice

December 13, 2024
Angela Beltrame
Advisor: Dittel
Identification of a chemotactic mechanism required for localization of IgD Low (BDL) B cell to Treg to enhance tolerance

January 10, 2025
Kathryn Taquet
Advisor: Riehle
Investigating the effects of a chromosomal inversion on the architecture of gene regulation in a major malaria vector

January 17, 2025
RIP EVENT
Advisor: NA
Student Recognition Lunch

January 24, 2025
Maria Poimenidou
Advisor: Dwinell
TBA

January 31, 2025
Lu Zhou
Advisor: Wen
Developmental Trajectory of B Cells in Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia

February 7, 2025
Ryan Brown
Advisor: Cui
TBA

February 14, 2025
Donovan Drouillard
Advisor: Dwinell
Microbiome-derived RORyT+ Tregs are recruited to mucosal tumors through CCL20-CCR6

February 21, 2025
Lauren Prochniak & Erika Johansen
Advisor: Lochhead (Lauren) & Tarakanova ( Erika)
Dual Presentation ( 30 Minutes Each Session)

February 28, 2025
Dilini Kumarasinghe & Cade Rahlf
Advisor: Kristich ( Dilini) & Tarakanova ( Cade)
Dual Presentation ( 30 Minutes Each Session)

March 7, 2025
Tyler Laib
Advisor: Kirby
TBA

March 14, 2025
Leonard Asare & Collin McAllister
Advisor: Salzman (Leonard) & Kirby ( Collin)
Dual Presentation ( 30 Minutes Each Session)

March 21, 2025
Maya Blau & Matt Brown
Advisor: Kristich (Maya) & Tarakanova ( Matt)
Dual Presentation ( 30 Minutes Each Session)

March 28, 2025
Andrew Cao & Thomas Meir
Wen ( Cao) & Meir ( Dittel)
Dual Presentation ( 30 Minutes Each Session)

April 4, 2025
Eva Rodriguez
Advisor: Terhune
TBA

April 11, 2025
Sameya Aurna
Advisor: Terhune
TBA

April 18, 2025
Tanya Kozlik & Elisabeth Solis
Advisor: Zamora (Kozlik) & Dwinell ( Elisabeth)
Dual Presentation ( 30 Minutes Each Session)

April 25, 2025
Rajdip Basnet & Shannon Kafura
Advisor: Yu ( Basnet) & Kroner-Milsch (Kafura)
Dual Presentation ( 30 Minutes Each Session)

Fall 2025

September 9, 2025
Sabari Radhakrishnan, MD
Strategies to overcome resistance to CAR T cell therapy
Medical College of Wisconsin

September 30, 2025
Aldofo Garcia-Sastre, PhD (Grossberg Lectureship)
Influenza virus tropism and pathogenesis
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

October 7, 2025
Jennifer Knight, MD
Biologic Embedding of Stress: Immune Transcriptomics in HCT and Cellular Therapy
Medical College of Wisconsin

October 14, 2025
Hongxu Xian, PhD
Mitochondrial DNA at the Heart of Inflammation and Autoimmunity
Versiti Blood Research Institute

November 4, 2025
Dara Frank, PhD
The Mechanism of Activation of ExoU by Ubiquitin
Medical College of Wisconsin

November 11, 2025
Stefanie Sarantopoulos MD, PhD
The B Cell Receptor in Chronic GVHD and Beyond
Duke University

December 9, 2025
John Karijolich, PhD
The Double-Edged Sword of Gene Regulation: RNA Biology During Virus Infection
Vanderbilt University

Spring 2026

January 6, 2026
Qing Yi MD, PhD
IL-9-Secreting T-Cell Subsets and CAR-T Cells for Immunotherapy of Cancer
Houston Methodist Academic Institute

January 20, 2026
Nicholas Jarjour, PhD
Collaboration among common gamma chain cytokines supports circulating and tissue-resident CD8+ T cell memory
Versiti Blood Research Institute

February 10, 2026
Tammy Kindel MD, PhD
Bariatric surgery, bile acids, and the gut microbiome: who is in charge?
Medical College of Wisconsin

February 24, 2026
Lyric Bartholomay, PhD
The Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease: Responding to Tick and Mosquito-Borne Disease Threats in the Upper Midwest, USA
University of Wisconsin-Madison

March 3, 2026
Akinyemi I. Ojesina MD, PhD
Of Bugs and Crabs: Multi-Realm Forces That Shape Cancer

March 31, 2026
Renren Wen, PhD
Platelet-Activating Antibodies: Emerging Biology and Disease Associations
Versiti Blood Research Institute

April 14, 2026
Michael Widlansky, MD (CMR Seminar)
Targeting the Gut Microbiome to Improve Vascular Health
Medical College of Wisconsin

April 21, 2026
Hiutung Chu, PhD (CMR Seminar)
Inflammation Shapes Bacterial Evolution & Host Immunity
University of California, San Diego

April 28, 2026
Juan Cubillos-Ruiz, PhD
Immunometabolic programs controlled by endoplasmic reticulum stress
Cornell University

May 5, 2026
Douglas Golenbock, MD (Distinguished Faculty Lectureship)
Gonococcal infections depend on the activity of interferon epsilon
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

May 12, 2026
Jessica Seeliger, PhD
Measuring membrane diversity in mycobacteria
Stony Brook University

Seminars are held on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. in a hybrid format unless otherwise noted. Please contact the M&I Seminar Committee, microseminar@mcw.edu, for room location, Zoom link, or other information.

October 15, 2024
Dr. Yuan Chang ( Grossberg Lectureship)
Molecular Discovery of Human Tumor Viruses
Microbiology

October 29, 2024
Dr. Bruce Levine
Translational Engineering of Immunity for HIV and for Cancers in Humans
Center of Immunology

November 12, 2024
Dr. Alita Burmeister
Bacteria, Phage, and the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
Microbiology

November 19, 2024
Dr. Michael Howitt (Stanford)
The Impact of Commensal Eukaryotes on Mucosal immunity and the Bacterial Microbiome
Center for Microbiome

December 3, 2024
Dr. Pui Lam
Danionella cerebrum — a novel vertebrate model for innate immunity and neuroinflammation
Microbiology

December 10, 2024
Dr. Abby Kroken
Where’s Pseudomonas? Subcellular niches occupied during ocular surface infection
Microbiology

December 17, 2024
Dr. Yi-Guang Chen
Where’s Pseudomonas? Subcellular niches occupied during ocular surface infection
Microbiology

January 14, 2025
Dr. Guangbo (Bill) Chen
A Natural Adjuvant Underlies Vaccine Response Variability in Humans
Microbiology

February 25, 2025
Dr. John Karijolich
RNA-based Mechanisms of Viral Restriction
Microbiology

March 4, 2025
Dr. Serigo Pontejo
Chemokines and anionic phospholipids: new binding partners for microbial killing and apoptotic cell clearance
Center of Immunology

March 18, 2025
Dr. Ze Zheng
TBA
Center for Microbiome

April 8, 2025
Dr. Snehal Chaudhari
Host-Microbiome Interactions and Intestinal Microbial Metabolites in Health and Disease
Center for Microbiome

April 29, 2025
Dr. Mark Jay Shlomchik
Age Associated B cells and Extrafollicular B Cell Responses: Mechanistic insights from lupus and infection
Microbiology

May 6, 2025
Dr. Drew Kiraly (Wake Forest)
Host immune-Gut Microbiome Interactions in the Pathophysiology of Mental Illness
Center for Microbiome

May 13, 2025
Dr. Damian Krysan (Distinguished Faculty Seminar in Infectious Diseases)
How Fungal Pathogens Adapt to the Host Environment
Center for Infectious Disease Research (CIDR)
This seminar will start at 12 p.m.