Beta-cell Interest Group
Beta-cell Interest Group (BIG) Seminar Schedule
Current and ongoing beta-cell research is presented in this weekly seminar by faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students every other Wednesday at 9 a.m. CST in PRB 206.
If you are interested in attending BIG seminars and joining the BIG community, please contact Jessica Kimber.
See below for the 2026 fall semester speaker schedule.
| DATE | SPEAKER | LAB/INSTITUTE |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 23rd | Tenzin Wangmo | O'Brien lab |
| Oct 7th | Victoria Gaeth | DelGiorno Lab |
| Oct 21st | Grace Nickles | Coate Lab |
| Nov 4th | Lizabeth Johnson | Cha Lab |
| Nov 18th | Neha Mohanty | Coate Lab |
| Dec 2nd | Spencer Peachee | Jacobson Lab |
| Dec 16th | TBD |
Beta-cell Interest Group Affiliated Labs
| Name | Primary Appointment | Research Interests |
|---|---|---|
| Rafael Arrojo e Drigo, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | Understanding the basic mechanisms regulating cellular longevity in health and metabolic disease |
| Richard Breyer, Ph.D. | Medicine, Biochemistry, Pharmacology (Emeritus) | Characterization of the molecular mechanism of action of Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and determination of the structure-function relationships of the PGE2 receptors |
| Marcela Brissova, Ph.D. | Medicine | Development of pancreatic islet vasculature and innervation; regulation of islet cell gene expression controlling beta cell function |
| Nancy Carrasco, M.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | Structure, transport mechanism, regulation, and physiological roles of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) |
| Jeeyeon Cha, M.D., Ph.D. | Medicine | Seeking to uncover novel molecular insights of pancreatic islet biology to ultimately develop personalized treatment options |
| Wenbiao Chen, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | Molecular mechanisms controlling islet endocrine cell adaptation to insulin resistance |
| Katie Coate, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | Seeks to identify mechanisms controlling the activity and identity of human pancreatic islet cells in health and disease |
| Kathleen DelGiorno, Ph.D. | Cell & Developmental Biology | Cancer biology and cell signaling |
| Maureen Gannon, Ph.D. | Medicine | Genes regulating beta cell differentiation, proliferation, and survival |
| Guoqiang Gu, Ph.D. | Cell and Developmental Biology | Mechanisms underlying beta cell production, function, and maintenance in the pancreas |
| David Jacobson, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | Targeting islet calcium handling mechanisms to treat diabetes |
| Irina Kaverina, Ph.D. | Cell and Developmental Biology | Microtubule regulation of islet beta cell metabolism, function, and architecture |
| Mark Magnuson, M.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | Calcium signaling and pancreatic beta-cell failure |
| Anna Means, Ph.D. | Department of Surgery | Cell-cell signaling in pancreatic development and pancreatic cancer |
| Richard O'Brien, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | Regulation of insulin secretion focusing on G6PC2 and ZnT8 |
| Lucia Rameh Plant, Ph.D. | Biochemistry | |
| Alvin Powers, M.D. | Medicine | Pancreatic islet biology including development, vascularization, imaging, and regeneration strategies for type 1 diabetes |
| C. Michael Stein, M.B.Ch.B. | Medicine | Using translational approaches to define the mechanisms underlying interindividual variability in drug response and toxicity |
| Kasey Vickers, Ph.D. | Medicine | Small RNA regulation in lipid metabolism and systemic homeostasis |
| Chris Wright, D. Phil. | Cell and Developmental Biology | Mechanisms coordinating development of complex organ systems |