Distinguished Scientists Seminars
The Distinguished Scientists Seminar (DSS) program comprises invited talks by leading
scientists from outside institutions. Speakers are selected to complement the Graduate
Training Program in the College of Medicine and cover a wide range of cutting-edge
biomedical research. Seminars are held monthly during the fall and spring semesters.
One seminar per semester is reserved for the Charles M. Baugh Lecture featuring a
nationally/ internationally recognized scientist.
Nominations for seminar speakers should be forwarded to departmental representatives on the DSS Committee. If the speaker is approved, the DSS representative notifies the faculty nominator that the speaker has been approved, gives them a list of available dates, and the faculty member then invites the speaker.
Fall 2026 Distinguished Scientists Seminar Schedule
All seminars begin at 4:00 PM in the Medical Sciences Building, 1st Floor Auditorium
| Date | Speaker | Host and Department |
|---|---|---|
| September 10, 2026 |
Dr. Mark R. Looney Seminar Title: Extramedullary granulopoiesis in the spleen after sepsis |
Sarah Sayner, Ph.D. Department of Physiology & Cell Biology |
| September 24, 2026 |
Dr. Brant Isakson Seminar Title: Lymphatic endothelial alpha globin in cardiometabolic heart failure |
Thiago Bruder, Ph.D. Department of Physiology & Cell Biology |
| October 1, 2026 |
Dr. Stanislava Chtarbanova |
Meghan Hermance, Ph.D. Department of Microbiology & Immunology |
| October 15, 2026 | Dr. David W. Goodrich Distinguished Professor of Oncology Director, Genitourinary Research, Department of Urology Director, Postdoctoral Training, Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center *Charles M. Baugh Lecture* |
Debanjan Chakroborty, PhD Department of Pathology USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) |
| October 22, 2026 | Dr. Jamie Meegan Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology & Cell Biology Whiddon College of Medicine |
Thiago Bruder, Ph.D. Department of Physiology & Cell Biology |
| December 3, 2026 | Dr. Rusty Elliott Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) Whiddon College of Medicine |
Department of Microbiology & Immunology |
DSS Committee
Meghan Hermance, Ph.D.
Committee Chair
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
mhermance@southalabama.edu
Brian Fouty, M.D.
USA Health Physician Enterprise
bfouty@health.southalabama.edu
Glen Borchert, Ph.D.
Department of Pharmacology
borchert@southalabama.edu
Debanjan Chakroborty, Ph.D.
Mitchell Cancer Institute
dchakroborty@southalabama.edu
Lucia Rameh Plant, Ph.D.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
luciaramehplant@southalabama.edu
Thiago Bruder, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology & Cell Biology
tbruder@southalabama.edu