A West Virginia University alumnus will pay a visit from Pakistan to launch a seminar series for the University’s graduate program in reproductive physiology.

Nasim Ahmad, who earned his Ph.D. in the discipline from WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design in 1996, will speak on “Synchronization of Estrus in Water Buffaloes” at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 12, in G029 Agricultural Sciences Building on WVU’s Evansdale Campus.

Ahmad is serving as the interim dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Veterinary Animal Sciences in Lahore, Pakistan. His research is focused on improved reproductive management and the cryopreservation of semen for use in artificial insemination. His main area of interest is the regulation of animal fertility.

The seminar series will continue each Monday at 11 a.m. in the same location, featuring master’s and doctoral students in reproductive physiology as presenters. The focus of this semester’s series is on cumulus cells, which surround unfertilized eggs in mammals and are essential in ensuring a successful pregnancy. In addition to intensive focus on a specific topic, the series offers participating students the opportunity to hone their abilities to communicate research.

The reproductive physiology program offers an education in endocrine and reproductive biology to students in biology, nutrition, pharmacology and physiology. This long-standing interdisciplinary program was initiated in 1965. The mix of faculty in agriculture, biology, and medicine has helped to foster a balance of basic and applied work.

For a full listing of seminars in the series, please visit http://reprophys.wvu.edu/fall_2011_seminars.

-WVU-

dw/09/09/11

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