VCU Life Sciences and Sustainability

10/15/2026

Can one solution tackle disease, agriculture, energy and poverty?

Join the VCU School of Life Sciences and Sustainability (SLSS) for a seminar featuring Dr. Jason Rohr, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame.

Dr. Rohr will explore how nature-based solutions in Africa can reduce disease, improve water access and agricultural productivity, and create sustainable sources of energy and fertilizer.

“Planetary Health Innovations for Disease, Agriculture, Water, Energy, Sustainability, and Poverty Challenges in Africa and Beyond”

📅 October 19
⏰ 12 p.m.
📍 Trani 253

10/14/2026

What if one summer course could change the course of your life?

For VCU alumni Maya Walters and Ryan Levering, Footprints on the James did just that. Through hands-on research and immersive experiences along the James River, both discovered new interests and career paths beyond the classroom.

Now, the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability is launching the Immersive River & Field STEM Education Fund to help future students access these transformative learning experiences.

Read their stories and learn how you can support the next generation of field researchers!

Footprints on the James is an immersive journey that lets students explore the biological and environmental components of the James River and its watershed. A new fund supports it and other similar field studies courses.

10/12/2026

Ella Balasa, B.S. Biology ’14

A proud VCU alumna, Ella Balasa is making a national impact in patient advocacy and healthcare innovation!

After earning her bachelor’s degree in biology from VCU, Ella turned her personal experiences living with cystic fibrosis into a mission to improve the relationship between patients, clinicians and researchers. Today, she works with nonprofit organizations, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and research institutions to ensure patient perspectives help shape clinical trials, drug development and healthcare communication.

With award-winning advocacy, more than 35 publications and over 30 keynote addresses and media appearances, Ella is championing a future where patients have a meaningful voice in the science and treatments that affect their lives.

We’re proud to celebrate Ella and the impact she continues to make in advancing patient-centered healthcare! 🖤💛

Pictures provided by VCU Office of Development and Alumni Relations

10/09/2026

From the classroom to the lab!

SLSS students recently visited Thermo Fisher Scientific in Richmond for an inside look at careers in science and biotechnology. Led by SLSS Internship Coordinator Dr. Hope, students toured biomarker, molecular, and vaccine labs before hearing from a panel featuring former VCU students about their career journeys.

The visit was a collaboration between SLSS and the Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA), giving students the opportunity to explore potential career paths and connect with professionals in the field.

Thank you to Thermo Fisher Scientific for welcoming our students and helping bring career exploration to life!

10/07/2026

One class. One river. A life-changing experience.

For more than a decade, Footprints on the James has taken VCU students beyond the classroom and into the James River watershed for hands-on research, exploration and learning.

For alumni Maya Walters and Ryan Levering, the experience helped shape their careers and set them on new paths.

Now, a new Immersive River & Field STEM Education Fund will help more students experience the transformative power of immersive field learning.

Read the full VCU News story to learn more:

Footprints on the James is an immersive journey that lets students explore the biological and environmental components of the James River and its watershed. A new fund supports it and other similar field studies courses.

10/07/2026

What happens when cancer cells break the rules?

Join the SLSS Seminar Series for a presentation by Dr. Paula D. Bos, Associate Professor of Pathology at VCU and Cancer Biology Program Co-Leader at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Bos will explore the biology behind cancer metastasis and how interactions within the tumor microenvironment can influence cancer progression and spread.

“Decoding Metastasis Through Cell Disruption”

📅 October 12
⏰ 12 p.m.
📍 Trani 151

10/01/2026

How do blood stem cells know what to become?

Join the SLSS Seminar Series on October 5 featuring Dr. Wilson K. Clements, Associate Member of the St. Jude Faculty and Associate Dean of the Biomedical Sciences PhD Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Dr. Clements will explore how hematopoietic stem cells develop and the cellular and molecular signals that shape their fate, with implications for regenerative medicine, gene therapy and cancer research.

📅 October 5
⏰ 12 p.m.
📍 Trani 253

09/30/2026

UPDATE: Our Rice Rivers Center Open House has been rescheduled!
Due to this weekend’s weather, the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability Open House at VCU’s Rice Rivers Center has been moved to:

Sunday, October 25, 2026

The good news? There’s now more time to join us!

Come experience VCU’s river campus and explore the work happening across the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability. Guests can enjoy interactive exhibits, research stations and hands-on activities hosted by SLSS faculty and staff.

The event is free, family-friendly and open to the public.

Ready to join us? Register here: https://give.vcu.edu/schools/VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity/events/school-of-life-sciences-and-sustainability-open-house-at-rice-rivers-center/guest_list

09/30/2026

Why does pumpkin spice make us feel like fall? 🍂

Catherine Franssen, Ph.D., explores the neuroscience behind our seasonal obsession in a new VCU News story. From smell and memory to reward, nostalgia and anticipation, pumpkin spice can serve as a “neurological shortcut to fall” — even when it’s still 90 degrees outside.

Franssen explains why we associate cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice with autumn, how our brains learn these seasonal associations and why the limited-time return of pumpkin spice products each year may make them even more rewarding.

Read the full story from VCU News:

VCU neuroscientist Catherine Franssen explains our seasonal addiction to the flavor and why we can’t wait for autumn every year.

09/30/2026

🍂 Why does pumpkin spice make us feel like fall?

According to Catherine Franssen, Ph.D., there’s more neuroscience behind our seasonal obsession than you might think. From smell and memory to reward, nostalgia and anticipation, pumpkin spice can act like a “neurological shortcut to fall.”

In a new VCU News story, Franssen explores why cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice have become so strongly associated with the season — and why we keep coming back for that pumpkin spice latte year after year.

Read the full story to learn about the neuroscience behind our favorite fall flavor.

🔗 Link in our story