Casper Augustus Ferguson
Series Overview
This new series is dedicated to honoring the legacy of Casper Augustus Ferguson, BC’s first African-American graduate (1937), by amplifying the voices and experiences of distinguished minoritized scholars. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders by providing meaningful role models and fostering an inclusive scientific community at Boston College.
This event is co-sponsored by the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society and supported by faculty across STEM departments at BC.
Ether Lipids at the Crossroads of Ferroptosis and Metastasis: A Key to Understanding & Stopping Cancer’s Spread
October 20, 2025 | 1:00 pm - 5:30pm
Schiller Institute Convening Space (Room 501), 245 Beacon
About the Talk:
You are invited to attend the inaugural event of the Casper Augustus Ferguson Seminar Series. We are thrilled to welcome our first speaker, Dr. Whitney S. Henry, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at MIT and a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.
Full-Day Engagement:
Beyond the public seminar, Dr. Henry’s visit is designed for deep engagement with our student community. Her itinerary includes one-on-one meetings with graduate students, a small-group session with undergraduates, and a special afternoon talk sharing her personal journey in science, specifically for invited first generation students.
Organizing Committee:
Emrah Altindis (Biology), Avneet Hira (Engineering), Leah Gordon (Nursing), Laura J. Steinberg (Schiller Institute/EES), Kaley McCarty (Schiller Institute).
Dr. Whitney S. Henry
Whitney S. Henry, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. She was recently named the Robert A. Swanson (1969) Career Development Professor of Life Sciences.
Dr. Henry’s laboratory investigates ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death, to uncover how oxidative stress, metabolism, and immune signaling intersect to shape cell fate decisions. Her research has defined key lipid metabolic and iron homeostatic programs that regulate ferroptosis susceptibility, advancing this rapidly growing field. While her laboratory’s primary research focuses on therapy-resistant cancers, she is also extending these mechanistic frameworks to explore liver disease and endometrial physiology.
Dr. Henry earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry, from Grambling State University. As a Ph.D. student in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Harvard University, she studied PI3K signaling in breast cancer progression under the mentorship of Dr. Alex Toker. She completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Robert Weinberg at the Whitehead Institute, where she investigated the metabolic vulnerabilities of therapy-resistant breast cancers.
Her contributions to science have been recognized with numerous awards, including the HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar Award, the MIT Stem Cell Initiative Pilot Award, andfellowships from the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund and the Emerald Foundation.
Schedule of Events
Monday - Oct 20th | Schiller Institute Convening Space (Rm 501) | |
|---|---|
| 12:00 PM- 1:15 PM | Public Research Talk |
| 4:30 PM | Personal Story and Science Talk |
Diet, Autoimmunity and Inflammation Markers in Youth with and without Clinical Partial Remission of Type 1 Diabetes
November 17, 2025 | 12:00 pm - 1:15pm
Schiller Institute Convening Space (Room 501), 245 Beacon
About the Talk:
We are thrilled to welcome our second speaker, Dr. Lina Huerta-Saenz, an early career physician-scientist and pediatric endocrinologist at Penn State Health. At 12pm on Monday, November 17, she will present her talk "Diet, Autoimmunity and Inflammation Markers in Youth with and without Clinical Partial Remission of Type 1 Diabetes."
Lina Huerta Saenz is the Principal Investigator for clinical trials like DINAMO and conducts research focused on preserving beta-cell function in youth with early-onset Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, with notable prior experience in T1D prevention studies. She has received funding from sources like the NIH and the Children's Miracle Network to further her work on diabetes and prediabetes in pediatric patients.
This public lecture is intended for a broad audience and we encourage students, faculty, staff, and community members from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds to attend.
Lunch will be served following the talk.
This event is co-sponsored by the Institute for the Liberal Arts (ILA) and the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, and is supported by faculty across STEM departments at BC.
More information here.
Campus Map and Parking:
Parking is available at the nearby Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue Garages.
Boston College is also accessible via public transportation (MBTA B Line - Boston College).