Biochemistry Seminars

All seminars will be delivered virtually

Fall 2020

Friday, August 21, 2020 at 12:00 PM
Martha Bomar, Ph.D. 
Executive Director, Quality Assurance and Site Quality Head, Merck Manufacturing Division 
"Applications for Protein Biochemistry in Vaccine Manufacturing"
Host: Pei Zhou, PhD
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Nozaki Distinguished Lecture
Friday, September 18, 2020 at 12:00 PM
Bonnie L. Bassler, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Molecular Biology & HHMI Investigator, Princeton University
"Quorum-Sensing Communication: From Viruses to Bacteria to Eukaryotes"
Hosts: Biochemistry Graduate Students, Aili Hao & Brittany Snyder
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Student-Sponsored Lecture Series
Friday, October 2 at 12:00 PM
Michael Rape, Ph.D.
Chair of Cancer Biology, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology & HHMI Investigator, UC Berkeley 
"Development Under Stress: Function and Mechanism of Novel Quality Control Systems"
Hosts: Biochemistry Graduate Students, Jimin Hu and Yudong Sun
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, October 16 at 12:00 PM
Research Forum - Brennan and Richardsons Lab
Grace Beggs of the Brennan Lab presents: "Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Binding and Induction of the Transcription Regulator MTRR from Neisseria Gonnorrheae"
Dave Richardson, Jane Richardson, & Christopher Williams present: "Improving SAR-VOV-2 3D Structures: Peer Review by Early Coordinate Release"
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, October 23 at 12:00 PM
Jeffrey Ravetch, Ph.D.
Theresa and Eugene Lang Professor of Immunology, Virology, & Microbiology, Rockefeller University
"Fc Heterogeneity and Fc Receptors:  Unravelling the Complexity of Antibody Function"
Host: Boyce Lab
​E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, October 30 at 12:00 PM
Ehud Isacoff, Ph.D.
Professor, Dir. Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley
"Optical Quantal Analysis of the Molecular Mechanisms That Control Synaptic Strength"
Host: Bennett Lab
​E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, November 6 at12:00 PM
Research Forum – Bartesaghi Lab
"Cryo-Electron Tomography Comes of Age: High-Throughput Data Acquisition for in-Situ Structure Determination at Near-Atomic Resolution"
​E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, November 13 at 12:00 PM
Research Forum – Kuehn Lab
Blanca Rodriguez presents "Staphylococcus aureus secretes immunomodulatory RNA and DNA via membrane vesicles"
Hannah McMillan presents "Bacterial Vesicles Activate Protective Plant Immune Responses"
​E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, November 20 at 12:00 PM
Kyle G. Daniels, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, UCSF
"High-Throughput Screening of Synthetic Costimulatory Domains to Modulate CAR T Cell Function"
​E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Spring 2021

Friday, January 22 at 12:00 PM
Research Forum – Oas and Yang Labs
​Title: TBD
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, February 19 at 12:00 PM
Research Forum – Al-Hashimi Lab
Title: TBD
​E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, February 26 at 12:00 PM
Research Forum – TBD
​E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, March 5 at 12:00 PM
Christian Kaiser, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University
Title: TBD
Host: Oas Lab
​E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Modrich Distinguished Lecture
Friday, March 12 at 12:00 PM
Bruce Stillman, Ph.D.
President & CEO, Oliver R. Grace Professor
Cold Spring Harbor Lab
Title: TBD
Host: Brennan Leab
​E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

Friday, March 19 at 12:00 PM
Pietro De Camilli, Ph.D.
John Klingenstein Professor of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine
Title: TBD
Hosts: Yang & Bennett Labs
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

March 26 at 12:00 PM
Research Forum – Lee Lab
Title: TBD
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

April 2 at 12:00 PM
Gustavo Silva, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology, Duke University
Title: TBD
Host: Bartesaghi Lab
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

The Hseih Memorial Lecture
April 9 at 12:00 PM
Stephen Kowalcaykowski, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Departments of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics & Molecular and Cellular Biology, UC Davis
Title: TBD 
Host: Brennan Lab
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

April 16 at 12:00 PM
Research Forum – Schumacher Lab
Title: TBD
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

May 21 at 12:00 PM
Research Forum – Boyce and Zhou Labs
Title: TBD
E-mail prw2@duke.edu for Zoom link

About our Named Lectures

The Henry Kamin Memorial Lecture
Henry Kamin’s scientific prowess was recognized by two five year appointments to the Editorial Board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Membership on the National Science Foundation Panel on Metabolic Biology, and the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences. The Henry Kamin Memorial Lecture honors his 42 year career at Duke University, his steadfast integrity, and his many contributions to nutritional biochemistry.

In 1997 his wife, Mrs. Dottie Kamin, initiated the lecture in to honor her husband using monies provided by the Henry and Dorothy Lingle Kamin Endowment Fund of Triangle Community Foundation.

The Hseih Memorial Lecture
Established in memory of Tao-Hseih, PhD, who was known as a highly regarded mentor and teacher and researcher with accolades including an American Cancer Society Junior Faculty Award. This lecture is made possible by a generous gift from his lifelong friends, Yan-Tsong Chen, MD, PhD and Mrs. Alice Chen through the Chenzyme Foundation.

The Modrich Distinguished Lecture
This lecture honors the myriad contributions Paul Modrich has made to the field of nucleic acid biochemistry during his illustrious career at Duke University. A number of generous gifts from former graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and friends of Paul, as well as members of the Department of Biochemistry have made this lecture series possible.  

The Nozaki Memorial Lecture
Yas Nozaki spent four decades at Duke doing painstaking work in pure compounds and precise measurements as the basis of solid progress in scientific knowledge. He had a love of learning and science and was great friend and approachable colleague. His daughter Yoko Nazaki Ax and her husband Emanual Ax (the noted concert pianist) have made this lecture possible through their generous donation.

The Philip Handler Lecture
This lecture is in remembrance of Philip Handler, who has been described as a legendary instructor, with a talent for taking the most difficult medical school subjects and turning them into unique learning experiences.