Student Seminars & Professional Development Workshops
Welcome to the Rowan-Virtua TBES Student Seminar and Professional Development Workshop page. All PhD students must give an annual, oral seminar during the fall or spring term. All work-in-progress seminars and thesis defenses are located on the Stratford Campus in Room 290 of the Science Center, unless otherwise noted.
Seminars and workshops
The TBGS Department of Cell & Molecular Biology and the TBGS Department of Neuroscience both invite you to an upcoming Seminar.
Harnessing Cell-Specific Mitochondrial Profiling for Insights into ALS
Presented by: Bianca Cotto, PhD - The Rockefeller University
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Laboratory Associate
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2026
Time: 11 am
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Work in Progress Presenter: Ben Dunham, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth West
Department: Neuroscience
Title: Neural circuitry in appetitive and aversive learning in Alzheimer's disease
Date: December 1, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/dunhamb5
Work in Progress Presenter: Tiffany Briscoe, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Jessica Loweth
Department: Neuroscience
Title: Investigating the Link Between Repetitive Mild TBI and Oxycodone Vulnerability
Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/brisco94
Work in Progress Presenter: Nick Kern, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Daniel Chandler
Department: Neuroscience
Title: Dysregulation of Locus Coeruleus circuits as a mechanism for social isolation-induced behavioral change
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=md22df328d0549aee79f49b0143a2efb4
Work in Progress Presenter: Christal Rolling, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. James Holaska
Department: Cell & Molecular Biology
Title: Mechanotransduction Signals from the Tumor Microenvironment Regulating Nuclear Structure in Cancer Cells
Date: Monday, November 9, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: CMSRU (Room 522), 5th floor (401 S Broadway, Camden, NJ)
Parking vouchers available for parking in Cooper Hospital Garage (571 Stevens St, Camden, NJ 08103
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=m53745d5cc0888a2b638327a2fd842d22
The TBGS Department of Cell & Molecular Biology invites you to an upcoming Seminar.
Annexins Repair the Plasma Membrane by Patching and Shedding
presented by Justin Williams, PhD - Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
A Scientist's Path into Patent Law, presented by Abigail DiVito Evans, PhD
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Careers in Developmental & Reproductive Toxicology: Perspective from the Pharmaceutical Industry, presented by Dr. Jeanine King
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Zoom and Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
The TBGS Department of Neuroscience invites you to an upcoming Seminar:
The role of the taste pathway in inflammation and infection
Presented by: Marco Tizzano, PhD - University of Pennsylvania
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Work in Progress Presenter: Michael Ingling, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Manoj Pandey
Department: Cell & Molecular Biology
Title: Investigating the Therapeutic Potential of Soursop (Annona muricata) Extract Against Treatment-Resistant Multiple Myeloma
Date: Monday, June 8, 2026
Time: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: CMSRU, Room 522
Webex Link: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=m7637ca4183f644dd4ae425c662941e4a
Professional Development Workshop
Department: TBES
Title: Supporting Drug Development: Global Regulatory Medical Writing and Editing
Presented by: Sean Culleton
Date: Friday, May 22, 2026
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
PhD Dissertation Defense Presenter: Justin Bauer, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Randy Strich
Department: Cell & Molecular Biology
Title: A Rho5-Cyclin C-Dnm1 Signaling Complex Coordinates Vacuolar and Mitochondrial Permeabilization to Execute Regulated Cell Death in Yeast
Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/bauerj48
Work in Progress Presenter: Haven Predale, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Barry Waterhouse
Department: Neuroscience
Title: The Locus Coeruleus - Norepinephrine Projection to Cerebellum in the Mouse
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/predal25
PhD Dissertation Defense Presenter: David Kahn, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Rood
Department: Neuroscience
Title: Anatomy and Function of Vasopressin Receptor 1a-Expressing Neurons in the Limbic Thalamus
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=m60cfa4eddd2ae9ccaa5916a94e7efa82
Work in Progress Presenter: Emily Hansen, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. James Holaska
Department: Cell & Molecular Biology
Date: Friday, May 1, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: CMSRU, Room 422
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/hansen49
Work in Progress Presenter: Sanese White-Brown, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Ron Ellis
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Title: Identifying factors that regulate Gli activation through genetic suppressor screens in C. briggsae
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=me9185981561cff34b5cddd73c27819a7
Professional Development Workshop
Department: TBES
Title: Global Supply Chain in the Biopharmaceutical Industry: Career Perspectives for Scientists Presented by: Jim Byrnes
Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Work in Progress Presenter: Kaitlyn Insana, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Natalia Shcherbik
Department: Cell & Molecular Biology
Title: Metal-Driven rRNA Fragmentation as a Stress-Responsive Feature of Eukaryotic Ribosomes
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx link: https://rowan.zoom.us/j/6269482058?pwd=xBKJbgsMaGXTXbG1JqP8t6KD9Qz6UV.1
Work in Progress Presenter: Mahsa Sadeghi, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Rood
Department: Neuroscience
Title: The Role of Vasopressin 1a Receptor- expressing Neurons in the VTA During Social Interaction
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=md9de53bca94e7ccae1f5e5ee50ed9e88
Work in Progress Presenter: Mariam Onabanjo, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Katrina Cooper
Department: Cell & Molecular Biology
Title: Flipping the Translational Switch: Phosphorylation-Driven Control of Translation by eIF4G1
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=m16eb19f33af577d062959d3f56286187
The Proliferation of Colon Stem Cells Requires Both EGF and Wnt
presented by Xin Wang, PhD from Stanford University
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Resilience to Chronic Stress
presented by Melissa Manners, PhD from Rowan University
Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Gut-brain Circuits for Feeding Behavior
presented by Amber L. Alhadeff, PhD from University of Pennsylvania
Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
PhD Dissertation Defense Presenter: Alexis Dispensa, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Brian Weiser
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Title: Biophysical Insights into a Cryptic Ligand Site in the Hydrophobic Core of Human PCNA
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2026
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/dispen55
PhD Work in Progress Presenter: Vanessa Pizutelli, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Dimitri Pestov
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Title: Investigating Ribosomal RNA as a Potential Biomarker for Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Date: December 18, 2025
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/pizute72
Work in Progress Presenter: Jill Thompson, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Brian Weiser
Department: Cell & Molecular Biology
Title: Enzymology of SIRT2 & Association with Cell Membranes
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/thompsonj5
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Title: Holiday Karaoke Party
Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Work in Progress Presenter: Likhitha Dandu, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Kingsley Yin
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Title: The Resolvin D2/GPR18 Axis in Sepsis
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=ma221f34670e11dd9460b3a00e7ae68c9
Work in Progress Presenter: Alexis Dispensa, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Brian Weiser
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Title: Biophysical Insights into a Cryptic Ligand Site in the Hydrophobic Core of Human PCNA
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=mf24f803421fb6d9696e742f794d41fba
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop for Graduate Students and Postdocs, 2025-2026
Department: TBES
Presented by: Levani Zandarashvili, PhD
Title: From Structures to Systems: A Structural Biologist’s Journey from Protein-DNA to Machine Learning
Date: Monday, November 17, 2025
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Work in Progress Presenter: Richard Condon, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. James Holaska
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Title: Emerin and histone modifying enzymes coordinately regulate spatiotemporal genomic reorganization required for myogenic differentiation.
Date: Monday, November 10, 2025
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: CMSRU, Room 522
WebEx link: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/condon79
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
PhD Work in Progress Presenter: Ben Dunham, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth West
Department: Neuroscience
Title: Neural circuitry in appetitive and aversive learning in Alzheimer's disease
Date: October 30, 2025
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/dunhamb5
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop for Graduate Students and Postdocs, 2025-2026
Presented by: Suresh Pitram, PhD
Department: TBES in partnership with the Department of Neuroscience and the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
Title: Academic Roots, Industry Insights: My Evolution into Advising and Consulting
Date: Monday, October 20, 2025
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Title: Science communication and its impact on the general public.
Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Work in Progress Presenter: Sanese White-Brown, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Ronald Ellis
Department: Cell Biology & Neuroscience
Title: Identifying factors that regulate Gli activation through genetic suppressor screens
Date: Thursday, May 8th, 2025
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: Meeting link: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=m8181894a77fdba66dff4b6fa951f38f1
Meeting number: 2861 225 7730
Password: 9CSqfSJn33d
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Dial 28612257730@rowan.webex.comYou can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.
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+1-415-655-0003 US TOLLAccess code: 2861 225 7730Host PIN: 5556
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Title: Senior student workshop: How to give an effective talk.
Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Title: How science depiction in the media affects public health and policy.
Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Work in Progress Presenter: Jibran Imtiaz, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Ronald Ellis
Department: Cell Biology & Neuroscience
Title: Characterizing TRA-1 activator and its cofactors.
Date: Thursday, April 10th, 2025
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: https://rowan.webex.com/meet/imtiaz78
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Title: What holds us back from speaking to an audience?
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Title: First year lab selection presentations
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop: Public Speaking Series
Department: TBES
Title: First year lab selection presentations
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop for Graduate Students and Postdocs, 2024-2025
Presented by: Rachel Navarra, PhD
Department: TBES in partnership with the Department of Cell Biology & Neuroscience
Title: Navigating the Application Process for Travel Grants to Attend Scientific Conferences
Date: Friday, January 10, 2025
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Professional Development Workshop for Graduate Students and Postdocs, 2024-2025
Presented by: Zhanna Druzina, PhD
Department: TBES in partnership with the Department of Cell Biology & Neuroscience
Title: Exploring Industry Careers: From Start-Ups to Established Pharma Giants
Date: Friday, December 6, 2024
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Work in Progress Presenter: Alexis Dispensa, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Brian Weiser
Department: Molecular Biology
Title: Investigation of a novel cryptic binding site on PCNA
Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=m8d6098094cce6d8d3e982de37381c0ad
Meeting number: 2866 911 8015
Meeting password: UAsJp4C9mx6
Join from a video or application
Dial 28669118015@rowan.webex.com
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Join by phone
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Work in Progress Presenter: Brianna Linneman, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth West
Department: Cell Biology & Neuroscience
Title: Investigating mesolimbic dopamine dysfunction in a transgenic Alzheimer's disease rat model
Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: webexteams://im?space=94ca6730-4e7b-11ed-ae36-21b419648b09
Work in Progress Presenter: Christal Rolling, PhD Candidate
Mentor: Dr. James Holaska
Department: Cell Biology & Neuroscience
Title: Exploring the role of nuclear envelope protein emerin in invasive characteristics using multiple cancer cell lines
Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290
Webex: https://rowan.webex.com/rowan/j.php?MTID=m79c0014c327c335a1d2d7f574aa97e01
Professional Development Workshop for Graduate Students and Postdocs, 2024-2025
Presented by: Yevgeniya Lapik, PhD
Department: TBES in partnership with the Department of Cell Biology & Neuroscience
Title: The Educator's Path: PhD Scientists as Teaching Professors
Date: Friday, November 1, 2024
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Stratford Campus, Science Center, Room 290