Stepfanie Aguillón is a broadly trained evolutionary biologist interested in understanding the process of speciation in nature. Her research integrates genomic sequencing with organismal biology to unravel the mechanisms involved in the evolution of reproductive isolation. In particular, she leverages natural hybridization—interbreeding between distinct taxa—to study mating decisions in action. Stepfanie will discuss her work in northern flickers focused on the evolution of color differences and her work in swordtail fish focused on the genomic consequences of hybridization.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are leading causes of global biodiversity loss, and we unfortunately have a front row view to these processes here in Southern California. My research focus is on addressing critical knowledge gaps for endangered pocket mice and kangaroo rats and applying our findings to improve conservation and management for these species. I will discuss a variety of approaches, including behavioral ecology, habitat suitability, and population modeling, as well as partnerships that transform research into conservation applications.

Human 2D gastruloids model the spatial patterning that occurs during gastrulation, which is otherwise inaccessible because of ethical and technical limitations. Specifically, this highly reproducible system enables quantitative analysis of cell signaling and fate decisions during embryogenesis. Although gastruloids can provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying early embryonic development, their potential for large-scale screens is limited by low-throughput analytical approaches.

Dr. Michelle Talal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science at Willamette University and an Oxy alumna, class of 2006.

Alpha-synuclein, while infamous in its role in Parkinson's disease, lacks a distinct biological function. Join us in exploring how this chaotic, disordered protein potentially serves as a molecular traffic cop for organelles within the neuron.