PhD defenses mark a major milestone in a student’s academic journey, showcasing years of research, discovery, and scholarly contribution. During these public presentations, doctoral candidates share the results of their work with the academic community before engaging in a formal evaluation by a committee of experts. These events highlight the depth and diversity of research within the Department and provide an opportunity for colleagues, students, and guests to learn about cutting-edge advances in biology.
Date: Wednesday, June 17th, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Pre Defense; 1:15 pm Defense
Student: Amirhossein (Amir) Pezeshki Najafabadi
Supervisor: Monique Zetka
Thesis title: Regulation of meiotic chromosome axis morphogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans
Type: Hybrid
Location: Stewart Biology Bldg. Rm N2/2
Date: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Pre Defense; 1:15 pm Defense
Student: Caroline Dallstream
Supervisor: Fiona Soper
Thesis title: Tropical fine root traits from the sub-individual to the community level: impacts on plant coexistence in phosphorus-limited ecosystems
Type: Hybrid
Location: Stewart Biology Bldg. Rm N7/1; Pre Defense in Rm 7/39
Date: Thursday, June 25th, 2026 @ 9:00 am Pre Defense; 9:15 am Defense
Student: Megan Letourneau
Supervisor: Hugo Zheng
Co-supervisor: Jean-Benoit Charron
Thesis title: Food for the future: Transforming Camelina sativa into a climate-stress tolerant crop
Type: Hybrid
Location: Stewart Biology Bldg. Rm N7/1; Pre Defense in Rm 7/39
Date: Thursday, July 9th, 2026 @ 10:00 am Pre Defense; 10:15 am Defense
Student: Maggie Chang
Supervisor: Michael Hendricks
Thesis title: Investigating chemosensory gradient encoding for navigation in Caenorhabditis elegans
Type: Hybrid
Location: Stewart Biology Bldg. Rm N7/1; Pre Defense in Rm 7/39
Date: Friday, July 10th, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Pre Defense; 1:15 pm Defense
Student: JanaÃna de Andrade Serrano
Supervisor: Laura Pollock
Thesis title: Understanding mapping, and monitoring biodiversity vulnerability across scales
Type: Hybrid
Location: Stewart Biology Bldg. Rm N7/1; Pre Defense in Rm 7/39
Date: Monday, July 13th, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Pre Defense; 1:15 pm Defense
Student: Silma Subah
Supervisor: Monique Zetka
Thesis title: Coordination of meiotic DSB formation with sister chromatid cohesion configures chromosomes for crossing over
Type: Hybrid
Location: Stewart Biology Bldg. Rm N2/2; Pre Defense in Rm 7/39