Center for Exercise Science Seminars
The CES is proud to present this ongoing speaker series where we bring in leading researchers representing the cardiovascular, muscle, nerve, brain and behavioral science fields. Presentations are approximately 45 minutes long and are followed by a 15-minute Q&A session. Seminars are open to the public.
Fall 2026
Sept-3
Guest: Gustavo Alberto Nader, Ph.D. Professor
Huck Chair in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology
Dept. of Kinesiology and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
Penn State Cancer Institute
Title: Ribosomes as Guardians of Muscle Proteostasis in Health and Disease
Host: Orlando Laitano
SEP-17
Guest: Victor Bodart-Santos, Ph.D
Research Associate
Department of Neuroscience
Mayo Clinic Florida
Title: Extracellular Vesicles in Neurodegenerative Diseases: insights from Alzheimer’s Disease
Host: Orlando Laitano
Oct-1
Guest: Joonhee (Leo) Lee, Ph.D.
Title: TBD
Host: Agostina Casamento-Moran, Ph.D.
Oct-15
Guest: Diego Guarin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dept of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology
University of Florida
Title: TBD
Host: Zheng Wang, PhD.
Oct-29
Guest: Paola Giusti Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry
College of Medicine
Title: Genetics and genomics of Alzheimer’s disease
Host: Zheng Wang, Ph.D
Nov-19
Guest: Dr. Melissa Ilardo
Assistant Professor,
Department of Biomedical Informatics
University of Utah
Title: TBD
Hosts: Drs Michele Moraes and Orlando Laitano
Spring 2026
January 22 – Due to inclement weather and airspace closures, the scheduled CES Seminar Series presentation by Dr. Gustavo Alberto Nader has been canceled.
Gustavo Alberto Nader, Ph.D., Professor, Huck Chair in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Dept. of Kinesiology and Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Penn State Cancer Institute:
- Title: Ribosomes as Guardians of Muscle Proteostasis in Health and Disease
- Host: Orlando Laitano, Ph.D.
February 5 – rescheduled for F25 – Alba Azola, M.D., Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine:
- Title: TBD
- Host: Agostina Casamento Moran, Ph.D.
February 19 – Orlando Laitano, M.D., Assistant Professor of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida:
- Title: When Hormones Meet Heat: Preclinical Mechanisms Shaping Exertional Heat Illness
- Host: Evangelos Christou, Ph.D.
March 5 – Austin Zamarripa, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit of the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine:
- Title: From Plant to Performance: Cannabinoids, the Farm Bill, and Psychomotor Function
- Host: Paul Borsa, Ph.D.
March 26 – Bin Liu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida:
- Title: Mitochondria Shape Calcium Signaling to Drive Cardiac Disease Phenotypes
- Host: Tom Clanton, Ph.D., and Ashley Smuder, Ph.D.
April 9 – Cancelled – Zheng Wang, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida School:
- Title: Toward Identifying Dementia Risk in Midlife Autistic Adults: Evidence from Neurocognitive, Brain, and Plasma Biomarkers
- Host: Steve Coombes, Ph.D.
Questions?
For questions regarding the seminars, please contact Dr. Zheng Wang. Seminars for the Fall 2026 semester will be held Thursdays from 4:05 pm – 4:55 pm in Florida Gymnasium (FLG), room 210. Seminars for the Spring 2027 semester will be held Thursdays from 4:05 pm – 4:55 pm in Florida Gymnasium (FLG), room 210.