Dr. Mary-Claire King
“The Search for the Disappeared Grandchildren of Argentina and the Development of Genetic Genealogy”
July 30, 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Past Public Lectures
The UW Department of Genome Sciences played an important role in determining the sequence of the 3 billion letters of DNA specifying all of our hereditary information and is now one of the leading centers where the human genome is being interpreted and where new technologies for this analysis are being developed.
To share these advances with the public the Department of Genome Sciences hosts a ‘Wednesday Evenings at the Genome’ public lecture series each summer. These exciting discussions assume no background knowledge in genetics or other biological subjects and provide opportunities to chat with our presenters.
2025
Dr. Gaurav Bhardwaj
“AI-enabled design of new peptide therapeutics”
Co-hosted by the Institute for Protein Design
July 23, 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Ivan Liachko
“Illuminating the Dark Matter of the Microbiome”
Co-hosted by the Genome Sciences Alumni Board
July 16, 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Andrew Stergachis
“What We Weren’t Looking For: Navigating Unexpected Genetic Findings in the Clinic”
July 9, 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2024
Phil Abitua
The evolutionary story of embryos
July 31, 2024 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Suman Jayadev
How immune cells can drive Alzheimer’s disease
July 24, 2024 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Alison Feder
Mapping intra-lung bacterial migration reveals pathways to persistence
July 17, 2024 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Bob Waterston
The Human Genome Project: from the frying pan into the fire
July 10, 2024 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2023
Sam Wasser
Genetic approaches to combat transnational environmental crimes
August 2, 2023 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Jay Shendure
Reconstructing prenatal development, from a single cell zygote to a free-living mammal
July 26, 2023 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Rosana Risques
Mutations, aging, and cancer: understanding the evolution inside of our bodies
July 19, 2023 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Gail Jarvik
Genomic medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center
July 12, 2023 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2022
Building a Better Sundae
In DNA Café Ice Cream Sundaes represent proteins in the cell. How do we measure ice cream “proteins” when they melt so easily? Research panelists will discuss their research into protein and mass spectrometry.
August 17, 2022 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Can I Take Your RNA Order?
How do we figure out what ice cream “gene” orders are most popular? How might mRNA vaccines prevent Vegetable Virus Invasions? Research panelists will discuss their research into RNA and gene expression.
August 10, 2022 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
The DNA Menu
Place your Ice Cream Sundae order from the DNA Menu. Research panelists will discuss their research into the mysteries of DNA.
July 13, 2022 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2021
Dr. Malia Fullerton
Genomics and Society: A Few Big Questions
July 28, 2021 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Jesse Bloom
Interpreting the evolution of SARS-CoV-2
July 21, 2021 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Maitreya Dunham
Mutant beer: watching yeast evolve in real time in the brewery
July 14, 2021 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Lea Starita
City Scale Pandemic Surveillance with the Seattle Flu Study
July 7, 2021 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2019
Rob Bradley
Why do humans have fewer genes than corn?
July 31, 2019 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Heather Mefford
Understanding the genetics of epilepsy
July 24, 2019 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Trisha Davis
Ensuring an Equal Genetic Inheritance: A tale of yeast, lasers, and the effort to rebuild one of nature’s most complex molecular machines
July 17, 2019 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Alan Herr
An n of 1: Navigating lung cancer as a patient and a scientist
July 10, 2019 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2018
Dr. Evan Eichler
Understanding the genetics of autism
August 1, 2018 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Celeste Berg
Crime Scene Investigation: Seattle — How DNA helps forensic scientists catch the bad guys
July 25, 2018 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Kelley Harris
Who were the Neanderthals and what are they doing in my genome?
July 18, 2018 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. William Noble
Using deep neural networks to study the human genome
July 11, 2018 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2017
Doug Fowler
New approaches to understanding variation in human genomes
July 26, 2017 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Matt Kaeberlein
A biologist and his dogs: The quest to slow aging in man’s best friend
July 19, 2017 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Jay Shendure
Using CRISPR to learn how a body builds itself
July 12, 2017 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Brook Nunn
What can the tiniest organisms teach us about the vast ocean?
July 5, 2017 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2016
Dr. Michael MacCoss
Why do we care about measuring proteins? The search for the panacea of robust protein measurement
July 27, 2016 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Cole Trapnell
Reprogramming our cells: Finding & exploiting biological wormholes
July 20, 2016 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. M.K. Raghuraman
Beyond bread and beer: Investigating human disorders in yeast
July 13, 2016 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Gail Jarvik
Genomic Medicine: Present and Future
July 6, 2016 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2015
Dr. Tony Blau
A Cancer Patient’s War on Cancer
July 29, 2015 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Aimee Dudley
Wine, coffee, and chocolate: The influence of human activity on microbes we need
July 22, 2015 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Cole Trapnell
Reprogramming our cells: finding and exploiting biological wormholes
July 15, 2015 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Ray Monnat
Cancer: What is it? Where does it come from? What can we do?
July 8, 2015 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2014
Dr. Sam Miller
How Bacteria Cause Disease: Warfare and Detente Alter the Balance of Human Defense & Microbial Invaders
July 30, 2014 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. David Baker
Design of Brand New Proteins for Current Challenges in Health, Energy & Technology
July 23, 2014 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Mary Kuhner
Evolutionary Forensics: Where Did That Come From?
July 16, 2014 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Jesse Bloom
Constraints on the Evolution of Influenza Virus
July 9, 2014 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2013
Dr. Maynard Olson
Genomic Medicine: What Path Forward?
July 31, 2013 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Peter Byers
Genetics and the Law: Contretemps Over Brittle Bones
July 24, 2013 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. David Raible
Not Just a Fish Tale: Zebrafish Models to Cure Hearing Loss
July 17, 2013 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. George Martin
How Nature, Nurture and Chance Shapes How We Age
July 10, 2013 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2012
Dr. Hannele Ruohola-Baker
From Flies to Mice to Men: how caramel color can keep our muscles strong
August 1, 2012 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. David Hawkins
Chromatin Cartography: How our epigenomes Inform us about our genome
July 25, 2012 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Holly Tabor
Making Your Genome Work for You
July 18, 2012 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Mary-Claire King
Anna Karenina and the Genetics of Schizophrenia
July 11, 2012 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2011
Dr. Harmit Malik
Paleovirology: ghosts and gifts from ancient infections
July 27, 2011 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Elhanan Borenstein
Meet your tenants: A genomic tour of your inner microbial zoo
July 20, 2011 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Michael Bamshad
Confessions of the genome: solving rare disease mysteries
July 13, 2011 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Joshua Akey
Recent adventures in human evolution
July 6, 2011 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2010
Dr. Joe Felsenstein
Mitochondrial Eve and Y-chromosome Adam: who do your genes come from?
July 28, 2010 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Maitreya Dunham
Watching evolution in action
July 21, 2010 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Carol Sibley
Making an impact on malaria: What can a geneticist do?
July 14, 2010 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. John Stamatoyannopoulos
How your diet affects your DNA
July 7, 2010 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2009
Dr. Dan Gottschling
Aging and Cancer: Clues from the Wine Bottle
July 29, 2009 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Malia Fullerton
Genetics and Ethics
July 22, 2009 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Richard Palmiter
Using Genetics to Understand Body Weight Regulation
July 15, 2009 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Evan Eichler
The Changing Human Genome: Disease and Evolution
July 8, 2009 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
2008
Dr. Jay Shendure
Sequencing genomes and personal genomics
July 30, 2008 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Celeste Berg
Genes and Development
July 23, 2008 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Michael MacCoss
Measuring Proteins Levels in Health and Disease
July 16, 2008 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium
Dr. Bruce Weir
DNA, Genetics, and Forensics
July 9, 2008 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Foege Auditorium