Meet Our Speakers

Cell Biology Department Seminars-Meet Our Speaker: Rebecca Voorhees, PhD, Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering , HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar, California Institute of Technology

Professor Taekjip Ha is a world-renowned biophysicist whose pioneering work in single-molecule fluorescence and force spectroscopy has transformed how scientists visualize and understand molecular mechanisms. He is the George D. Yancopoulos in Honor of Frederick W. Alt Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Investigator in the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he also serves as Director. A Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 2005, Prof. Ha is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His career has been marked by both technological innovation and biological discovery, earning him numerous accolades—including the Kazuhito Kinosita Award and the Gregory Weber Award—and establishing him as one of the leading figures in modern biophysics.

Edwin Chapman is a professor of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an HHMI Investigator. The Chapman lab has spent the last 28 years studying the molecular mechanisms that mediate calcium-triggered exocytosis and their effects on synaptic function, as well as a variety of associated membrane trafficking events. Ahead of his talk on Tuesday, April 29th, I had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Chapman about his work, his approach to science, and what he takes away from all his years in the lab. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

As a scientist, starting from my postdoc and continuing in my own lab, we have helped redefine the role of the lysosome. Historically, it was considered a “boring organelle,” just the endpoint of degradation—a cellular trash can. But we’ve demonstrated that the lysosome is actually a sophisticated signaling center. We now call it the “metabolic computer” of the cell because it integrates information from other organelles and nutrient signals, particularly through mTOR kinase. The lysosome and mTOR communicate to make key metabolic decisions, balancing anabolism and catabolism. This has far-reaching implications for various cell types, including neurons, immune cells, and cancer cells.

Professor Dario Alessi is a distinguished British biochemist whose groundbreaking research on protein kinases has significantly advanced our understanding of cellular signalling in health and disease. Born in Strasbourg, he earned his PhD from the University of Birmingham before joining the Medical Research Council’s Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC-PPU) at the University of Dundee, where he now serves as director. His pioneering work has provided critical insights into neurodegeneration, including elucidating key mechanisms of LRRK2, a kinase implicated in Parkinson’s disease, paving the way for targeted therapeutic strategies. Beyond his research, Professor Alessi is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists. As director of the MRC-PPU, he has trained and guided numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, fostering an environment of excellence and innovation.

Arun Radhakrishnan, currently a professor at the Department of Molecular Genetics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, conducts research on the role of membrane cholesterol in regulating cell growth, lipid homeostasis, and immune defense against microbial infections. We had the opportunity to correspond with Arun in advance of his research seminar on Tuesday, January 28th, to gain insights into his scientific journey.

Prof. Wang is visiting us on December 10th, and we had a zoom meeting ahead of his visit to talk about his research, his learnings and personal reflections from such an accomplished scientific career.

We sat down with Dr Joshua Gendron to get a glimpse of his current research, his scientific journey and to learn about how he runs the Gendron Lab.

We were fortunate to have Dr. Chook from UTSW visit us. Kerry Larkin sat down with Dr. Chook to discuss her scientific journey.