Women in Science & Engineering

This guide introduces some of the women in STEM at UTSA, as well as offering relevant talks and information on citizen science

A Gut Feeling: Investigating Chemosensory Signaling from the Tongue and Gut to the Brain

Have you ever thought about why sugar tastes sweet or why lemons are sour? What about after you swallow a bite of food? How do our bodies monitor the contents of a meal to keep nutritional balance and prevent toxicity or infection? In the Biology department at UTSA, the Macpherson Lab investigates chemosensation - the ability to detect chemicals in our environment and food. We will discuss the basics of how your sense of taste signals to your brain the nutritional content of foods, and then how your gastro-intestinal tract continues to "taste" gut contents to aid digestion and extract as many nutrients as possible from a meal. We will then discuss some of the next big questions about gut-brain communication and how we go about researching these topics in the laboratory.

Presented by Dr. Lindsey Macpherson on February 11, 2020

Women Making Their Way In STEM

UTSA faculty share their experiences in STEM fields, including accomplishments, rewarding moments, harsh realities, persistence and more! Originally presented on February 11, 2021

Speakers include:

Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy, Peter T. Flawn Distinguished Professor, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Janis Bush, Professor, Department Chair, and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Department of Environmental Science

Dr. Kiran Bhaganagar, Associate Professor, Program Director and Chair of Graduate Studies Committee, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Alyssa Vikesland, Lecturer II, AIS Program/University College

Hosted by Ammi Bui & Diane Lopez