Hear Yale graduate students talk about important topics including the genetics of autism, wildlife disease, climate change, and wildfires.
The Yale Peabody Museum Speakers Bureau features informative and fun science talks from Yale University graduate student experts. Students in the program worked with the Peabody to hone their skills in science communication to bridge the gap between scientific research and public curiosity.
The talks will take place on Thursday, May 1 and Thursday, May 15 at the Peabody in David Friend Hall at 5:30 pm. Admission is free.
May 1
Speaker: April Pruitt
“Genes, Brains, and Behavior: Oh My! Investigating Genetic and Brain Changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder”
How can understanding the genetics of autism spectrum disorder open new possibilities for personalized therapies and early interventions? In this talk, Pruitt will explore ongoing research on the genetics of autism spectrum disorder. By examining genetic mutations that lead to changes in brain activity and behavior, researchers shed light on key pathways that affect brain development and function and can guide plans for care.
April Pruitt is a 5th year PhD candidate in neuroscience at Yale University. She studies gene and environment interactions underlying autism spectrum disorder and enjoys reading romance novels.
Speaker: Will Rogers
“Stronger together: How relationships help slow epidemics”
Animals constantly battle unseen enemies – parasites. But how do they respond to a world full of invisible threats? In this talk, Rogers will explore the complex relationships between the ways that animals behave and disease. Rogers focuses his work on wild African buffalo and how their behavior determines - and is determined by - their parasite threats. We will dive into the clever ways animals both avoid parasites and cope with their costs, even how parasites hijack behavior for their own benefit. By understanding these dynamics, we gain new insights into the “whys” of animal behavior and potentially learn how we, as humans, can better respond to our own disease threats.
Will Rogers is a Ph.D. student in the Ezenwa Lab at Yale in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology studying pathogens in the context of behavioral ecology.
May 15
Speaker: Jon Gewirtzman
“Trees: Nature's unexpected methane machines”
While we know that methane emissions are a major cause of climate change, scientists still have many questions about thenatural processes that add or remove methane from the Earth’s atmosphere. Contrary to what one might expect, trees play a role in methane emissions, but it is unclear how. Gewirtzman’s research explores the hidden world of microbes living inside trees that may be the culprit behind their unexpected methane emissions, and how these microbes may matter for the health of our forests and our climate.
Jon Gewirtzman is a plant and ecosystem ecologist & biogeochemist interested in how ecosystems influence and are influenced by the global cycles of carbon, nutrients, and greenhouse gases in our era of rapid environmental change.
Speaker: Riley Wahedra
“Earth on Fire: Wildfires Across our Planet”
News about wildfires has been increasing, describing "more extreme" and frequent fires all around the planet, especially in the US. However, fires are not the same everywhere. Wahedra aims to give context to what natural wildfires look like and their roles in different ecosystems, and to help people interpret information about wildfires from both a human and scientific perspective.
Riley Wahedra is a PhD Candidate at Yale University in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology department studying wildfires.