The UAB Department of Microbiology will host the 2025 Susan Roberts Dubay Endowed Lecture on Oct. 14, welcoming Lora Hooper, Ph.D., as this year’s keynote speaker presenting, “Vitamin A and barrier immunity.”

Hooper is professor and chair of the Department of Immunology at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. At UT Southwestern Medical Center, she serves as the Jonathan W. Uhr, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Immunology as well as the Nancy Cain and Jeffrey A. Marcus Scholar in Medical Research.

A leading expert in host-microbiome interactions, she has made pioneering contributions to our understanding of intestinal immunity and microbial symbiosis. Hooper is an elected member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, and she has received numerous honors, including the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Medicine. Her leadership has helped establish key research infrastructure at UT Southwestern, including the Microbiome Research Laboratory and the Gnotobiotics Core Facility.

The Susan Roberts Dubay Endowed Lecture Series was established in memory of Susan Roberts Dubay, a beloved UAB microbiologist whose work and mentorship left a lasting impact on the department and the broader scientific community. Since its inception, the series has brought distinguished scientists to campus to share insights and foster dialogue on emerging topics in microbiology and immunology.

Past speakers have included leaders in virology, immunology, and microbial pathogenesis, reflecting the breadth and depth of Dubay’s own scientific interests. Read more about the history of the lecture series.   

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Lora Hooper to UAB for the Susan Roberts Dubay Endowed Lecture,” said J. Victor Garcia-Martinez, Ph.D., Charles H. McCauley Endowed Chair and professor in the UAB Department of Microbiology. “Her groundbreaking work on host-microbiome interactions and barrier immunity has transformed our understanding of intestinal health and disease. This lecture embodies the spirit of scientific excellence, leadership, and collaboration that Susan championed throughout her career.”

The event is open to the public and will be held in the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building, room 102, at 3 p.m.