TCU Department of Biology

TCU’s Quest to Save the Endangered Horned Lizard

In the latest Explained in 60 Seconds video, biology professor Dean Williams recaps the plight of the beloved “frog” and how TCU is working to save it.

TCU 14 likes, 1 comment. "Horned Frogs Explained in 60 with Dean Williams"

McGillivray Lab: Katherine Richey (BS Biology, 2026) and Louise Hutchison (BS Neuroscience, May 2026) present their work at the Spring meeting of the Texas Branch of the American Society of Microbiology.

Washington, D.C. — March 2026

Researchers from the Stewart Laboratory presented their latest scientific findings at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The laboratory's work focuses on BRCA1, a critical tumor suppressor protein whose mutations are linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Three members of the laboratory — Dr. Mikaela Stewart, Meagan McMann (MS 2026, PhD 2029), and Jamison Speed (MS 2026) — each presented original research at the conference. Jamison's presentation examined how inherited mutations that disrupt protein-protein interactions can impair the ability of BRCA1 and its partner protein PALB2 to carry out DNA repair to prevent tumor development. Meagan's research focused on the model organism C. elegans. Her findings suggest that BRCA1's E3 ligase enzymatic function plays an essential role in both DNA repair and gene regulation. Dr. Stewart presented two projects. The first explored how small molecules can be used to interfere with the BRCA1/PALB2 protein interaction, mimicking the effect of hereditary mutations in patients whose breast cancer is not inherited. This approach could expand the range of available treatments for a broader population of patients. Her second presentation demonstrated the effectiveness of using a case study to teach empathy along with metabolic disease and cell signaling in the classroom. Coauthors of the presentations included Stewart Lab undergraduate students Madison Adams (Biology BS 2026), Styrling Murray (Biology BS 2026, Lucy McCollum (Biology BS 2025), and Nathalie Carlon (Biology BS 2025).

For more information about the Stewart Laboratory and its research, please contact [email protected].

This is what leading on looks like! Louise Dilworth Davis ’77 just made one of the largest gifts in TCU history — $40 million to empower students, faculty and research in the newly renamed Louise Dilworth Davis College of Science & Engineering.

TCU’s $40 Million Alumni Naming Gift ‘Sends a Powerful Message’ Texas Christian University’s second biggest college has a new name: the Louise Dilworth Davis College of Science & Engineering.

Hale Lab Presents Research at the Evolution 2025 Meeting.

Mikay Reuter (PhD 2029), a member of Dr. Matt Hale’s lab, presented a talk titled “Using Genomics to Determine Origins and Dispersal Patterns of Invasive Northern Pike (Esox Lucius) in Southcentral Alaska” at the Evolution 2025 meeting in Athens, GA.

The research presented is being conducted in partnership with the Alaska Department of Fish & Wildlife and focuses on identifying genetic adaptations in invasive pike populations that increase dispersal capabilities. Because pike are aggressive predators that can have substantial adverse impacts on trout and salmon populations, fisheries managers aim to limit pike colonization of new lakes and rivers.

This research provides managers with novel tools for more effectively managing populations of invasive pike and the fish populations impacted by their presence.