Biological Sciences

Biological Sciences Colloquium: NSF-IRES Research from Grenada
2025-12-05 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Lapham Hall, N101, 3209 N Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, United States
The 2025 NSF-IRES research cohort will be presenting a talk entitled “Is newer better? Comparing established and emerging methods for tropical conservation in Grenada.”
The abstract is as follows:
Tropical conservation depends on accurate data. Traditional approaches, such as in-person observations and transect-and-quadrant surveys, have long guided management decisions. But new technologies can make data collection more efficient and affordable. This seminar features an overview of five student research projects comparing old and new methods, using Grenada’s reefs and rainforests as case studies:

From Transects to Technology: Comparing Methods in Grenada’s Reefs
Reframing the Reef: Evaluating Photogrammetry Against Traditional Benthic Survey Methods
A Tale of Two Grenadian Research Projects: Habitat Suitability Analysis and Tree Canopy Cover Methods Comparison
Diet Composition and Prey Availability for the Grenada Frog
Comparing biodiversity richness between federally protected areas and non-federally protected areas of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the tropical island of Grenada

The presentation will begin at 3:00 PM in Lapham Hall N101, preceded by an informal reception from 2:45 – 3:00PM.

Biological Sciences Colloquium: Maisie Buntin
2026-02-13 15:00 - 16:00 | Lapham Hall, N101, 3209 N Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, United States
Maisie Buntin, Outreach Programs Coordinator at Milwaukee Public Museum, will be presenting a talk entitled “Museum Careers,” and the abstract is as follows:
Museums offer a unique and exciting work environment, blending academic research, educational outreach, and collections care. Learn more about career opportunities in a museum setting with Maisie Buntin, Outreach Program Coordinator at the Milwaukee Public Museum, and graduate of UWM’s Museum Studies Certificate program.
The presentation will begin at 3:00 PM in Lapham Hall N101, preceded by an informal reception from 2:45 – 3:00 PM.

Biological Sciences Colloquium: Lauran Liggan
2026-04-17 15:00 - 16:00 | Lapham Hall, N101, 3209 N Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, United States
Lauran Liggan, PhD candidate in the Alberto lab, will be giving a talk about her work entitled “Unlocking the microscopic life of kelp: molecular monitoring reveals gametophyte-driven processes that shape kelp habitat persistence and recovery.” The abstract is as follows:
Nearshore ecosystems such as kelp forests support high biodiversity and valuable ecosystem services, yet they are declining rapidly worldwide. A key challenge in understanding their recovery lies in resolving processes occurring in cryptic early life stages, particularly the microscopic gametophyte stage that underpin kelp population dynamics. My research utilizes a molecular approach to quantify these cryptic stages in-situ, integrating environmental DNA, population genetics, and spatial analyses to link early life-stage dynamics with patterns of recruitment and recovery. By making these hidden processes measurable, this work provides new insight into the mechanisms driving kelp forest resilience and offers insights for improving monitoring and restoration in rapidly changing coastal ecosystems.
The presentation will begin at 3:00 PM in Lapham Hall N101, preceded by an informal reception from 2:45 – 3:00PM.

Biological Sciences Greenhouse Open House
2026-04-22 14:00 - 18:00 | Northwest Quadrant C, Room 4600, 1930 E Hartford Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, United States
Join us for the 8th annual Biological Sciences Greenhouse Open House on Wednesday, April 22nd from 2:00PM-6:00PM to celebrate Earth Week.

Location: Northwest Quadrant Building C 4th floor (use the red elevators).

Experience: You’ll have the opportunity to tour this wonderful UWM resource, explore and learn about UWM’s instructional plant collection and fascinating cutting-edge NSF and USDA-funded research. Explore the Greenhouse webpage for details about this facility.
Bonus: There will be free plants available, while they last!

Biological Sciences Colloquium: Xiaosa Jack Xu
2026-04-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Lapham Hall, N101, 3209 N Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, United States
Dr. Xiaosa Jack Xu, Professor of Plant Biology at University of California Davis, will be presenting a talk about his work entitled “An Evolutionary View of Plant Inflorescence Development from Single-Cell and Spatial Profiling.” The abstract is as follows:
Inflorescence architecture is a major determinant of reproductive success and crop yield, yet how its developmental regulation evolves across phylogenetic scales remains incompletely understood. Here, we integrate single-cell transcriptomics, spatial gene expression, and gene editing to examine inflorescence development across three hierarchical evolutionary levels: a deep comparison between monocots and eudicots, a closer comparison within cereal monocots, and a near-scale comparison between maize and its wild progenitor, teosinte.
At the broadest scale, we generated a comparative single-cell atlas of developing inflorescences in Arabidopsis and maize. This analysis recovered thousands of stem cells marked by CLAVATA3 and WUSCHEL and uncovered conserved stem cell regulators, including members of the SERPINE1 mRNA-binding protein family, revealing deeply conserved mechanisms underlying shoot meristem maintenance across monocots and eudicots.
At an intermediate scale, we performed an integrative analysis of single-cell transcriptomes from developing inflorescences of five cereal crops: maize, wheat, barley, rice, and sorghum. We identified shared cell populations and resolved distinct meristem subdomains, revealing a conserved core of meristematic cell identities and regulatory programs, alongside divergence in transcriptional programs associated with lateral organ initiation and differentiation that likely underlie species-specific cereal inflorescence architectures.
At the closest scale, we constructed a single-cell atlas of developing teosinte ears and compared it with maize to investigate domestication-associated changes in ear development. We identified cell-type-specific differentially expressed genes in inflorescence stem cells and axillary meristem-initiating cells, many showing signatures of selection during domestication. Higher-order mutants in SPL, UB2, UB3, TSH4, and GLUTAREDOXIN genes reverted ear morphology toward teosinte-like forms.
The presentation will begin at 3:00 PM in Lapham Hall N101, preceded by an informal reception from 2:45 – 3:00PM.

Biological Sciences Colloquium: Chandika Rani Ganesh Babu
2026-05-01 15:30 - 16:30 | UWM Student Union Alumni Fireside Lounge, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, United States
Chandika Rani Ganesh Babu, PhD candidate in the Latch Lab, will be presenting a talk about her work entitled “Applied Genomics for White-tailed Deer Management: Population Monitoring and Chronic Wasting Disease.” The abstract is as follows:

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease affecting deer and related species. As it continues to spread across North America, it presents growing challenges for wildlife conservation and management. Understanding why some animals are more susceptible than others and developing better tools to monitor wild populations are critical steps toward effective disease control. This talk will explore how genetics and genomic tools are advancing our understanding of white-tailed deer populations and the biological mechanisms underlying CWD susceptibility. Using large-scale, range-wide sampling, the talk will highlight how modern genomics can reveal patterns of population structure, disease vulnerability, and pathways that may shape future wildlife management strategies. Join us to learn how genetics is helping address one of the most pressing disease challenges facing North American wildlife.

Please note that this week, colloquium will be taking place at 3:30pm in the Union Alumni Fireside Lounge as the keynote talk of the 2026 Biological Sciences Research Symposium.

Biological Sciences Colloquium: Dr. Daisy Sahoo
2026-05-08 15:00 - 16:00 | Lapham Hall, N101, 3209 N Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, United States
Dr. Daisy Sahoo, professor of biochemistry at Medical College of Wisconsin, will be giving a talk about her work entitled “Receptor-mediated Approaches to Reducing Cardiovascular Risk.” The abstract is as follows:
Atherosclerosis, a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD), is an inflammatory disease resulting from the build-up of cholesterol in plaque along the artery walls. As such, the development of strategies to lower plasma cholesterol levels remains a high priority. While various lipid-lowering therapies designed to prevent cholesterol from accumulating in the blood have proved successful, such treatments are sometimes accompanied by adverse side effects and residual CVD risk. In this seminar, we will discuss three different receptor-based approaches to reducing plasma cholesterol and CVD risk. At the level of the macrophage, we will focus on the roles of CD36 (an oxidized LDL receptor) and free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFAR4) in the development of atherosclerosis. We will also discuss SR-BI, a receptor responsible for mediating HDL-cholesterol delivery to the liver for whole body cholesterol excretion.
The presentation will begin at 3:00 PM in Lapham Hall N101, preceded by an informal reception from 2:45-3:00 PM.

Beers with Biologists
2026-08-02 20:00 - 22:00 | Black Husky Brewing, 909 E. Locust St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Join UWM’s Department of Biological Sciences for a fun and engaging learning experience at Black Husky Brewing, 909 E. Locust St. Enjoy TED Talk-style science presentations from graduate students and researchers on topics including the curious cognitive world of spiders, the ecology of kelp forests and the fascinating science taking place beneath Antarctica’s sea ice.
We’ll also be hosting a themed potluck: Bring your favorite arachnid- or ocean-inspired dish to share, and come ready for an evening of great food, great beer and fascinating science.
