UGA research programs shine at 42nd meeting of the American Society for Virology
The University of Georgia’s research prowess was on display for the 42nd annual meeting of the American Society for Virology, the first time in the society’s history that it met in Athens and one of a handful of times the gathering has been held in the Southeast.
UGA researchers receive prestigious grant to develop malaria drug
Two University of Georgia researchers have been awarded approximately $770,000 from the Global Health Initiative Technology (GHIT) Fund to develop a new drug to kill the dormant liver stages of Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread of the malaria parasites.
Douglas Paton
Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, is a deadly parasite that is spread through the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. My lab is committed to developing new and novel ways to reduce global malaria burden, and studies the interaction of Plasmodium parasites with their Anopheles mosquito host, with an emphasis […]
Blake Billmyre
Human fungal pathogens cause more than 1.5 million deaths annually. In particular, Cryptococcus species are responsible for life threatening meningitis and kill nearly 200,000 people a year. There are only three classes of effective antifungal drugs available to treat Cryptococcus and developing new drugs is difficult because many potential antifungal […]
Nick Foster
After receiving a Bachelors in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Michigan State University in 2022, I subsequently joined University of Georgia and the IDIS program to further my studies; focusing on microbial engineering to treat and prevent diseases.
Wendy Cuevas-Espelid
Wendy worked in private veterinary practice in England, Florida and Georgia for over 10 years before her role as the Associate State Veterinarian for the GA Dept of Agriculture where she was responsible for the Animal Health Section. She is currently the Director of Veterinary Services for the Georgia Veterinary […]
Victoria Mendiola
I am a PhD candidate with an interest in tropical parasitic diseases and a passion for integrative biology. Broadly, my goal is to adapt and apply integrative approaches to the development of phenotypic and behavioral assays that examine the disruption of basal homeostasis in parasitic organisms. Currently, I am a […]
Grace Vick
Grace received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Western Carolina University in 2017. After graduation, she interned at the Defense Forensic Science Center in Atlanta, GA, and then spent the next two years as an ORISE Fellow in the Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control […]
Caitlin Williams
I graduated from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. After graduation, I commissioned into the US Army Veterinary Corps and have practiced veterinary medicine at US military bases in the US, South Korea, and Europe. Along the way, I became board certified in Veterinary Preventive Medicine. […]
Gregory Phillips
Education & Background Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, B.A.(1979) Biological Sciences Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, M.A. (1981) Microbiology University of Georgia, Athens, GA , Ph.D. (1987) Genetics Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Postdoctoral Fellow (1990) Molecular Biology College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, Assistant Professor (1993) Biology Iowa State […]
Mohamed Bakheet
My research interests are at the intersection of mathematical modelling, numerical analysis and computing. My research addresses some or all of the following: modelling vegetation patterns, epidemiological models of emerging diseases, numerical techniques for solving differential equations and data science.
Kayla Adcock
I received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a minor in Spanish from UGA in 2015. I then obtained my Master of Science in Preclinical Sciences from Mercer University in 2018. I have since been working as a research technician in Dr. Daniel Mead’s lab at the Southeastern Cooperative […]
Joseph Dainis
Joe Dainis obtained two B.S. degrees (Biology/Biotechnology and Biochemistry) from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. He participated in undergraduate research focusing on the RNase E-mediated regulation of RNA degradation in Mycobacterium smegmatis in Dr. Scarlet Shell’s lab at WPI. He then researched Candida albicans gut fitness in the presence of […]
Jacob Fairholm
I’m originally from Northern Virginia. I earned my BS in microbiology and my MS in microbiology and molecular biology from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. During my masters, I studied how mutations to an HIV protein affect the virus’s ability to causes disease.
Johannes Matse
My name is Johannes Matse born and raised in the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Hobbies are Baseball, my dog, reading and gaming. Education Bachelors at the Hogeschool van Utrecht Masters at the Radboud University, Nijmegen PhD at Academic Center for Dentistry (ACTA)/Vrij University Amsterdam
Marianna Agudelo
Marianna obtained a B.S. in Biology, with a minor in German, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2016. She then completed her PhD studies at Rockefeller University in the lab of Michel Nussenzweig, describing the antibody response to tick-borne flaviviruses. Following her interest in the immunology of infectious diseases, […]
Alex Rosenberg
Dr. Alex Rosenberg is a trained molecular microbiologist and parasitologist. His research program focused on the interaction of the apicomplexan intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii and its mammalian host. This fascinating microorganism is able to invade any nucleated cell, block phagosome acidification, inhibit interferon response, prevent cell death, and grow rapidly […]
Daniel Peach
Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animals, but they have a secret life that doesn’t involve biting us. It’s this whole secret life, that includes everything from mosquito pollination to the non-human animals they feed on to mosquito-mosquito competition to how they find each other to mate, that fascinates me and […]
Jillian Masters
Jillian Masters earned her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS, where she completed research on mosquito immunology, Buruli ulcer, and the interactions between insects and Mycobacterium ulcerans. After entering UGA through the ILS program, she joined the labs of Dr. Fred Quinn and […]
Marshah Menos
Hi, my name is Marshah Menos and I am a PhD student in Dr. Frederick Quinn’s lab. I completed my undergraduate at the University of Florida, but am now proudly a Georgia Bulldog. I am studying how to prevent the entry and replication of Mycobacterium in human host cells at […]
Sarah Hosking
I graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2020 with a BS in Biomedical Sciences and a BA in Psychology before moving to Athens. I am a part of the DVM-PhD program, and am working on characterizing a virulence factor shared by Tier 1 Select Agents Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia […]
Maiya Callender
Maiya Callender is a graduate student in Eric Harvill’s Lab. Her research focus is on how maternal vaccination against pertussis protects the newborn from infection.
Testing the Waters in Djibouti
U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Pavlicek is a microbiologist assigned to the Naval Medical Research Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the current director of the microbiology laboratory of Naval Medical Research Unit-Three on Camp, Lemonnier, Djibouti, where she is deployed to protect service members from infectious diseases such as […]
Fungal infections cost U.S. $6.7B in a year
New research from the University of Georgia found that fungal infections account for $6.7 billion in health care spending in 2018. And that’s just the cases that were directly responsible for inpatient hospital stays. Combined with secondary infections and diagnoses, the total cost of hospital stays associated with fungal infections […]
Rose Miller
Rose Miller is a doctoral student in Jarrod Mousa’s lab at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine at the Center for Vaccines and Immunology. She works with several respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, and parainfluenza virus. Her thesis work includes developing monoclonal antibody therapies and […]
Daniel Wychrij
Daniel Wychrij completed his MSci in Biochemistry at the University of Manchester, during which time he performed research in the laboratory of Dr Ilaria Russo, identifying and profiling inhibitors against Plasmepsin V, a Plasmodium falciparum aspartic protease which is responsible for protein export. After graduation, Daniel moved to Washington University […]
Kwadwo Oworae
Kwadwo Oworae gained his BSc in Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology at the University of Ghana where he researched on detection and characterization of tick-borne infections in cattle. He then perused an MPhil in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases at the University of Ghana. During that time, he researched […]
Animals Infecting Humans Is Scary. It’s Worse When We Infect Them Back.
Mink farms threaten to become a source of new coronavirus variants – and an object lesson in how ‘spillback’ can make deadly diseases even deadlier. Read More Read More [PDF]
Shoring Up The Species Barrier
“The University of Georgia is one of the leading research institutions in the world tackling zoonotic spillover,” said Justin Bahl, comparative geneticist and associate professor in the College of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine at UGA. “We are studying the human and environmental systems in which these zoonotic infections arise and identifying possible […]
Sean Ray
I’m a CBS PhD student in the lab of Mark Tompkins studying the viral immunology and vaccinology of influenza virus. My research focuses on novel vaccine platforms and adjuvants in the context of influenza. Specifically, the immunogenicity of influenza peptides and proteins conjugated to TLR agonists is of keen interest. […]
Xiaojian Zhang
Dr. Zhang received his Ph.D. in preventive veterinary medicine and M.S. in clinical veterinary medicine from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Yangzhou University. Additionally, he also holds a B.A. in veterinary medicine, which he obtained in 2007. Since graduating, Dr. Zhang has held a number of positions at research […]
UGA researchers developing new models for malaria drug development and testing
Two UGA researchers are working to make it easier to develop effective treatments for malaria, a disease that sickens millions worldwide and kills hundreds of thousands each year. In tropical climates around the globe, malaria poses a grave risk to already vulnerable populations. In 2019, the World Health Organization estimated […]
Laiba Uroog
I am a Graduate student in the Department of Infectious diseases. My research interests include the development of viral diagnostics and determining immune responses against highly pathogenic strains of Influenza viruses in different animal models.
Taylor Chapman
Taylor completed her B.S. in Biology and Chemistry at Georgia Southern University. She then acquired a M.S. in Biology at Georgia College and State University under the direction of Dr. Dave Bachoon surveying the molecular detection of pathogenic Leptospira and microbial source tracking of fecal pollution in San Juan, Puerto […]
Lucy Ubaka
Lucy Ubaka is from Nigeria and completed her bachelor’s degree in microbiology. Upon graduation, she volunteered for Family Health International 360, a non-profit organization with a worldwide response to HIV/AIDS especially in the area of prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), malaria, and tuberculosis. During her master’s […]
Amr Abbadi
I’m a PhD student in the Quinn/Karls lab studying the molecular biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the department of infectious diseases. Previous degrees: MSc in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology BSc in Clinical Pharmacy
Caroline Page
My name is Caroline Page and I am from San Diego, California. I worked for a biotechnology company for 2 years before starting my Ph.D. at UGA in Infectious Diseases. I study influenza B and utilize mouse and ferret animal models to better understand host-immune response to contemporary viruses.
Researchers find target to fight antibiotic resistance
Gram-negative bacteria are the bane of health care workers’ existence. They’re one of the most dangerous organisms to become infected with—and one of the hardest to treat. But new research from the University of Georgia suggests a component of bacteria’s cell walls may hold the key to crushing the antibiotic-resistant microbes. […]
Saniya Sabnis
Saniya Sabnis completed her BS in Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, during which time she performed research in medicinal chemistry and organic synthesis investigating the methodology of several reactions. She continued her education by earning an MPH in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh. While there, […]
Naveen Gokanapudi
I have a pharmaceutical sciences background with a masters in Chemistry. I joined ILS program in 2020 and in currently Rada lab of IDIS department studying opportunistic pathogens that effect cystic fibrosis patients.
James Oristian
My research interests revolve around the study of vector-transmitted diseases and parasitology. Previously, I studied Trypanosoma brucei flagellar beating at Clemson University as an undergraduate student, before continuing on to an IRTA post-baccalaureate fellowship at NIAID/NIH to study Leishmania spp. and their sandfly vectors. My current research revolves around the […]
Colleen Sedney
Colleen is a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Eric Harvill. Her research is based on understanding how the causative agent of whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis, is able to specifically modulate and override the neonatal immune system. Colleen’s research has identified a specific requirement for pertussis toxin in severe […]
UGA-led COVID study seeks more applicants
January 2021: In September 2020, the College of Veterinary Medicine announced SPARTA (SARS SeroPrevalence and Respiratory Tract Assessment), a study funded by the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Cancer Institute. The study’s original purpose was to investigate the human body’s response to infection with […]
CVM faculty guide UGA through the pandemic
During the pandemic, the university has had to make big choices quickly, and the College of Veterinary Medicine has played a large part in those tough decisions. The Preventative Measures Advisory Board is co-chaired by CVM Dean Lisa Nolan with four other CVM faculty members serving on its 11-member team: […]
Binu Velayudhan
Binu Velayudhan is the Director of Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases in the College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a veterinarian and a board-certified virologist. Dr. Velayudhan earned his PhD in infectious diseases from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from Texas Tech University. […]
Handling Hookworms
As a specialist in parasitology, Dr. Ray Kaplan, professor of infectious diseases, keeps a watchful eye on the interactions between parasites and their hosts. In recent years, parasitologists noticed that racing greyhounds and recently adopted former racing greyhounds are almost always infected with hookworms. This phenomenon was believed to be […]
Hua Shi
Hua Shi is a third-year doctoral candidate in the infectious disease department with a major in comparative biomedical science. She was born and raised in China and got her Bachelor of Science degree at the Central South University in China, majoring in pharmacy. Her laboratory experience as an undergraduate triggered […]
Ana Lorton
The focus on my research is to identify the mechanism of increased disease severity associated with influenza B and pneumococcus coinfection. This is done by identifying different components of the innate immune response; in addition, to the effect of the microbiome on disease severity.
CVM announces new director for Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
The College of Veterinary Medicine is pleased to announce the hire of Dr. Binu Velayudhan as the director of the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (AVDL), effective January 1, 2021. Dr. Velayudhan currently serves as the assistant director of laboratories at the North Carolina Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories in Raleigh, NC. Prior […]
Thomas Rowe
Thomas Rowe received his Master’s in Applied Biology from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1999 and has a broad experience of over 25 years in developing animal models for emerging infectious disease research. He has worked with mouse (both lab adapted and wild), rat, cotton rat, rabbit, nonhuman primate and […]
Meet the Faculty: Jarrod Mousa
What is your role at the CVM? When did you come to UGA? I am an assistant professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases. My research laboratory is in the Center for Vaccines and Immunology. I joined UGA in August 2017. What is your research focus? My lab studies antibodies, […]
CVM-affiliated teaching assistants recognized for pedagogic contributions
The UGA Center for Teaching and Learning recognizes graduate students annually for their significant contributions to instruction at the university. This year, three College of Veterinary Medicine teaching assistants were recognized. Ahmed Hikal and Madelyn Krunkosky were awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award. This award is presented to the top 10% […]
UGA CVM researchers identify new compounds to combat multi-drug antibiotic resistance
A team of researchers led by Stephen Trent, professor of infectious diseases and UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor recently identified five compounds capable of boosting the effects of common last-resort antibiotics against treatment-resistant, Gram-negative bacteria. These compounds were also successful in lowering the dose of antibiotics necessary to facilitate bactericidal effects, […]
Wayne Cheng
My name is Wayne Cheng, and I am a PhD student in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences program under the mentorship of Dr. Chester Joyner. My current research focus is to understand Plasmodium vivax liver-stage biology using comparative genomic approaches with third generation sequencing platforms.
Two Million Lives Touched
Jamie Phillips is a senior scientific affairs manager for Roche Diagnostics Corporation. In her everyday role, her focus is on Roche’s solution to point-of-care microbial tests for influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus, and strep A—for which she acts as a liaison between units of Roche and research scientists […]
Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory director retiring, interim director appointed
After 15 years of service, Dr. Jeremiah (Jerry) Saliki will be retiring from UGA May 1st, 2020. Dr. Saliki has been the director of the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL) since 2007 and at the University of Georgia as a professor of virology since 2005. He is a renowned virologist […]
UGA researchers receive NIH grants to study innate immunity to influenza and pneumococcus
Balázs Rada, associate professor of infectious diseases and head of the Laboratory of Mucosal Innate Immunity and Neutrophil Biology at UGA, is the principal investigator on two NIH-funded projects totaling $2.3M. Rada and his team will study the body’s innate immune response to influenza and a pneumonia-causing bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, […]
Engineered dog virus combats coronaviruses
A team of researchers at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine has developed a COVID-19 vaccine candidate that has proven successful in promoting an immune response in early test models. The team is led by Biao He, the Fred C. Davison Distinguished University Chair in Veterinary Medicine at […]
Staying the Course in the Face of Chaos
It has been a little under a month since COVID-19 was first recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Around the world, people from all walks of life have been asked to adapt to a new lifestyle—one of constant change and social distancing. Despite the upheaval, the University […]
CVI researchers developing coronavirus vaccine
Ted Ross, director of the CVM’s Center for Vaccines and Immunology, and his team have partnered with labs and biotech companies to develop new vaccines that could protect against the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Learn more here.
Judith Reyes Ballista
Judith M. Reyes Ballista completed a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras. During that time, she obtained diverse research experience in virology and disease ecology by studying protein interactions of Zika, Ebola, and HIV and the dynamics of Anole lizard malaria […]
Georgia Bio names two College of Veterinary Medicine units as annual Helix Award winners
Two College of Veterinary Medicine units were recently honored at Georgia Bio’s Golden Helix Awards and Annual Gala in Atlanta. The Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center (PDRC) was awarded a Community Award and the Center for Vaccines and Immunology (CVI) received a Deal of the Year Award. The Community Awards […]
Chester Joyner
Dr. Chet Joyner is a trained immunologist and parasitologist. His research program focuses on understanding the biology of Plasmodium vivax, malaria immunology and pathogenesis, and the biology of B cells and plasma cells. The ultimate goals of his research is to use cutting-edge technologies to help development new treatments and […]
Leonor Sicalo
Dr. Leonor Sicalo Gianechini is a PhD candidate in the Department of Infectious. Dr. Sicalo earned her DVM at the University of the Republic in Uruguay, in 2017. She then pursued a residency on animal health at the National Institute of Agriculture Technology in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Prior to engaging […]
Kaito Nagashima
I attended UGA as an undergraduate, earning a B.S. in Microbiology with a minor in Music. As an undergraduate, I worked under Dr. Biao He to study RNA editing and F-HN protein interactions in mumps virus. I stayed at UGA for its Infectious Diseases PhD program, where I am researching […]
Nada Abbadi
I graduated in 2019 with a B.S. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Misr International University in Cairo, Egypt. I came to UGA in 2020 to start my PhD in Infectious Diseases under the supervision of Dr Jarrod Mousa. I’m currently researching the antibody response to Influenza vaccination, isolating monoclonal antibodies […]
Pedro Sanchez
I was born in Venezuela and raised in Miami. I love travel and have a special love for animals.
Dong An
My research focuses on vaccine development using paramyxovirus-based viral vectors, virus assembly, paramyxovirus VLP study, paramyxovirus fusion protein structure and function, and virus-promoted membrane fusion.
Hind Yahyaoui Azami
Hind Yahyaoui Azami is an early-career researcher in the field of infectious diseases, with 10 years’ cumulative post-graduate experience in the epidemiology of zoonotic diseases. She has carried out research in Morocco and Switzerland and possess strong skills in managing international knowledge networks, research partnerships and program development in the […]
Nuha Ashtiwi
PhD candidate. I completed my medical degree (MD) at the University of Tripoli, in Tripoli, Libya. I acquired a Master’s degree in Health Sciences in Medical Laboratory / Biomedical Sciences MLS at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, US. My previous research work focused on the phenotypic analysis of mutant strains […]
Subhan Ullah
Driven by my passion for virology, my current research revolves around Fowl Adenoviruses (FAdVs) detection and characterization. I am dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of these avian pathogens. I am focused on developing robust detection methods for all five FAdV serotypes (A to E). Leveraging my knowledge of viral genomics […]
CVM faculty member to lead new NIH Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Center
The University of Georgia has signed a contract with the National Institutes of Health for an initial award of $8 million to develop a new, more advanced influenza vaccine designed to protect against multiple strains of influenza virus in a single dose. The total funding could be up to $130 […]
Melinda Brindley
Dr. Melinda Brindley is a molecular virologist, with expertise in positive and negative sense RNA viruses. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa studying how Ebola virus and equine infectious anemia virus enters host cells. As a postdoc at Emory University, she characterized how the measles virus glycoprotein […]
Karen A. Norris
Karen Norris, PhD, received her doctorate in biomedical sciences and microbiology from Wright State University School of Medicine and completed post-doctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute. Dr. Norris was appointed as Assistant Professor in Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, then joined the newly formed Department […]
Yung-Yi Mosley
BVM, MS, PhD, Diplomate ACVM Dr. Mosley is from Taiwan where she earned her Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Science from National Chung Hsing University. Later she got her PhD degree from Purdue University in Virology & Vaccinology. She is a board certified Veterinary Microbiologist with experience of […]
Justin Bahl
My research interests span the ecology, evolution, population dynamics, and molecular epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases. I am primarily interested in viral disease systems, such as influenza A virus, where transmission at individual (including between host species), population and global scales are difficult to observe or quantify.
Ankita Garg
Dr. Garg received Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology from Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Science, India, followed by postdoctoral training from the University of Texas Health Science Center and the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Garg also spent a few years in the R&D divisions of pharmaceutical companies where […]
Wendy Watford
Inflammation is necessary for efficient pathogen clearance, but inappropriate inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of infectious and autoimmune diseases. The focus of the Watford lab is to gain a better understanding of immunoregulatory networks, especially at pulmonary and gastrointestinal barriers that represent major sites for pathogen entry. Current efforts are […]
Balazs Rada
My laboratory studies mechanisms of respiratory innate immunity supporting immune responses to pathogens or underlying pathogeneses of lung diseases. The first major project focuses on cystic fibrosis lung disease and studies host-pathogen interactions between neutrophils and respiratory pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium abscessus. The second main project investigates […]
Eric Harvill
Eric T. Harvill completed his Ph.D in Immunology at UCLA in 1996 and postdoctoral studies in Microbial Pathogenesis. He has served the National Academies, NIH, USDA, DOD and other agencies in a variety of capacities and has served on many national and international review panels and editorial boards. He advanced […]
Harrison Bergeron
My primary research interest is elucidating mechanisms by which pathogens interfere with host immune responses and induce immune mediated disease to inform rational, novel biological countermeasure design
Jarrod J. Mousa
Jarrod Mousa received his PhD from the University of Florida where he studied the structure and mechanism of multidrug transporters in pathogenic bacteria. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University in the Vaccine Center where he studied the human antibody response to respiratory syncytial virus. Dr. Mousa joined […]
Hemant Naikare
I am a board certified diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists with twenty years of experience in the field of diagnostic microbiology: classical and conventional methodologies to detect diseases of livestock, companion animals, zoonotic diseases, food safety, antimicrobial resistance and public health. Currently, I am a tenured Professor […]
Dennis Kyle
Department of Cellular Biology profile
Whitney Rabacal
Whitney Rabacal obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME) in 2006 and then worked as a research assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA) in the laboratory Dr. Vicki Rubin Kelley from 2016-2010, focusing on models of autoimmune kidney disease. In 2016, Dr. Rabacal then received her […]
Ashutosh Pathak
I am interested in determining how parasite fitness is shaped by interactions with host(s) and environment. Questions that motivate my research include: 1) How do biotic and abiotic factors regulate dynamics of parasite populations within and between hosts? 2) To what extent do parasites and their hosts vary naturally in […]
Carmen Herrera
Throughout my professional career, my main research goal has been to contribute significantly in the field of microbial sciences concentrating on the study of pathogenic bacteria. The Trent Lab is interested in uncovering the molecular mechanisms required for assembly and maintenance of membranes in Gram-negative bacteria. Working as member of […]
M. Stephen Trent
Understanding the bacterial cell envelope provides valuable insights for two crucial areas: the discovery of new antibiotics and the understanding of microbe-host interactions. The cell envelope serves as a prime target for antibiotic development, as its unique components and processes can be exploited to disrupt bacterial growth and survival. By […]
Pejman Rohani
Odum School of Ecology profile
Richard Hall
Odum School of Ecology profile
Yuan Lin
I have been investigating virus-host interactions, focusing on the roles of host proteins in regulating virus replication.
Susan Sanchez
Dr. Susan Sanchez is a tenured Department of Infectious Diseases professor and the University of Georgia Curriculum Committee Chair. She has received numerous microbiology, research, mentoring, and teaching awards. Her former students occupy prominent science positions nationally and internationally. Dr. Sanchez is a member of the Council of Councils at […]
Aaron Gingerich
My research interests surround characterizing and devising novel strategies to combat viral/bacterial co-infections. Currently my research focuses on the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae and its synergistic interactions with Influenza virus, RSV and hMPV.
Demba Sarr
I grew up and experienced several severe malaria episodes. I decided to dedicate my life to infectious diseases especially malaria. After my 4 years of college in biology, I applied to graduate school and spent 3 years at the French Institute of Research and Development located in Dakar. I diagnosed […]
Russell Karls
Dr. Karls is a Senior Research Scientist in the Infectious Diseases Department at the University of Georgia. He received undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned his doctorate in Bacteriology from UW-Madison applying biochemistry and molecular genetics to study transcriptional control of bacterial photosynthesis. […]
Leslie P. Jones
My research interests include the development of novel antiviral therapeutic agents, as well as the re-purposing of existing therapies applied to counter viral infection. Host cells, triggered by virus infection, induce multiple anti-viral and pro-viral pathways utilized, suppressed or evaded by viruses presenting potential druggable host targets. Our lab studies […]
Tuhina Gupta
Dr. Tuhina Gupta is an immunologist and a bacteriologist, with expertise in mycobacterial diseases. She joined the University of Georgia in 2007 and works with Dr. Frederick Quinn on multiple projects. Her research focuses on developing animal models of mycobacterial pathology, meningitis, latency, and transmission, testing novel methods for TB […]
Jamie Barber
Jamie Barber received an undergraduate degree from a small liberal arts honors college in Maryland and began his professional career at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Oncology Center in the Bone Marrow Transplant Research Unit. After completing a masters degree in Environmental Science with a focus on Toxicology, […]
Vincent Starai
Department of Microbiology profile
Andrew W. Park
Odum School of Ecology profile
Robert Jeffrey Hogan
Dr. Hogan began his 30 year scientific career studying host-pathogen interactions during his graduate studies, which focused on immune responses to viral infection in teleosts. After receiving his doctoral degree, he joined the laboratory of Dr. David Woodland at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where his research focused on cell-mediated […]
Ralph A. Tripp
Dr. Ralph Tripp is a Professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases in the College of Veterinary Medicine and is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Vaccine and Therapeutics. Dr. Tripp was trained in the field of viral immunity with Laureate Professor Peter C. Doherty and led a research […]
S. Mark Tompkins
Mark Tompkins is the Director and Principal Investigator of the Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research, a NIAID Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Response (CEIRR) at the University of Georgia. He received his doctorate in Immunology from Emory University and then studied immune mechanisms of autoimmune diseases […]
Frederick D. Quinn
Frederick D. Quinn, Ph.D., is Athletic Association Professor of Infectious Diseases, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Interim Director of the Center for Vaccines and Immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia. Dr. Quinn oversaw several laboratory groups at the Centers for Disease […]
David S. Peterson
The research in my lab is focused on Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria. The parasite uses a protein encoded by an antigenically variant gene family to bind receptors on host cells, allowing the parasites to avoid passage through the spleen. One member of this family encodes a protein […]
Eric R. Lafontaine
One component of my research program consists of identifying and characterizing surface antigens expressed by pathogenic bacteria including Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei. Given their cellular location at the host-pathogen interface, surface antigens play key roles in bacterial virulence. We believe that studying their biological functions will shed light on […]
Mary Hondalus
Dr. Hondalus is a graduate from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, and following graduation, she was an equine and small animal private practitioner. She subsequently completed a Large Animal Internal Medicine Residency at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology […]
Biao He
Dr. He’s lab has been studying paramyxoviruses including PIV5, mumps virus and emerging Jeilongviruses. His work has led to development of paramyxovirus-based vaccines
Department of Infectious Diseases
Improving health through technology and education
