The Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity holds regular seminars with invited speakers from outside the institution, as well as researchers from RUSH University.
2026-2027 academic year seminars schedule
Seminars are held in Cohn Research Building Auditorium Room 160 (1735 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60612), unless noted otherwise.
| Date and Time | Speaker | Title/Topic |
|---|---|---|
| September 16, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Liudmila Romanova, PhD (Host: Jeff Schneider, PhD) | "Brain Borders in Aging and Neurodegeneration" |
| September 23, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Judy Friedrichs, DNP, RN, CPLC, FT Wellness Liaison | RUSH Wellness Center NICU Cuddler Program Coordinator Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL | "I am strong, I am courageous, I am tired: Caring for your own mental health" |
| September 30, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | John L. Hamilton, MD, PhD (Host: Jeff Schneider, PhD) | "Developing New Technologies for the Prevention, Detection, and Treatment of Periprosthetic Joint Infection" |
| October 7, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Navdeep S. Chandel, PhD (Host: Jennillee Wallace, PhD) | "Mitochondrial Signaling Control of Physiology" |
| October 14, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Wendy A. Goodman, PhD (Host: Jeff Schneider, PhD) | "Hormonal Control of the Intestinal Barrier: Estrogen Receptors in Epithelial Homeostasis and Inflammation" |
| October 28, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Erica Ollmann Saphire, PhD, MBA (Host: Jeff Schneider, PhD) | "TBA" Virtual Meeting |
| November 4, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Savas Tay, PhD (Host: Jennillee Wallace, PhD) | "Single Cell Immunology" |
| November 11, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Paul Spearman, MD (Host: João Mamede, PhD) | "TBA" |
| November 18, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Sandra Pinho, PhD (Host: Jennillee Wallace, PhD) | "Stem Cell Biology, Hematopoiesis, Aging" |
| December 9, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Reesha R. Patel, PhD (Host: Jennillee Wallace, PhD) | "Substance Use" |
| December 16, 2026 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m | Aaron S. Devanathan, PharmD, PhD (Host: Jennillee Wallace, PhD) | "ART Clinical Pharm and HIV-Associated Comorbidities" |
| January 6, 2027 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Jun Sun, PhD (Host: Xian-Ming Chen, PhD) | "Mucosal Immunity" |
| January 13, 2027 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Justin P. Kline, MD Professor of Medicine Director, Lymphoma Program Division of the Biological Sciences The University of Chicago Chicago, IL | "TBA" |
| January 20, 2027 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Sam Brown, PhD Professor School of Biological Sciences Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA | "Evolutionary Microbiology, Antimicrobial Resistance" Virtual Meeting |
| January 27, 2027 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Lillian Cohn, PhD Assistant Professor Immunology and Vaccine Development Program Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division Fred Hutch Cancer Center University of Washington Seattle, WA | "HIV Latency" Virtual Meeting |
| February 3, 2027 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Ada Weinstock, PhD (Host: Jennillee Wallace, PhD) | "Immunometabolism" |
| February 10, 2027 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Paul Rubinstein, MD (Host: Jennillee Wallace, PhD) | "HIV Clinical Care/HIV Cure" |
| February 17, 2027 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Christopher Peterson, PhD Assistant Professor, Translational Science and Therapeutics Division Fred Hutch Research Associate Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology Fred Hutch Cancer Center University of Washington School of Medicine Seattle, WA | "HIV" Virtual Meeting |
| March 3, 2027 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Amanda Brown PhD Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience Director, Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences Program Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore, MD | "HIV/Bone" |
| April 21, 2027 Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Alexsia Richards, PhD (Host: Jennillee Wallace, PhD) | "Modeling Viral Infection in CNS" |
Please contact the department at (312) 942-6383 or our seminar coordinator, Jennillee Wallace, PhD, for additional information.