Faculty
Professor and Interim Department Chair
Dr. Ballard studies toxins produced by Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium difficile, two prominent Gram-positive pathogens. He uses a combination of cellular and molecular biology, and bacteriology to study the effects these bacterial toxins on eukaryotic cells, and has pioneered the zebrafish embryo as a novel system to follow localization of toxins to major organs in real-time.
Dr. Darrin Akins laboratory is focused on identifying molecules that could be used to develop a vaccine for Lyme disease. Lyme disease is the most common infection transmitted by ticks to humans in the United States and a vaccine for this debilitating disease is a public health priority. Dr. Akins' laboratory has been identifying novel outer surface proteins from the organism that causes this disease so that they can be used in the future to prevent Lyme disease or improve diagnostic strategies for identifying patients afflicted with this disease.
Dr. Blader's laboratory studies the interaction between microbial pathogens and their human hosts. They have focused on the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is the cause of potentially fatal diseases in fetuses and immune compromised patients. Two major questions are under investigation. First, what pathways in the host cell are necessary for the parasite to grow. Second, how are immune responses initiated and function against the parasite in immune privileged tissues.
Dan Carr, Ph.D. investigates the host immune response to the highly prevalent human virus pathogens, herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 & 2. In mouse ocular (HSV-1) and genital (HSV-2) models of infection, the role of chemokines and their receptors in the generation and recruitment of effector cells (T and NK cells) in response to infection is currently under evaluation.
Madeleine W. Cunningham, Ph.D.
Dr. Madeleine Cunningham has focused on molecular mimicry, autoimmunity and infection in studies of inflammatory heart diseases related to streptococci and viruses. Her work involves studies of the pathogenesis of rheumatic carditis, myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. Transgenic models of human antibody V gene expression are under investigation as novel animal models of antibody-mediated human diseases and how mimicry between host and pathogen may play a role in autoimmune disease.
Dr. David Dyer's work centers on microbial pathogenesis and microbial genomics. His laboratory has been responsible for sequencing the genomes of the human pathogens Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Aggregatabacter actinomycetemcomitans and in the sequencing of a strain of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae.Additional studies are exploring the regulation of the iron regulon in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and initial studies in gene regulation in Bacillus anthracis.
Senior Vice President and Provost
Dr. Ferretti's laboratory was the first to complete the genome analysis of Streptococcus mutans. Recent work has centered on the genetics of sugar transport and metabolism and the regulatory mechanisms involved in metabolism and virulence.
Dr. Gillaspy is the Director of the Laboratory for Genomics and Bioinformatics at the OUHSC which is a state of the art facility that specializes in genomic technology and custom DNA sequencing. A major focus for our lab in recent years has been to aid in the integration of next generation sequencing technology, specifically the SOLiD platform from Applied Biosystems, into existing biomedical research.
The Hildebrand Laboratory is focused on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II molecules. These molecules mediate the rejection of organ and bone marrow transplants, the targeting of cancerous and virus-infected cells for immune destruction and autoimmune responses such as diabetes and arthritis. To delineate the role that MHC molecules play in these various immune scenarios, the Hildebrand Laboratory studies MHC genes and the proteins they encode.
Vice President of Research
Dr. John Iandolo is studying predatory bacteria that attack and grow on gram negative bacteria. These fragile bacteria grow vigorously when susceptible bacteria are present, but die-off when prey disappear. His laboratory is focused a strain of Bdellovibrio that forms cysts as an innate survival mechanism allowing it to persist in nature in the absence of prey cells. Ultimately he intends to develop the use of this organism as a treatment for superficial infections caused by gram negative bacteria.
Dr. Kreth studies the complex interactions between members of the oral biofilm. Under healthy conditions the commensal oral flora maintains a beneficial homeostatic state protecting the host from diseases like caries. Host behavior and environmental conditions can promote a shift in the microbial composition of the oral biofilm. More pathogenic bacteria are able to increase in numbers and an overall decline in species diversity can be observed. On the molecular level, bacteria maintain the ecological balance by diverse interactions, both antagonistic and synergistic. The Kreth lab aims to identify and characterize the molecular details of these interactions to better understand disease development.
Dr. Lang and his team are researching the development and maintenance of antibody-mediated immunity also known as humoral immunity. The major focus is on mechanisms by which a specialized subset of T cells known as natural Killer-like T cells (NKT) are activated and in turn boost long-term humoral immunity. The laboratory has two specific goals: (i) understand the mechanisms by which NKT cells regulate long-term humoral immunity, (ii) apply the knowledge to develop novel vaccine strategies against pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
The focus of Dr. Tweten's research is on the molecular mechanism and cell biology of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) and, more recently, the membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF)-like proteins. The CDCs comprise a large family of toxins that contribute to the pathogenesis of a wide variety of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. The MACPF proteins, which appear to be ancient relatives of the CDCs, contribute to immune defense, pathogenesis of various eukaryotic pathogens and may be associated with developmental patterning processes. The study of the CDCs has revealed new paradigms in protein structure and function as well providing insights into their contribution to pathogenesis and the development of vaccine strategies.
HIV-1 continues to spread in developing countries despite more than 20 years effort in prevention. John West's lab studies HIV at its initial interface with the host to develop strategies to block infection or control HIV-1 disease. The goal of these studies is to enhance basic understanding of HIV-1-host interactions and to exploit the understanding gained through these studies for prevention and treatment strategies.