Genetics Society of America
GSA Award Seminars
Learn more about the 2026 awardees ≫
Upcoming seminars:
George W. Beadle Award recipient Aaron Mitchell: The most important thing in Science
July 2, 2026, from 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. EDT
A scientific community thrives when research groups are connected through paradigms, personalities, publication venues, and professional opportunities.
In this seminar, Aaron Mitchell will reflect on learning about this fact through his work with the Yeast Genetics community and his efforts to provide these elements in the Fungal Pathogenesis field. Read his full profile in Genes to Genomes.
Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal recipient Judith Kimble: Understanding a stem cell niche and its regulation of self-renewal and differentiation
July 9, 2026, from 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. EDT
The existence of stem cells relies on signals from their “niche”.
In this seminar, Judith Kimble will describe her discovery of a stem cell niche in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the first discovered in any organism, and then discuss how genetics led the way to understand how the niche communicates with stem cells to ensure self-renewal and differentiation. She will also discuss how her discoveries in the nematode opened the door for understanding stem cell regulation more broadly in animals; how her research benefited tremendously from a strong network of trainees, colleagues, funding agencies, and scientific societies; and the importance of curiosity-driven investigations to our society. Read her full profile in Genes to Genomes.
Genetics Society of America Medal recipient Joseph Schacherer: Dissecting the phenotypic landscape in the pangenomic era
July 16, 2026, from 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. EDT
Individuals from the same species can differ by millions of genetic variants, yet much of how this genetic diversity shapes observable complex traits remains unknown.
In this seminar, Joseph Schacherer will discuss how large-scale long-read sequencing and deep phenotyping of more than 1,000 natural Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates provide new insights into the genetic basis of complex traits and missing heritability. He will present how integrating SNPs, insertions/deletions, structural variants, and graph-based pangenome uncovers distinct genetic architectures underlying molecular and organismal phenotypes. Read his full profile in Genes to Genomes.
Genetics Society of America Mentorship Award recipient Irini Topalidou: WORMing through science: From discoveries to mentorship
July 23, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. –2:00 p.m. EDT
In this seminar, Irini Topalidou will describe how the tiny worm, C. elegans, has served as a compass guiding her across research stages, disciplines, career paths, and approaches to mentorship. Through this organism, she has explored fundamental questions in neurobiology, alongside more recent investigations into proteostasis and organismal biology. Far from being just a tool, C. elegans has acted as a bridge to new ideas, mentorship, collaborations, and scientific communities, helping to shape both her intellectual development and her perspectives on training and mentorship. Read her full profile in Genes to Genomes.
Edward Novitski Prize recipient Michael O’Connor: Thirty years to tame the Shrew
July 30, 2026, from 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. EDT
The shrew gene encodes the last functionally uncharacterized product whose loss disrupts Decapentaplegic (Dpp) gradient formation and assignment of dorsal cell fates in the early Drosophila embryo.
In this seminar, Michael O’Connor will show that Shrew is a truncated relative of Twisted gastrulation (Tsg) and like Tsg can stimulate Tolloid proteolytic processing of Short gastrulation in the presence of Dpp, but unlike Tsg it apparently does so without forming a stable complex with any known dorsal patterning component. Based on additional genetic and phylogenetic data, he will present three possible molecular models for Shrew function and why it might only be found in Drosophilidae. Read his full profile in Genes to Genomes.