Join us for the 2024 HSC Colloquium: Focusing on Neuroinflammation, Thursday May 30th, 8AM-3:30PM in CTR 101/102. Featured speaker Dr. Candice Askwith (Dept. of Neuroscience, OSU) will talk about her work on acid-sensing ion channels and the physiology of neuronal synapses. Drs. Haribabu Bodduluri, Michal Hetman, Dong-Hoon Chung, Sharmila Nair, Jian Zheng, David Magnuson, and Kevin Sokoloski will give presentations about their research on various aspects of neuroinflammatory pathogenesis. Lunch will be served.

2024 HSC Colloquium Announcement

A poster session will be held after the talks, from 3:30-5:00PM, with UofL researchers (grad students, postdocs, staff scientists) working on any aspect of Inflammation-Pathogenesis invited to present their work. Cash prizes for the top three posters will be awarded at the conclusion of the session.

If you wish to present a poster, please email an abstract of your poster (or any questions) to Inflammation@louisville.edu by 5PM on Tuesday, May 28. Abstracts should include the following elements: Title, Authors (with affiliations), Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. The body of the abstract (exclusive of title and authors) should be limited to 350 words. In the email please note your presenting category (Student, Postdoc, Staff).

Looking forward to an exciting showcase of the Inflammation and Pathogenesis Research of UofL!

M&I Associate Professor, Dr. Michele Kosiewicz, received a three-year Lupus Research Program Impact Award from the DOD entitled "Restoration of macrophage function as a strategy to prevent/treat lupus" for the amount of $750,000.

Dr. Pascale Alard (M&I Associate Professor, School of Medicine), in collaboration with Drs. Gina Bertocci (Bioengineering School), Cynthia Corbitt (College of Arts & Sciences) and Silvia Uriarte (Dental school), is the recipient of the first Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program in Kentucky (1R25GM148314-01), entitled "University of Louisville Biomedical Integrative Opportunity for Mentored Experience Development -PREP (UL-BIOMED-PREP)". The grant, funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, is budgeted until 2028 for a total amount of $1,091,660. UL-BIOMED-PREP is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded program that provides an extensive paid research experience in outstanding research facilities with leading investigators at the University of Louisville. This one-year program also provides comprehensive professional development experiences and workshops to strengthen the professional skills necessary to apply and succeed in research and graduate school. Overall, this experience is designed to prepare individuals for admission into a biomedical sciences Ph.D. program. 

M&I Assistant Professor, Dr. Qingsheng Li, received a grant from Department of Defense (DoD). The grant, titled “The oral periodontal pathogens and checkpoint blockade in NSCLC”,  is budgeted until 2025 for a total amount of $536,027.

Dr. Ryan Doster joined the Department of Microbiology and Immunology as joint faculty on October 1, 2022. He received his M.D. from Indiana University in Indianapolis and remained in Indianapolis to complete a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. He then completed a clinical fellowship in adult infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. During his clinical ID fellowship, he received his Ph.D. in Host-Microbe Interactions from the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Doster is NIH-funded to investigate how host metabolic disease impacts host-microbe interactions within the female reproductive tract. He has published his findings in top tier journals including Nature Communications, mBio, Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, and the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Irina Kirpich joined the Department of Microbiology and Immunology as tenure-track Associate Professor on July 1, 2022. She received her PhD from the Pomor State University in Russia and her MPH in Management and Administration from the University of Louisville. Dr. Kirpich is NIH funded investigator with the research interests in alcohol-associated liver disease, bioactive lipid mediators in liver injury and resolution of inflammation, and the gut-liver axis with a focus on intestinal barrier, gut microbiome and bacteria-derived molecules. Dr. Kirpich has a history of successfully mentoring young scientists toward independence. Welcome Irina!

Dr. Sharmila Nair joined Microbiology and Immunology as tenure-track Assistant Professor on July 1, 2022.  Sharmila received her Ph.D in viral immunology from Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Germany and then received a post-doctoral fellowship from the German Research Foundation to pursue research in Dr. Michael Diamond’s laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis. Sharmila’s research program explores leveraging the unique tropism of Zika virus to target glioblastoma tumors as well as understand how ZIKV when therapeutically administered can improve anti-tumor immune responses. She has published her research findings in top tier journals including Journal of Experimental Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigations, Plos Pathogens and Journal of Virology. Welcome Sharmila!

M&I Professor, Dr. Huang-Ge Zhang, recently received an R01 titled "Mechanisms Underlying Edible Exosome-Like Nanoparticles for Prevention of Brain Inflammation."  The grant, funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, is budgeted until 2027 for a total amount of $3,328,110. 

 Dr. Zhang also recently received a merit review award titled “RA synovial fibroblast exosomes (RA-EXo) mediated bone erosion via AhR/TRAF2pathway”. The grant, funded by Biomedical Laboratory of Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, is budgeted until 2026 for a total amount of $1,032,665.

M&I Associate Professor, Dr. Donghoon Chung, was awarded an NIH grant titled "Midwest AViDD center – Project 5, anti-viral helicase inhibitor." The Chung lab will discover and develop antivirals targeting viral helicases of SARS-CoV2 and other potential pandemic viruses as part of the Midwest AViDD centner, one of nine Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern established by NIH. (https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-announces-antiviral-drug-development-awards). Chung is awarded a total of $3.73M for next three years (2022-2055) with potential 2 years of additional funding (up to $2.7M) based on the progress and the availability of funds.

Dr. Chung also received an award titled "Mechanism of action and resistance to NHC by Chikungunya virus" to study how to address the development of broad-spectrum antivirals against emerging RNA viruses with the lethal mutagenesis theory. The grant, funded by Merck and Co., Inc., is budgeted until 2023 for a total of $312,000. 

Dr. Jian Zheng joined Microbiology and Immunology as tenure-track Assistant Professor on April 1, 2022.  Jian received his M.D. from Southern University in China and his Ph.D. in Immunology from Hong Kong University.  He carried out his postdoctoral research in Dr. Stanley Perlman’s laboratory at University of Iowa investigating host immune responses to coronaviruses and evaluating potential vaccines as well as anti-viral drugs.  He has published his findings in top tier journals including Cell, PNAS, Science Translational Medicine and Nature.  Welcome Jian!

Kelley Cooper, an M&I PhD candidate in the laboratory of Dr. Juhi Bagaitkar, has been awarded a 2-year F31 Research Fellowship from the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research for her project entitled: "Mechanisms and immune consequences of atypical efferocytosis of neutrophils during Porphyromonas gingivalis infection."

M&I Associate Professor, Dr. Matthew Lawrenz, was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) titled “Extracellular vesicles released in response to Yersinia pestis”. The grant, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is budgeted until 2024 for a total amount of $430,000.

Department of Microbiology & Immunology and J.G. Brown Cancer Center announce a new tenure-track Assistant Professor position. Click here to apply.

M&I Associate Professor, Dr. Matthew Lawrenz, was awarded a National Institutes of Health R01 Grant titled " Iron independent role for yersiniabactin in Yersinia pestis." The grant, funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is budgeted until 2026 for a total amount of 2.6 million dollars.

Initial interviews have been concluded and selected candidates have been invited for second visits.

Department of Microbiology & Immunology and the Center for Predictive Medicine announce a new tenure-track faculty position in Infectious Disease Immunology. Click here to learn more. 

M&I Assistant Professor, Dr. Kevin Sokoloski, was awarded a National Institute of Health R01 Grant titled "Comprehensive Definition of the Critical Role(s) of the Alphaviral Noncapped Genomic RNAs to Infection and Pathogenesis." The grant, funded by the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is budgeted until 2025 for a total amount of 1.9 million dollars.  

M&I Associate Professor, Dr. Bing Li, renewed his National Institute of Health R01 Grant titled "E-FABP mediates n-3 fatty acid-induced tumor prevention through epigenetic control of immune cell differentiation and function." The grant, funded by the National Cancer Institute is budgeted until 2025 for a total amount of 1.8 million dollars.  

M&I Professor and Vice Chair, Dr. Haribabu Bodduluri, was awarded a National Institute of Health grant titled "Functional Microbiomics, Inflammation and Pathogenicity." The grant, funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, is budgeted into 2021 for a total amount of $345,000.

(From left to right: Dr. Kevin Sokoloski, Dr. Bing Li, Dr. Haribabu Bodduluri) 

Ms. Allison Tracy, B.A. joined the Department on November 2, 2020 as our new Graduate Program Coordinator. Allison was previously an Admissions Counselor and is currently working toward a Master of Education in Student Affairs in Higher Education. Welcome Allison! 

On Monday August 10 the Department of Microbiology & Immunology will host a virtual orientation for our Fall 2020 incoming students.  Faculty who are accepting new students into their laboratories will e-present their programs.  Welcome Taylor Garrison, Michelle Hallenbeck, Katelyn Sheneman, Peter Shin, Shikha Srivastava and Cassie Woolley!

Dr. James Collins joined the faculty as tenure-track Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, starting January 1, 2020.  Dr. Collins’ research focuses on the factors that underlie the spread of of epidemic, hypervirulent Clostridium difficile.  His recent discovery of the link between dietary trehalose and C difficile virulence was recently published in Nature (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29310122).  Welcome James!

Ms. Stephanie Kittle, B.S. and Ms. Shelley Spalding, M.A., M.A.T. joined the Department on December 9 as our new Unit Business Manager and Graduate Program Coordinator, respectively.  Stephanie was the UBM at the Diabetes and Obesity Center in the School of Medicine previously.  Shelley was a student teacher at Bardstown High School prior to her current position.  Welcome Stephanie and Shelley!

M& I student Henry Nabeta received an ExCITE award of $50,000 for his project "Developing Q-Griffithsin as a new anti fungal agent".  UofL’s ExCITE program is funded through the National Institute of Health’s Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (REACH) program. The goal of the program is to support proof-of-concept centers (hubs) that facilitate and accelerate the translation of biomedical innovations into commercial products that improve patient care and enhance health.

Monday, August 12, the Department of Microbiology & Immunology welcomed  the incoming M&I graduate students with a luncheon in the CTRB.  Incoming students include Richard Bautista, Easton Ford, Kamille Rasche, Omar Sarker, Caleb Whitley and Matthew Woeste.

Sarah Price, a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Matthew Lawrenz, has been awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for her PhD research entitled “Identification of a novel zinc acquisition system in Yersinia pestis”. This three year fellowship will support Sarah’s research in the field of nutritional immunity.

Dr. Bing Li, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, was recognized as University Scholar in April 2019, an honor bestowed on select faculty  who significantly exceed the scholarship necessary for appointment, promotion and tenure at U of L and in doing so achieve a strong national reputation.  He is the second M&I faculty to receive this title.