Welcome back scientists!

I hope that everyone had a great summer and is settling comfortably into the new school year. This is the first of our monthly department newsletters for the 2025/2026 school year.

Perhaps our biggest new development is the addition of two new faculty members! You can read more about Dr. Rachael Best and Dr. Steve Kutos in section 2. Be sure to give them a big Loyola welcomes when you see them around campus! We'll also get into exciting summer happenings, Biohealth events to put on your calendar, and interesting study abroad and volunteer opportunities. And just for fun, I've added a few easter eggs for the movie buffs. Can you spot them?

Do you have something you'd like featured in our newsletter? Please email me at amaxwell2@loyola.edu

Stay Curious!

Ada Maxwell
Biology Program Specialist

I Know What Biology Did Last Summer
The New Faculty
Biohealth Destination
Perfect Your Craft With These Opportunities

Loyola Biology at the Animal Behavior Society Annual Meeting

Sarah Oliver and Hannah Graham presented their research at the 2025 Animal Behavior Society meeting in Baltimore. They presented their poster "Investigating the Impact of Predator Exposure on Shoaling Behavior in Juvenile Convict Cichlids" to researchers and students from across the world.

Dr. Natalie van Breukelen presented research at the 2025 Animal Behavior Society meeting. The presentation "Shoaling vs. Hiding: Predator Avoidance Decisions in Juvenile Convict Cichlids" described research carried out as part of a senior project by Karen O'Brien from Goucher College. This research has resulted in a peer-reviewed publication in the journal Ecology of Freshwater Fish.

Dr. Natalie van Breukelen planned and organized the ABS Outreach Fair at the Maryland Science Center. This event showcased research for 12 different labs in the field of animal behavior engaging with the public through games and interactive stations. In addition, two local community organizations joined the event which engaged with nearly 300 kids.

7 Biology Students Participate in Hauber Summer Research Fellowship

Mentored by Dr. Cassandra Holbert

Michael Moseley: Differentiation and Cytokine Production of Polyamine Depleted CD4+ T Cells

Jamie Cashour and Lauren Imasa: The impact of polyamine depletion on macrophage polarization and phagocytic ability

Yuri Singh: Potential Disruption of Cytokine Production in Polyamine-Induced CD4+ T-Cell Lineages

Mentored by Dr. Craig Myrum

Andres Socarras: Orexin-A induction of Arc protein expression

Zaira Rehman: Investigating Arc Expression in the Hippocampus Across the Sleep-Wake Cycle

Joshua Player: Comparing Estradiol and Estrone Arc-Expression

Learn more about the Hauber Summer Research Fellowship and apply to be a 2026 Fellow.

Dr. Rachael Best

As a Maryland native, Dr. Rachael Best is excited to move back to the Baltimore area! Dr. Best completed her MS in College STEM Teaching and PhD in Biological Science at Florida State University. Her dissertation investigated mechanisms of intraspecific variation in response to variable environments in tropical octocoral species from the US Virgin Islands, as well as a temperate octocoral species from the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Best investigated intraspecific variation in polyp morphology and utilized carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses to quantify trophic strategy differences through shifts in reliance on heterotrophic feeding and autotrophic endosymbionts in relation to polyp tentacle lengths. Then, to isolate intraspecific variation of the host in response to environmental variation, independent from autotrophic endosymbionts, Dr. Best studied phenotypic plasticity in a temperate, heterotrophic octocoral species in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. After defending, Dr. Best spent a year as a SPIRE Postdoctoral Fellow at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in the Biology Department. At UNC, she worked on both a cyanobacteria mat system in the Caribbean as well as lab-based freshwater hydra to investigate mechanisms influencing community dynamics and intraspecific variation. Dr. Best's training and experience in the classroom fostered and propelled her love of teaching and mentoring, which she is excited to continue as an Assistant Teaching Professor at Loyola. Outside of academia, she enjoys reading, music, hiking, and scuba diving. Dr. Best is looking forward to getting to know everyone in the Loyola community!

Dr. Steve Kutos

Dr. Steve Kutos is a new Assistant Professor in the Biology department starting Fall 2025. He spent three years at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute as a postdoctoral researcher exploring the ecological and microbiological dynamics of coffee farms in Central and Latin America. Just after completing his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Fordham University in 2021, he spent a year in New Mexico on a USDA funded project exploring the ecological health impacts of organic matter additions to dry rangeland ecosystems. His research that he will explore at Loyola University Maryland will be focused on the complex dynamic relationships between plants, soils, the microbiome, and shifts in environmental patterns.

Biohealth Career Panel

Tuesday, October 21st
5:30-7:00PM
The Rizzo Career Center
Guest speakers will discuss their experience in Biohealth careers. This event is geared towards Biohealth majors but is open to everyone.

Biohealth International Internships

Dr. Michael Tangrea visited Newcastle University in June to meet with faculty and explore the possibility of international internships for Biohealth and Biology students. Dr. Tangrea will host an information session on the topic in mid-November. More details to come.

The Spring 2026 IT Technology course—covering AI, Analytics, Quantum Computing, and Cloud, with a possible global immersion in Portugal—is an exciting opportunity for Biology majors.

Biological research and practice are increasingly dependent on advanced technologies:

AI and Analytics enable breakthroughs in genomics, bioinformatics, and modeling of ecological systems.
Cloud computing supports large-scale collaboration, data storage, and access to global research databases.
Quantum computing holds potential for accelerating drug discovery and simulating complex biological processes that classical computing cannot manage.

The Lisbon study abroad component will give students an international view of how technology is transforming healthcare, biotechnology, and environmental sciences. Returning to campus, they will connect these insights with their academic training, preparing them for careers in research, medicine, biotech, and conservation.

For Biology majors, this course offers a unique opportunity to integrate technological fluency with scientific expertise, a combination increasingly sought after in both graduate programs and industry. Information sessions are scheduled for September 9, 11, 16 and 18 in SH 418a from 5pm to 5:30. Students do not have to take the Portugal piece to take the overall class but it does provide a global context for those that desire this. Please reach out to Laurie Magnino at lamagnino@loyola.edu if you have questions.

The State Advisory Council on Hereditary and Congenital Disorders (ACHCD) advises the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) on finding and caring for conditions present at birth and/or those passed down from parent to child.

The council is tasked with:
● Assisting with the implementation of new conditions to the Maryland newborn screening panel
● Gathering and distributing information to educate the public on hereditary and congenital disorders
● Evaluating the efficacy of State hereditary and congenital disorders programs
● Advocating for those with hereditary and congenital disorders and any relevant stakeholders

The ACHCD currently has two vacancies. The vacancies must be filled by individuals appointed by the Secretary, none of whom may be:
● A health professional
● A spouse of a health professional
● An individual or spouse of an individual involved in the administration or ownership of
○ Any healthcare institution or
○ Health insurance organization

ACHCD members commit to:
● 6-10 meetings a year held on Tuesday evenings 5:30-7:00PM
● Ad Hoc meetings as needed
● A term of four years

The Council’s webpage can be viewed here.To apply, please use this link through the Office of Appointments. Thank you!

Flyer for Sleep and Circadian Hygiene Maymester