The Spotlight series was created in 2009 as a way of building camaraderie in our department and as a way of communicating our unique departmental culture to prospective students and visitors. Featuring current graduate students, postdoctoral associates, technical staff, and administrative staff it showcases the broad interests and talent of our many department members. In April of 2015, we launched our first online version.
Archives: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2026 Spotlights
Manikkuwadura (Nadi) De Silva
March 2026
I study Importin 9 as a potential chaperone that mediates the exchange of the histone variant H2Av between lipid droplets (LDs) during early Drosophila melanogaster development. My research focuses on understanding how H2Av is dynamically transferred between LDs and subsequently incorporated into chromatin during the rapid stages of embryogenesis.
Haley Roth
February 2026
The Presgraves lab uses flies as a model organism to explore selfish genetic elements. Currently, I do a lot of molecular work, ensuring the genotype of our flies as we identify how genes in our system of interest interact with one another and result in phenotypes such as altered sex ratios and fertility.
Denis Firsanov
January 2026
My work focuses on understanding the exceptional longevity and cancer resistance of long-lived animals like the bowhead whale, and how we can use this knowledge to improve human health.