Cornerstone Monthly Gatherings
CURE-KY Collaboration
The Cornerstone Gathering series is a monthly event hosted by CURE-KY to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, showcase innovative research, and strengthen community among faculty, trainees, and research staff working in infectious disease and related fields. Each month centers on a different theme, with recent gatherings highlighting topics such as Engineering Systems and Diagnostics, Zoonotic Disease and Animal Health, Drug Discovery and Vaccines, and Microbial Pathogenesis. Presenters have shared work on molecular diagnostics, vaccine development, pathogen surveillance, host-pathogen interactions, and environmental exposure risks — spanning multiple colleges including Medicine, Public Health, Engineering, Agriculture, and Arts & Sciences.
Cornerstone events are intentionally inclusive and cross-cutting, offering early-career and senior researchers alike a chance to connect, discover shared interests, and explore collaborative opportunities. Whether you're sharing your lab’s latest findings or simply joining for conversation and community, Cornerstone is a place to engage, grow, and contribute to CURE-KY’s mission.
Directions for New Attendees
Below are two links to help with directions to The Cornerstone. The first is a google maps link you can use to get to the Cornerstone from anywhere, you just need to enter your own starting point. The second is a ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúY Interactive Map link that has an area to enter a starting point but will only work if the starting point is on campus. The ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúY interactive map also has parking information.
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We have the Amplify 2 and Innovation Lab Combo space reserved. It should be easy to navigate to this area once you are inside the Cornerstone building.
Have questions about Cornerstone Gatherings or want to get involved?
Feel free to reach out to curekyidc@uky.edu.
Upcoming Gatherings
Summer Break
Cornerstone Gatherings are taking a short pause for the summer break. We’ll return in August with a new lineup of sessions designed to foster collaboration and spotlight innovative research across CURE-KY. Enjoy your summer, and we look forward to reconnecting soon!
Past Gatherings
May 7th - Social Event and End of Semester Celebration
The final Cornerstone Gathering of the semester, held on May 7th, brought together CURE-KY members for a relaxed social event celebrating the end of a productive year in infectious disease research and collaboration. Attendees from across colleges had the opportunity to connect, reflect on shared accomplishments, and strengthen community ties.
As a new addition to this semester’s gathering, we introduced a CURE-KY trivia challenge—a lighthearted competition that tested attendees on their knowledge of the University of Kentucky, pizza facts, and information from each of the colleges represented within CURE-KY.
Congrats to our trivia winners:
- Gracie Eicher
- Katie Keen
- Dengue Deb (Jill Pflugheber)
March 5th - Zoonotic Disease and Animal Health
This Cornerstone Gathering focused on Zoonotic Disease and Animal Health, featuring presentations from researchers across veterinary science, reproductive biology, entomology, and immunology. Topics ranged from equine herpesvirus and early pregnancy loss in horses to pathogen surveillance in ticks and mosquitoes, protozoal neurologic disease, and immune responses to emerging viruses. The session demonstrated the depth and diversity of expertise within CURE-KY, highlighting the wide range of faculty and colleges represented in our collaborative research community.
December 4th - Engineering Systems and Diagnostics
This Cornerstone Gathering featured a multidisciplinary panel on Engineering Systems and Diagnostics, highlighting research at the intersection of engineering, chemistry, and public health. Presenters shared work on single-molecule techniques for viral protein interaction analysis, microfluidic artificial lungs, multi-omics approaches to indoor pathogen detection, and quantum modeling for therapeutic design. The session showcased opportunities for collaboration across environmental surveillance, molecular diagnostics, and engineering solutions to reduce disease risk.
November 6th - Drug Discovery and Vaccines
The November Cornerstone Gathering highlighted ongoing efforts in drug discovery and vaccines across multiple disciplines. Presenters shared research on equine and companion animal vaccines, monoclonal antibody therapeutics, and antivirals targeting viral assembly and replication. Additional talks explored strategies for optimizing antimicrobial therapies in hospital settings, targeting chronic Toxoplasma gondii infections, and identifying new therapeutic targets in sepsis, wound healing, and plant virus replication. Together, the presentations emphasized the breadth of CURE-KY's contributions to advancing next-generation vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic strategies across human, animal, and plant health.
September 4th - Microbial Pathogenesis
The CURE-KY Cornerstone Event on September 4th was a great success, bringing together experts and researchers from across the University of Kentucky. The event fostered meaningful discussions on microbial pathogenesis, highlighting cutting-edge research and exploring collaborative opportunities. Participants shared insights, exchanged ideas, and worked toward developing new avenues for research, strengthening the foundation of our collective efforts in advancing infectious disease research. We look forward to continuing these important conversations and expanding our collaborations in the future.