Lee University’s Dr. Ben Christmann will continue the Cleveland Bradley County Public Library’s “Sassy Science Series” with a talk titled “From Gila Monsters to Glory: GLP1 Drugs and the Future of Medicine.” The program will take place Tuesday, Oct. 21, at noon and will include a 40-minute presentation followed by a 20-minute Q&A session.   
  
“I am delighted to participate in this series with the library, and I hope that these kinds of conversations continue in the future,” said Christmann. “Opportunities like the one provided by the library give us a venue to invest the gifts, talents, and knowledge that members of our faculty have to benefit the community and strengthen our relationship.”    
  
In this informative talk, Christmann will cover the history and discovery of GLP-1 drugs and how they work to promote weight loss. He will also highlight the positive side effects that have been observed in patients taking GLP-1 and discuss future targeted applications of these drugs to promote other beneficial biological pathways.   
  
A professor of biology and health science at Lee, Christmann joined the Lee faculty in 2013, after four years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s Department of Medicine. Christmann currently teaches courses in microbiology, immunology, and nutrition, and is the faculty advisor of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams at Lee. His research has led to students presenting their work at the National Council for Undergraduate Research meetings, and he was co-author on a paper recognized as “paper of the week” in PLOSone, a scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science.  
  
“We’re excited to host Dr. Christmann for this unique series,” said Kathy Davini, adult programming coordinator at the Cleveland Bradley County Public Library. “The Sassy Science Series brings engaging and accessible science to the community and partnering with Lee University helps us bring high-quality content to the public.”  
   
The next installment of the science series will take place on November 18 with Dr. Laura Singletary, professor of mathematics, who will speak on “Moments of Mathematical Beauty: A Brief Introduction to the History of Mathematics.” The series will conclude with Dr. Jonathan Cornett, professor of biology, presenting “Turning the Tables: Using Phages to Outsmart Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria” on December 16.    
  
All installments of the series are free and open to the public. Each session will take place in the Flex Room of the Cleveland Bradley County Public Library, located at the corner of Church Street and 8th Street.   
  
For more information, visit clevelandlibrary.org.