Science Lecture Series
Previous Speaker
Dr. Melissa Maginnis
Going Viral: Silent but deadly virus with a serious sweet tooth
Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 pm
Viruses infect every living thing on the planet, and we encounter innumerable viruses in the environment each day. In fact, there are over 300 trillion viruses that inhabit the human body. While most of these viruses are harmless, some viruses can cause serious human diseases that result in chronic conditions or fatality. Join us to learn how a virus that resides silently in the kidney can spread to the brain and cause a fatal infection. We will explore how viruses target particular cells in the body and how they actually hijack the host cell machinery to cause harm.
Dr. Melissa Maginnis is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences at The University of Maine. She was born and raised in Pennsylvania and earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Neumann College. Dr. Maginnis earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Vanderbilt University and performed postdoctoral training at Brown University. Dr. Maginnis joined the UMaine faculty in 2014, and her laboratory is focused on understanding the cellular and molecular basis of viral disease. Defining how viruses recognize and invade cells within the host can ultimately elucidate targets for novel antiviral therapies to prevent or treat viral illnesses. Dr. Maginnis is also dedicated to teaching undergraduates and graduate students at UMaine and training the next generation of biomedical scientists through experiential learning.
The Science Lecture Series at Versant Power Astronomy Center will take place the second Thursday of each month and is a partnership project with the Maine Science Festival and will feature research from a variety of science disciplines from around our state and use the digital planetarium to visualize these discoveries in a new dramatic and immersive way.
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets are available online at http://astro.umaine.edu, by calling 581-1341, or at the box office.
Previous Speakers
September 2016 |
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October 2016 |
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November 2016 |
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December 2016 |
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February 2017 |
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March 2017 |
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April 2017 |
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May 2017 |
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September 2017 |
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December 2017 |
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February 2018 |
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March 2018 |
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April 2018 |
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October 2018 Dr. Justin Lap |
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November 2018 |
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December 2018 |
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January 2019 |
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February 2019 |
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March 2019 |
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April 2019 |
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September 2019 |
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November 2019 |
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March 2020 |
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Future Speaker
Dr. Paul A. Mayewski
Maine’s possible future given the global climate crisis
This event has been postponed to a future date to be determined. Stay tuned!
How fast can climate change? How is Arctic warming impacting Northern Hemisphere climate? What are the impacts of climate change today and what can we expect in the next few decades? Explore how Maine’s citizens will be affected by the global climate and the unprecedented changes taking place in our environment.
Dr. Paul A. Mayewski is Director of the Climate Change Institute and Distinguished Professor in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences, School of Marine Sciences, Business School, and School of Policy and International Affairs at the University of Maine. He has led over 55 expeditions to the remotest reaches of the planet. Paul has over 450 scientific publications, received numerous honors such as Inaugural Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research, the Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Medal and the International Glaciological Society Seligman Crystal, developed and led major international climate change research programs in Antarctica, Greenland and Asia, released two popular books, appears regularly in media such as CBS 60 Minutes and NOVA. He was highlighted in 2014 Emmy winning film “Years of Living Dangerously”. He recently led the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Extreme Mt. Everest Expedition.
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The Science Lecture Series at Versant Power Astronomy Center will take place on the second Thursday of each month and is a partnership project with the Maine Science Festival and will feature research from a variety of science disciplines from around our state and use the digital planetarium to visualize these discoveries in a new dramatic and immersive way.