Jason E. Podrabsky, PhD
Professor of Biology
Interim Vice President for Research & Graduate Studies
Portland State University
He / Him / His
Annual killifishes survive in temporary aquatic environments by producing drought-tolerant embryos that survive in the dry soil by entering up to 3 stages of development dormancy (diapause) during development. Each stage of diapause is responsive to different environmental cues. In this talk, Dr. Podrabsky will focus on the role of light and heat in regulating diapause through vitamin D signaling, and how vitamin D signaling alters DNA methylation patterns as embryos exit from metabolic dormancy. The talk will explore, in a broader sense, the role of environmental signaling in the control of development.
About the Speaker: The Podrabsky lab studies how environmental factors such as temperature and oxygen availability are integrated into developmental programs in vertebrates. He uses the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus as a model for these studies due to their unique life history and extreme tolerance of environmental stress. His lab uses an integrative approach that focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms using -omics approaches, field studies, and laboratory experiments. Jason received his PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1999 after which he did a 3 year postdoc at the Hopkins Marine Station at Stanford University with Dr. George Somero. He has been on the faculty in the Biology Department at Portland State University since 2003 and is the current Interim Vice President for Research & Graduate Studies. He serves on the editorial board of BioScience, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A, and Environmental Biology Fishes.
Register HERE to receive the link for the seminar.
NOTE: You will need to submit a separate registration for each seminar you want to attend.