Media contact: Shannon Thomason
The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Graduate School will host “Discoveries in the Making,” a chance for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to share their cutting-edge discoveries with the public.
The virtual events will start at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, and Tuesday, May 11. More details on how to watch are available online for the April 13 event and the May 11 event.
Upcoming topics and speakers in the series:
Tuesday, April 13
“Using Stable Isotope Technology to Address the Ecology of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin pileate)”
Forrest Collins, a graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biology, will talk about the diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin pileate. The diamondback terrapin inhabits salt marshes in the northern Gulf of Mexico, including along the coast of Alabama. Due to a variety of factors, this species has declined drastically and is designated a species of highest conservation concern. Understanding the ecology of this species is a prerequisite to the recovery of this population. The current study has implemented stable isotope technology as a method to investigate the foraging ecology of this species.
“Religion, Spirituality, Faith, Centeredness and Wellbeing: And Exploration of How These Elements Impact Individual Wellbeing”
Carol Griggs, a Ph.D. student in the School of Education’s Education Studies in Health Disparities of Diverse Populations program, will discuss her research to better understand well-being. The goal is to be able to use that understanding to help people with their own well-being and help them consider the well-being of those around them. This research resulted in a new well-being model, which can be a self-care guide, as well as a clinical tool, to help people find their way back to wellness.
Tuesday, May 11
“Discoveries in the Making, Mimicking Exercise State as an Aging Disease Therapy”
Kristen Coutinho, a Ph.D. student in the department of Graduate Biomedical Sciences specializing in the Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics theme, will talk about the science of exercise. Exercise improves health and has been shown to have anti-aging benefits, such as stronger muscles and healthier hearts. Recent science has shown that exercise can stimulate neuron growth in the parts of the brain associated with learning and memory. These long-term impacts of exercise can benefit us as we age; the challenge is it becomes tougher even to carry out day-to-day activities. Coutinho’s work is to help discover a way to provide aging, less mobile people with the benefits of exercise without their needing to carry out actual exercise.