Darwin Day 2025 featuring Keynote Speaker Andrea Bodnar

Thursday, February 12, 2026

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center (1200 10th Ave S, Birmingham, AL, 35294)

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.: Poster Session and Reception
The Department of Biology will present a public poster session highlighting current research

7:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Keynote Lecture
Dr. Andrea Bodnar - “The Ocean’s Methuselahs - Genomic Signatures of Exceptional Longevity and Negligible Aging in Sea Urchins”

8:00 – 8:30 p.m.: Meet and Greet
Dr. Bodnar will meet and greet attendees.

Dr. Andrea Bodnar is the Science Director at the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, where she works at the intersection of marine biology and human health. She has a unique background, with formal training in biochemistry and neuroscience that led her to a position as a Senior Scientist at the Molecular Discovery Lab at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), where she conducted research using sea urchins to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying longevity. Her current work takes advantage of the close genetic relationship between humans and urchins to understand the molecular and cellular pathways controlling lifespan and disease resistance, searching for novel strategies for combating age-related diseases.

This event is open to the public.

Thank you to our sponsors: the Honors College, the Department of Psychology, and the Evenlyn M. and Harold C. Martin Endowed Support Fund.