Weekly News and Events | October 21, 2024

Department News and Events

Thomas Hunt Morgan Lectures

Speaker: Joseph Takahashi, Ph.D.

Lloyd B. Sands Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience

Lecture Schedule:

• Oct. 24, 2 PM in Room 116 THM: "Circadian Clocks and Their Impact on Metabolism, Aging and Longevity"

• Oct. 25, 1 PM in Room 107 THM: “The Time of Your Life: How Circadian Clocks Promote Healthy Aging and Longevity”

Learn more about Dr. Joseph Takahashi and his research here. We hope to see you there!

Alumni Reception:

• Oct. 25, 6-9 PM
• Thomas Hunt Morgan House
• 210 N. Broadway, Lexington
• RSVP: biology@uky.edu

Sponsored by:

Gertrude Flora Ribble Endowment, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology

For a full schedule of Biology seminars and events, please visit our online calendar.



Undergraduate Highlights

Congratulations to two A&S Biology Undergraduate Students that have been selected as Top 10 Finalists for the 6^th annual 5-Minute Fast Track Research Competition:

• Fatimah Alomar, Biology and Lewis Honors College junior; Mentor: Anel Jaramillo, Ph.D., in the College of Pharmacy's Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Julianne Sharpe, Biology and Lewis Honors College junior; Mentor: Gregory Jicha, Ph.D., in the College of Medicine’s Department of Neurology

These students will compete in the Finals on Monday, Oct. 21, starting at 5:00 p.m. in the Healthy KY Research Building (HKRB) Atrium. The 5-Minute Fast Track Oral Research Competition is an academic competition that cultivates students’ presentation and research communication skills and challenges them to describe their research within five minutes. Students compete for cash prizes: $750 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place. The 2024 5-Minute Fast Track Research Competition is sponsored by the UK Office of Undergraduate Research. The event is open to the public and will be livestreamed. 

Graduate Corner

If you plan to graduate with a graduate degree in December 2024, the deadline to apply for graduation is November 1, 2024. You need to complete the application through myUK.

Fall 2024 Career Workshop Series: Navigating Careers Beyond Academia

All workshops will be held via Zoom. Join here.. 

·      Networking & Professional Branding | November 12, 1-2 P

·      Job Searching & Application Materials | December 3, 1-2 PM

Fellowship and Funding Opportunities: 

The Center for Health, Engagement, and Transformation (CHET) is offering pilot funding for University of Kentucky doctoral students to support projects aimed at identifying and reducing health disparities.

Key Details:

• Eligibility: Current doctoral students at UK (applications from the College of Arts and Sciences are particularly encouraged).
• Funding Amount: $5,000–$10,000 for 3–4 projects, with a 12-month duration.

Application Deadline: November 8.

• Requirements: Projects must address health disparities for a vulnerable population and enhance the student’s research prospects. A faculty advisor is required.

For more information and to apply, visit:

• Full RFA
• Application Submission

Graduate School Fellowships: Discover and apply for current fellowship openings here.

Professional Development

Upcoming CELT Workshops - Using UDL to Leverage Trauma-Informed Principles | October 22, 2024 | 12:30 - 1:30pm | 502 King Science Library

The practices of trauma-informed teaching and the evidence-based strategies of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) overlap in many areas. This session will help faculty understand some of the basic tenets of both of these teaching frameworks, and provide practical strategies that can be included in your course today.

NB: this workshop counts towards the CELT Inclusive Teaching Badge. Click here to register.

Lab Safety Fair - October 29, 2024 | 10am-12pm | JSB Atrium firs floor | - Get ready for the 80s-themed Lab Safety Fair on October 29, 2024! Wear your Hawaiian shirts and bring lawn flamingos as we celebrate with neon colors and a vaporwave vibe. Enjoy various activities to earn a free LSF T-shirt, and indulge in food from DV8 Kitchen. Check out their webpage here.

Research Events: Lunch and Learn Series - All Lunch and Learn workshops are on zoom on Wednesdays from 12 pm to 1 pm. View the complete Fall 2024 schedule here.

• Wednesday, November 6, 2024: The Healing Communities Study: Outcomes and Lessons Learned

College of A&S Concur Open Lab Schedule:

• Friday, October 25, 108 THM, 10 AM - 11 PM
• Friday, November 11, POT 245, 10 AM - 11 AM

Scientific Meetings

Upcoming conferences and symposiums: 

2024 Neuroscience Clinical-Translational Research Symposium:

October 24-25, 2024 | Healthy Kentucky Research Building. Featuring keynote speaker Dr. Katherine Hartmann. Register here. 

Rising Stars Symposium 2024 Diabetes and Obesity Research Priority Area & Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center. Thursday, November 7, 2024, 8am-5pm | Healthy Kentucky Research Building, Conference Room 150, University of Kentucky | This all-day symposium highlights early-career scholars recognized for their contributions to diabetes and obesity research. Abstract Deadline: October 25, 2024

More Information & Registration: Rising Stars Symposium

The Ninth Cold Spring Harbor: Brain Barriers Conference:

April 8-12, 2025 | 7:30 pm on Tuesday, April 8th | concluding on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Abstract Deadline: January 24, 2025

For more details and to register, please visit the Brain Barriers meeting website.

Job Opportunities

Postdoctoral Research Associate Position in Sex Chromosome Evolution

• Location: USDA-ARS Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Hilo, Hawaii
• Duration: 2-year USDA-funded project
• Focus: Sex chromosome evolution in Tephritidae fruit flies

Qualifications:

• PhD in Biology, Evolution, Genetics, Entomology, or related field
• Experience with gene annotation and high-throughput sequence data analysis
• Proficiency in BASH, R, Python3, and Git
• Background in differential expression and epigenetic analysis

Salary: $75,640 with full federal benefits

Eligibility: US citizens only

Start Date: Flexible, pending background clearance

Inquiries: sheina.sim@usda.gov | Full Job Ad

Georgetown College is currently hiring a tenure-track faculty member in the Biology Department. Any relevant degree with the ability to teach microbiology is welcome to apply. Please contact former SCoBIRC Graduate student, Dr. Amanda Bolton-Hall, if you are interested in learning more: amanda_bolton@georgetowncollege.edu

Campus and Lexington Area Events

Whether you're looking to expand your academic knowledge, connect with peers, or simply unwind with some fun activities, the University of Kentucky Campus has something for everyone!

Lexington Area Events Exciting activities are happening in the Bluegrass this week! For a full list of events in the Lexington area, check out the BLUEGRASS BUZZ!

Beyond Biology: Community Awareness

2024 General Election - Tuesday, November 5, 2024

The university will be closed on Election Day to encourage participation.

• Oct. 22: Absentee Ballot Requests Due (by 11:59 p.m. EST)
• Oct. 23-25 & Oct. 28-30: Early In-person, Excused Absentee Voting
• Oct. 31-Nov. 2: Early In-person, No-excuse Absentee Voting
• Nov. 5: In-person voting on Election Day; Absentee Ballots Due

COVID, Flu Vaccines now available at UK Retail Pharmacies. For additional information regarding the vaccinations available at UK click here.

Feedback and Weekly Newsletter Submissions

This weekly newsletter, along with future updates, will be posted on the Biology website under the Departmental Newsletter and Weekly News tab. Any edits or updates will be reflected there. If you notice anything that needs editing or have information to share, please email Jacqueline Burke at jacqueline.burke@uky.edu