Biochemistry Seminars

Spring 2018

Biochemistry Seminars are held on Fridays in Room 147, Nanaline Duke Building at 12:OO noon. And our Memorial and Distinguished Lectures* are held at 103 Bryan Research Building at the indicated times, followed by an afternoon social hour. There will be coffee available 15 minutes before each event.

January 12 
James Paulson PhD, The Scripps Research Institute                                                        
Harnessing Inhibitory Siglecs to Control Immune Responses
Hosted by Professor Michael Boyce 

January 19 
Nieng Yan PhD, Princeton University                                                                     
Structural Basis for the Initiation of Electrical Signaling
Hosted by the Biochemistry Students

February 2 
Dyche Mullins PhD, University of California, San Francisco                                     
Prime Movers of Cell Biology: Ancient Molecular Motors and How They Work
Hosted by Professor Vann Bennett

March 2
​Johannes Walter PhD Harvard Medical School                                                            
Mechanisms of DNA Replication and Repair 
Hosted by Professor Paul Modrich                                  

March 9       
Lawrence Tabak DDS/PhD, National Institutes of Health                                                     
The Beginnings of Mucin Biosynthesis
Hosted by Professor Michael Boyce 

*CANCELLED*
March 23
​Jacqueline Barton PhD, California Institute of Technology                                             
DNA Signaling
Hosted by Professor Paul Modrich   

March 30
Hung-wen (Ben) Liu PhD, University of Texas at Austin                                                        
Mechanistic Studies of Unusual Enzyme Catalysis
Hosted by Professor Kenichi Yokoyama

April 6 
Hassane Mchaourab PhD, Vanderbilt University                                                                    
Title: Principles of Alternating Access of ABC Transporters
Hosted by Professor ​Seok-Yong Lee

April 13 
Daniel Kahne PhD, Harvard University                                                                     
Title: Molecular Machines that Make Membranes
Hosted by Professor Pei Zhou

April 20
Mark Peifer PhD, UNC Chapel Hill
Title: Building Supramolecular Signaling Machines to Regulate Wnt Signaling During Development and Oncogenesis
Hosted by Professor Michael Boyce

April 20
Mark Peifer PhD, UNC Chapel Hill
Title: If We All Love Diversity, Why Are Almost All of Our Faculty Still White?
Hosted by Prefessor Michael Boyce
This is a special diversity lecture that will happen at 4:00 pm in the 143 Jones Building

April 27
​Gene Yeo PhD, University of California, San Diego
RNA Biology: Protein-RNA Maps to Granules
Hosted by Professor Kate Meyer

​May 4
Tracy Handel PhD, University of California, San Diego                                      
Title: Structure, Activation and Inhibition of Chemokine Receptors
Hosted by Professor Sudar Rajagopal      

May 11
Chad Rienstra PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign                              
Title: Molecular Fibrils and Sponges:  Insights into Parkinson’s Disease and Antifungal Drugs from NMR Spectroscopy​
Hosted by Professor Hashim Al-Hashimi

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.