Professor and COBRE PI, University of Kansas Medical Center, Keynote Speaker
Title: TBD
Dr. Befort is a research advisor and supervisor for health psychology students conducting clinical research and also offers GRA positions at KUMC in the area of obesity and oncology.
Assistant Professor, Emporia State University, Regional Speaker
Title: Exercise From Afar: Progressing At-Risk Rural Adults to Effective Independent Exercise for Dementia Risk Reduction
Dr. Erin Blocker is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education & Recreation at Emporia State University.
Professor & Co-Director of Undergraduate Biology Program, University of Kansas - Lawrence
Session: Undergraduate Career Advice Panel
My research is focused on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of nervous system development and maintenance during aging. I am also interested in understanding the genetic mechanisms that regulate host-pathogen interactions, and how those have adapted over time. My lab uses genetic, genomic, cell biological, and biological techniques, primarily using the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system. I earned undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Psychology from Virginia Tech (1994) and a PhD in Neuroscience from Northwestern University (2001). I conducted postdoctoral research with Dr. Yishi Jin at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Janet Richmond at the University of Illinois, Chicago, before starting my career at the University of Kansas in 2007. I am currently a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences, am the Co-Director of the Program in Undergraduate Biology, the Co-Director of the T32 funded NIH Program in Graduate Training at the Chemistry-Biology Interface, and the Campus Coordinator for the K-INBRE.
Application Scientist and Cell Culture Specialist, Ronawk, Inc.
Aidyn is lead applications scientist at Ronawk, Inc., located in Olathe, Kansas.
Chair of Biology and Chemistry Departments & Associate Professor of Biology, Pittsburg State University
I am a wildlife ecologist with an interest in conducting research that informs the conservation and management of wildlife in an era of global change. My research interests include the impacts of urban greenspace management on wildlife communities, wildlife and landscape ecology, mined-land ecology, and human dimensions of wildlife conservation. I also have a strong interest in undergraduate education, providing opportunities for undergraduate research, and community outreach to the general public. For further information regarding recent publications, research interests, and teaching, please visit my professional website.
Principal Scientist, Hill's Pet Nutrition
She leverages her background in animal nutrition, microbiology and immunology for the development and scientific discovery of new technologies to improve the nutrition provided to dogs and cats for wellness throughout life and to support those undergoing various diseases. Before Hill’s, she has served as a livestock technical manager and nutritionist where she designed, executed commercially relevant studies and translated the science for scientific and customer-facing perspectives throughout the globe. She has over 60 peer reviewed journal articles and conference abstracts. Kim earned her PhD in Animal Sciences from The Ohio State University with a focus in gut health and diseases.
Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University
Session: Curriculum-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Panel
My current research involves a wide variety of biochemical tools aimed at understanding regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in processes that include cancer, cardiomyopathy, and Listeria infections. Teaching duties include introductory chemistry for health professions students as well as advanced biochemistry courses for undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Beck has mentored over 50 undergraduate students in her research lab, has developed a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) course in biochemistry and is the director of the First Year Research Experience (FYRE) in STEM program. She is deeply involved in retention efforts and currently serves as the lead retention fellow and as co-PI on the ADVANCE Catalyst grant to increase representation of female and URM faculty at WSU. She is also a Frick Foundation Honors faculty fellow. For the past 10 years, Dr. Beck has coordinated a 1-day Expanding Your Horizons STEM Conference for middle school girls. Dr. Beck is also a member of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), the Protein Society, and the Biophysical Society. She is also the faculty advisor for WSU’s American Chemical Society Student Chapter.
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Emporia State University
Dr. Stephen Fields is a molecular geneticist and phycologist with research projects in neuronal development in the model nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, and the acquisition of chloroplasts in dinoflagellate algae. In the latter project he is employing RNAseq and qPCR to measure changes in gene expression patterns in algal chloroplasts as they are ingested and sequestered as functional “kleptoplasts” in predatory dinoflagellates. He is also characterizing the roles of myosin V and melatonin in neuronal physiology of C. elegans.
Associate Professor of Environmental Health, Pittsburg State University
Discipline/Specialization: Environmental health, bacteriology; Research Assistant Professor, Kansas State University, 2013-2015; Postdoctoral Research Associate, Kansas State University, 2008-2013; Research interests: Food safety, Antimicrobial resistance in environment, Pollutant detection/bioremediation, Insect-microbe interaction, Bacterial systematics
Associate Professor of Biology, University of Kansas - Lawrence
After spending nearly 20 years at the lab bench performing research, Dr. Hotze returned to the classroom podium to teach. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental pillars of effective education. Dr. Hotze embraces a student-centered approach to teaching that prioritizes active learning, collaboration, and hands-on experiences. By fostering an inclusive learning environment where every student feels valued and respected, her goal is to create a space where all voices are heard, and all ideas are welcomed. In alignment with current pedagogical best practices, Dr. Hotze integrates innovative teaching methods such as flipped classrooms, project-based learning, and inquiry-based instruction. These approaches not only empower students to take ownership of their learning but also provide opportunities for them to apply theoretical concepts to real-world problems, fostering critical thinking and creativity. Her innovative pedagogical approaches empower students to become lifelong learners of science and active contributors to a diverse and ever-changing world.
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Interim Dean of School of Science & Mathematics at Emporia State University, as well as Director of the Student Research Program for K-INBRE. My laboratory is primarily interested in the cellular and molecular mechanisms of innate immunity. Innate immunity involves various cell types and assorted immunoactive molecules whose primary function is to provide non-specific protection against a number of physiological insults. We are currently pursuing two research projects in the lab: The biology of uterine natural killer cells and Gut mucosal immunity.
Associate Professor, Kansas State University
Session: The Data Science Core presents: Make your figures beautiful and effective
Dr. Olson's long-term research interest is to understand the molecular and ecological basis of major evolutionary state transitions. The primary question his laboratory investigates is how did multicellular organisms evolve? Multicellular organisms are those we most commonly perceive in our “macro” environment, yet little is known about the molecular and ecological basis of multicellular evolution unknown. Understanding how and why individual cells evolved into multicellular organisms is an important evolutionary question and is important for our understanding of how human bodies maintain organizational control over cells. For example, human cancer is a fundamental loss of control of the growth and division of cells within the tissues of the body. Many of the genes defective in human cancers have been identified, however little is known about how multicellular organisms evolved control over their individual constituent cells. Long term, research in his laboratory is aimed at understanding how organisms evolved regulatory pathways controlling cell growth, division, and differentiation so that new approaches to cancer treatment could be developed.
Professor of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center
Dr. Koestler is a Professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He received his PhD in Biostatistics from Brown University and completed his postdoctoral research training in the Quantitative Biosciences (QBS) program at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. His primary research involves the development and application of statistical methodologies for high-throughput ‘omics’ data, with an emphasis on array-based DNA methylation data. In addition to his methodological interests, which include: statistical genomics, computational statistics, machine learning, and finite mixture models, he also has a deeply rooted interest in epigenetics and molecular epidemiology. Many of Dr. Koestler’s collaborations involve large-scale epidemiologic studies for studying DNA methylation and its relationship to environmental and lifestyle exposures, as well as its role disease susceptibility and prognosis. Dr. Koestler also currently serves as co-Director of the Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource (BISR) that supports the University of Kansas Cancer Center (KUCC), the KUMC Site-Director for Kansas-INBRE (K-INBRE) Bioinformatics, and the Director of the Quantitative ‘Omics Core (QOC) that supports the Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine (KIPM).
Professor of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas - Lawrence
My principal research interest is in understanding the genetic basis of complex, polygenic trait variation. Over my career I have studied a range of traits in Drosophila, most recently focusing on responses to toxin exposure. By emphasizing a systems genetics approach, and integrating a diverse array of experimental and computational tools, my group uncovers the pathways, genes, and variants that contribute to trait variation. I earned my undergraduate (1997) and graduate degrees (2000) at the University of Oxford in the UK. Following a brief period at University College London, in 2001 I moved to the University of California, Irvine to work with Dr. Tony Long, and in 2006 I started my faculty position at KU. I am currently a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences, am a member of the KU Center for Genomics, and serve as Director of the K-INBRE Data Science Core at KU.