Biology of Infectious Disease Graduate Training Program
The Biology of Infectious
Disease track encompasses diverse experimental systems, including parasites,
bacteria, fungi, viruses and disease vectors.
The faculty members present a multi-disciplinary approach to the study
of infectious disease and microbial pathology.
Faculty research involves the study of bacterial pathogens such as Borrelia and Chlamydia, the protozoan agents of malaria, toxoplasmosis and
sleeping sickness (Plasmodium, Toxoplasma and Trypanosoma), the viral pathogens Dengue virus and HIV, and the
tick (Ixodes) and mosquito (Anopheles and Aedes) insect vectors that spread human pathogens that cause
malaria, Lyme disease and Dengue fever.
Courses Offered:
This is a new
track and we are currently developing a graduate course entitled "The
Biology of Infectious Disease" to be offered either next spring (2006) or the
following fall quarter. Other courses of
interest include those in Immunology (M215, M221 & M227) and Virology
(M222, M225 & M205). The seminar
series in the Biological Chemistry Department, Microbiology and Molecular
Genetics Department, the Pathology Department and the Center for Immunology
will have speakers of interest to students affiliated with the Biology of
Infectious Disease track.
Biology of Infectious Disease Faculty
Track coordinator - Naomi Morrissette, +
Ruslan
Aphasizhev, + Ph.D., Assistant Professor of
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Molecular biology of trypanosome RNA editing and
template-independent nucleotide recognition and transfer.
Alan
G. Barbour, + M.D., Professor of Microbiology
& Molecular Genetics and Infectious Diseases
Molecular pathogenesis and immunology of vector-borne
infections.
David
Camerini, + Ph.D., Assistant Professor of
Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
Molecular biology and pathogenesis of HIV-1, AIDS
Anthony
A. James, + Ph.D., Professor of Molecular
Biology & Biochemistry
Malaria parasite development; genetic manipulation of
insect vectors.
Haoping
Liu, +
Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biological Chemistry
Signal transduction in Candida albicans.
Hartmut "Hudel" Luecke, + Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
Crystallography
of drug targets in parasitic protozoa
Naomi
Morrissette, + Ph.D., Assistant Professor of
Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
Toxoplasma microtubules and tubulin
function, drug resistance.
Andre
Ouellette, + Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and
Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
Mechanisms and regulation of innate immunity in mammalian
epithelia
W. Edward Robinson, + M.D./Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
Pathogenesis of Human and Non Human Primate
Lentiviruses
Michael E.
Selsted, + M.D./Ph.D., Professor of Pathology
and Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
Molecular effectors of mammalian innate immunity
Ming
Tan, +
M.D., Associate Professor of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and
Infectious Diseases
Regulation of gene expression during the developmental
life cycle of Chlamydia.
Sheryl Tsai, +
Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
Structure, function and drug design of protein complexes
that make pharmaceutically important natural products targeted as therapeutics
for infectious disease.
Gregory
A. Weiss, + Ph.D., Assistant Professor of
Chemistry
Development of novel anti-viral therapies.