Molecular Microbiology Faculty
Program Director
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Virus-host interactions; invertebrate model systems; RNA/DNA virus replication; immune evasion and pathogenesis; viral manipulation of host cytoskeletal networks; virus co-infections
Faculty
Professor
Research Interests: The intersection between human signal-transduction and bacterial pathogenesis; use of biochemical and cell biological analysis to define molecular mechanisms of microbial infectious disease
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Transcription and regulation in Clostridioides difficile and other bacterial species; structure and function of RNA polymerase; antibiotics discovery of RNA polymease inhibitors
Professor
Research Interests: RNA transcription, processing, and decay in Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus and its human host cells
Professor
Research Interests: Biochemistry, HIV/AIDS, host-pathogen interactions, protein-protein interactions, protein-RNA complexes, transcription regulation
Professor
Research Interests: Role of nuclear transport factors in interphase and mitosis from viral pathogenesis to cell division
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Microbiology, Genetics, Metagenomics, Evolution, Biochemistry, Phage Biology, Phage-Bacterial Arms Race, Conflict
Professor
Research Interests: Gram-negative infections in the immunocompromised host; host-pathogen interactions; novel therapeutics in gram-negative infections
Professor
Research Interests: Identification and genetic regulation of bacterial virulence and colonization factors; development of bacterial-host relationships
Professor
Research Interests: Host-microbial interactions; commensal bacteria; mucosal immunity
Professor
Research Interests: Hormone effects on airway epithelial cell responses to bacterial infection, novel therapeutics to target the Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, host pathogen interaction in cystic fibrosis lung disease
Professor
Research Interests: Molecular epidemiology and biology of respiratory syncytial virus; newly emerging human viral pathogens
Professor
Research Interests: Pathogenesis of Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; host-pathogen interactions
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Host-Microbe interactions, mucosal immunology, fungal immunology, inflammatory diseases
Professor
Research Interests: In vivo models, and clinical studies to investigate the role of the innate immune system in the development and resolution of inflammation
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Microbiome, inflammatory bowel disease, E. coli, gut colonization, host-microbe interactions
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: CRISPR/Cas9 screening, host-pathogen interactions, immunology, norovirus, virology
Professor
Research Interests: Signal transduction in the microbial pathogen Yersinia pestis
Professor
Research Interests: Hepatitis C virus; poliovirus; yellow fever virus; virus-host interactions and pathogenesis
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Co-infection, herpes viruses, host-pathogen interaction, immunology, virology
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Immunology, microbiology, host-pathogen interactions, molecular mechanisms of immune surveillance, and inflammation
Professor
Research Interests: Virus-host interactions and viral pathogenesis, antiviral immune responses, interferon effector mechanisms
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis; role of carbon monoxide (CO) in host-pathogen interactions; innate immune response to intracellular pathogens
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Biomaterials, immunoengineering, infection tissue engineering
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Host-viral pathogen interaction, neurotropic viruses, autophagy and innate immunity
Professor
Research Interests: Regulation of antigen receptor signal-transduction systems
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Cellular and molecular pathogenesis of leishmaniasis and other parasitic infections; development of novel antiparasitics; host-pathogen interactions
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Virus infection-induced nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cancer
Professor
Research Interests: Innate immune recognition of viruses; host-virus interactions; pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases
Associate Members
These faculty members do not accept graduate students. They participate in teaching, co-mentoring, exam and dissertation committees, and all other program responsibilities.
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Genomics-driven biochemical discovery in microbial metabolism; evolution of biosynthetic pathways; role of polyamines in bacterial growth, proliferation, biofilm formation and pathogenesis