Eunjoo Kang, in Xinzhu Yu's lab will defend the thesis
Wednesday, March, 25, 2026 at 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (CDT) via Zoom
All are invited to the seminar on
“Deciphering Astrocytic Calcium Signaling In Motor Learning and Memory"
Zoom
Meeting ID: 810 9585 2439
 Password: 032526

This seminar will focus on the bi-directional relationships between aging, Alzheimer's Disease, and the circadian system. The talk will explore the role of the circadian clock in regulating aspects of neurodegenerative disease, including glial function, protein aggregation, and neuroinflammation, with an emphasis on emerging molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.

New restrictions on funding, collaborations, and inclusion are disrupting crucial research and limiting who is allowed to pursue it. Experts who share their knowledge with journalists or communicate directly through mass media face risks but can make a difference. We'll cover best practices, practical advice, and possible outcomes of doing so, and how people in different fields of expertise can support one another's overlapping missions.

Mellon Sawyer Seminar Series | At Risk U: The Past, Present, and Future of Academic Freedom
An event series examining risk management as an organizing priority & feature of universities

Abstract:  Artificial Intelligence (AI) advances of recent years have taken the world by storm. AI has permeated not only advanced technologies such as autonomous vehicles and robotics but also daily commercial life. While the capabilities in this space are outstanding, the application of current AI approaches remains primarily in highly engineered environments. Furthermore, modern AI requires a tremendous amount of data, energy, and water resources, which places a significant burden on aging infrastructure. In contrast to in silico intelligence, biological systems exhibit much more energy-efficient, complex, and adaptable computing. Animals can learn in as little as a single experience, and biological brains require only 10s of Watts. How do biological control systems achieve the robustness, multifunctionality, adaptability, and energy efficiency found in nature, and how can these capabilities be brought to robotics? In this talk, I will share how we are using bioinspired and biohybrid robotics in an interactive research cycle with neuroscience and biomechanics to understand and even implement biological intelligence in engineered systems.

Bio:  Vickie Webster-Wood received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 2012, 2013, and 2017. She is currently an Associate Professor and Dean’s Early Career Fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, with courtesy appointments in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and the Robotics Institute. She is the director of the C.M.U. Biohybrid and Organic Robotics Group and has a long-term research goal to develop completely organic, biodegradable, autonomous robots. She received the NSF CAREER Award in 2021, leads the SSymBioTIC MURI on Integrated Biohybrid Actuators, and is a co-Principal Investigator of the NSF C3NS NeuroNex Network, along with holding numerous other grants and awards, including being named to the MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators under 35 in 2023 and as a member of the Grainger Foundation NAE US Frontiers of Engineering class of 2024.

Join Professor Brad Sutton, a candidate to direct Beckman’s Biomedical Imaging Center, for a vision talk at 4 p.m. Monday, March 30, in 1005 Beckman. His talk will be titled, “BIC 3.0: A Center to Scale Science through Collective Innovation.”

A recording of the talk will be available by request, by contacting director@beckman.illinois.edu. You can submit your feedback by Monday, April 6.

Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences.

Jimmy Dooley, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Purdue University, where he studies how sleep shapes the development of the brain's sensorimotor circuits. His research is rooted in a curiosity about the biological origins of behavior. That curiosity began as an undergraduate with an honors thesis on seasonal rhythms of reproductive behavior in Brian Prendergast's lab at the University of Chicago. He earned his PhD in Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis. Working with Leah Krubitzer, he explored the evolutionary origins of somatosensory and motor cortex through comparative studies of marsupials. He then completed postdoctoral training with Mark Blumberg at the University of Iowa, where his focus shifted toward the role of self-generated movements—particularly REM sleep twitches—and their capacity to actively drive the development of sensorimotor circuits, a finding that forms the foundation of his independent research.

Sharing Your Research Story: Increasing External Visibility for LAS Faculty

Thursday, March 26
12:00–1:00 PM CT
Lincoln Hall 2092 or Zoom (Hybrid)

LAS faculty produce impactful, meaningful research—but translating that work for audiences beyond campus can sometimes feel unclear or time‑consuming. This session highlights practical, faculty‑friendly pathways for sharing your research with public audiences and shows how to work effectively with LAS Marketing & Communications and related partners to amplify your impact.

In this forum, you will learn:

• How the LAS communications ecosystem supports outward‑facing research storytelling
• What types of research news are best suited for external promotion
• How to connect efficiently with communications partners to expand your reach

The session will conclude with clear next steps, realistic examples, and time for Q&A.

RSVP by 12PM on March 23 to reserve your seat or access the Zoom link. Guests attending in-person will have the option of requesting a boxed lunch. In-person space is limited. 

Preparing for the academic job market? The Writers Workshop will review genre expectations for academic cover letters and provide examples from a range of disciplines. We will share strategies for drafting, strengthening, and tailoring your own cover letters.

This presentation will be held via Zoom and is open to all current U of I affiliates (students, faculty, and staff). You will need to be logged into your Illinois Zoom account to join. 

Please register with your Illinois email by March 25 to receive the Zoom details on the morning of the event. If you register on the day of, please email wow@illinois.edu immediately to request the Zoom details - we will do our best to get them to you prior to the event but cannot make any guarantees.

All registrants will receive access to the presentation materials via email the following business day. 

This presentation will provide tips for writing concise and professional resumes and cover letters. You’ll review common structure, purpose, audience expectations, and strategies for creating a set of application materials that complement each other. We encourage you to bring a current job ad and questions about your current in-progress materials!

This presentation will be held via Zoom and is open to all current U of I affiliates (students, faculty, and staff). You will need to be logged into your Illinois Zoom account to join. 

Please register with your Illinois email by March 30 to receive the Zoom details on the morning of the event. If you register on the day of, please email wow@illinois.edu immediately to request the Zoom details - we will do our best to get them to you prior to the event.

All registrants will receive access to the presentation materials via email the following business day. 

The ability to craft an effective funding proposal is a skill that can reap a lifetime of rewards. As a graduate student, now is the time to hone your grantwriting proficiency. In this workshop, designed for students in STEM fields, you will learn how to identify funding opportunities, strategize the components of an effective proposal, and think like a grantwriter. Come with questions about this mysterious genre, leave with a template that you can adapt to become a competitive applicant for prestigious university, national, and international funding competitions. 

Register in advance for the link to this online workshop. 

See moreGraduate College Workshops.

Preparing for the academic job market? The Writers Workshop will review genre expectations for statements of teaching philosophy and provide examples from a range of disciplines. We will share strategies for drafting, strengthening, and tailoring your own statement.

This presentation will be held via Zoom and is open to all current U of I affiliates (students, faculty, and staff). You will need to be logged into your Illinois Zoom account to join. 

Please register with your Illinois email by April 1 to receive the Zoom details on the morning of the event. If you register on the day of, please email wow@illinois.edu immediately to request the Zoom details - we will do our best to get them to you prior to the event.

All registrants will receive access to the presentation materials via email the following business day.