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People at Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology

Principal/Primary Faculty

Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis, DVM, PhD

Helene Andrews-Polymenis, DVM, PhD

Professor and Presidential Impact Fellow
Characterization of Salmonella enterica virulence genes

Dr. Carolyn Cannon, MD, PhD

Carolyn Cannon, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

Dr. Zhilei Chen, PhD Zhilei Chen, PhD

Associate Professor
Antiviral Discovery and Biotechnology
Dr. K. Yeon Choi, PhD  K. Yeon Choi, PhD

Research Associate Professor
Dr. Jeffrey D. Cirillo, PhD Jeffrey D. Cirillo, PhD

Regents Professor
Molecular genetic analysis of bacterial respiratory pathogens
Dr. Karu Chockalingam, PhD Karu Chockalingam, PhD

Research Assistant Professor
Dr. David P. Huston, MD 

David P. Huston, MD

Professor and Associate Dean for Physician Scientist Development

Dr Jenny Hyde, PhD Jenny Hyde, PhD

Associate Professor
Pathogenic mechanisms and immune modulation of Borrelia burgdorferi, etiologic agent of Lyme disease
Dr. Jenny Hyde, PhD Julian Leibowitz, MD, PhD

Professor
Coronavirus replication and gene expression and the molecular basis of coronavirus pathogenesis
Dr. Alistair McGregor, PhD Alistair McGregor, PhD

Professor
Herpes viruses, pathogenicity, vaccines and antivirals. Cytomegalovirus congenital infection.
Dr. James Samuel, PhD  James Samuel, PhD

Regents Professor and Head
Wofford Cain Endowed Chair in Infectious Disease
Molecular pathogenesis and vaccine development for Q fever
Dr. Jon Skare, PhD Jon Skare, PhD

Professor and Associate Head
Molecular pathogenesis of Lyme borreliosis
Dr. Jianxun (Jim) Song, PhD Jianxun (Jim) Song, PhD

Professor
Cellular regulation of T cell immunity and tolerance
Dr. Vernon Tesh, PhD  Vernon Tesh, PhD

Professor
Pathogenic mechanisms of Shiga toxins
Dr. Erin Van Schaik, PhD Erin Van Schaik, PhD

Research Assistant Professor
Dr. Hongbin Wang, PhD Hongbin Wang, PhD

Professor
Biomedical Informatics Core, Clinical Science & Translational Research
Dr. Van Wilson, PhD Van Wilson, PhD

Professor
Molecular biology of papillomaviruses

 

 

Joint/Adjunct Faculty

 Dr. Robert Chapkin, PhD

Robert Chapkin, PhD

Regents Professor

 Dr. Michael Criscitiello, PhD

Michael Criscitiello, PhD

Assistant Professor

 Dr. Kevin Cummings, PhD

Kevin Cummings, PhD

Assistant Professor

 Dr. Jason Gill, PhD

Jason Gill, PhD

Associate Professor
Bacteriophage Biology & Microbiology

 Dr. Magnus Höök, PhD

Magnus Höök, PhD

Director, Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases
Interaction of pathogens with components of the extracellular matrix

 Dr. Julian Hurdle, PhD

Julian Hurdle, PhD

Associate Professor
Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases

 Dr. Arul Jayaraman, PhD

Arul Jayaraman, PhD

Associate Professor
Holder of the Ray Nesbitt Development Professorship

 Dr. Amminikutty Jeevan, PhD

Amminikutty Jeevan, PhD

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Investigate whether ultraviolet radiation alters BCG vaccination-induced host resistance in the well-established guinea pig model of low dose pulmonary tuberculosis

 Dr. Koichi S Kobayashi M.D., Ph.D.

Koichi S Kobayashi M.D., Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor
Regulation of the innate and adaptive immune system 

Dr. Lan Ly, PhD 

Lan Ly, PhD

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Vaccine-induced resistance in the guinea pig model of tuberculosis

Dr. Katja Mertens, PhD

Katja Mertens, PhD

Assistant Professor

Dr. Margarita Martinez-Moczygemba, PhD 

Margarita Martinez-Moczygemba, PhD

Assistant Professor
Cytokine signaling and eosinophil biology

Dr. Karen Newell-Rogers, PhD

Karen Newell-Rogers, PhD

Professor

Dr. Benjamin Neuman 

Benjamin Neuman

Biology Professor

Dr. Daniel Paredes-Sabja

Daniel Paredes-Sabja

Joint Associate Professor

Dr. W.J. Treat, PhD

W.J. Treat, PhD

Adjunct Research Professor

Dr. Sunita Varghees, MD

Sunita Varghees, MD

Assistant Professor

Dr. A. Phillip West, PhD

A. Phillip West, PhD

Assistant Professor
Mitochondrial regulation of immune responses in health and disease

Dr. Yi Xu, PhD

Yi Xu, PhD

Assistant Professor
Bacteria and host interactions; bacterial pathogenesis; bacterial activation of the actin cytoskeleton; bacterial breaching of the mucosal barrier

Dr. Zhilong Yang

Zhilong Yang

Joint Associate Professor
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology

Dr. Dekai Zhang, MD, PhD 

Dekai Zhang, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Molecular mechanisms of innate immune recognition

Emeritus Faculty

 Dr. Roderick McCallum, PhD

Roderick McCallum, PhD

Professor Emeritus
Community outreach programs to increase childhood vaccination rates

Dr. David McMurray, PhD

David McMurray, PhD

Professor Emeritus
Regulation of infectious disease resistance by vaccination and diet

Dr. John Quarles, PhD

John Quarles, PhD

Professor Emeritus
Antiviral vaccines and drugs and applications of flow cytometry in microbiology

 

Research Staff

Joshua Bryant
Research group: Chen
joshbryant@tamu.edu
979.436.9442

Lisa Funkhouser-Jones
Research Group: Skare
l.funkhouser-jones@tamu.edu
979.436.0355
Assistant Research Scientist

Madison Ellis
Research group: Leibowitz
madison.ellis10@tamu.edu
979-436-0344
Research Assistant

Shannon Allen
Research Group: Skare
979.436.0355
Shannon.allen@tamu.edu
Associate Research Scientist

Xiaofang Xiong
Research group: Song
xxiong@tamu.edu
979.436.0794
Senior Research Associate

Yu Zeng
Research Group: Chen
979.436.9494
zyqshshl66@tamu.edu
Assistant Research Scientist

Support Staff

Angela Corn
Business Coordinator II
979.436.0347
angelacorn@tamu.edu

Debra Dube
Business Coordinator I
979.436.0556
ddube@tamu.edu

Paula McCarver
Business Administrator I
979.436.0346
pmccarver@tamu.edu

LeeAnn Nichols
Senior Administrative Coordinator I
979.436.0348
nichols@tamu.edu

Graduate Students

Francesca Agobe
Research Group: Cannon
francesca@exchange.tamu.edu

Kaitlyn Armijo
Research Group: Patrick/ Watson
karmijo@tamu.edu

Darby Ballard
Research Group: Song
darbyballard@tamu.edu

Morgan Chapman
Research Group: Patrick
morganjames.chapman@tamu.edu

Sabrina Clark
Research Group: Samuel
coolclark@tamu.edu

Aja Coleman
Research Group: Patrick/Watson
coleman123@tamu.edu

Kennedy Coleman
Research Group: Hyde
klc9@tamu.edu

Jake Davis
Research Group: Patrick/Watson 
jacob.r.davis@tamu.edu

Kaylee Delgado
Research Group: Song
kaylee_delgado@tamu.edu

Lily Ellzey
Research Group: Watson
lellzey@tamu.edu

Lauren Farris
Research Group: Hyde
lauren.farris@tamu.edu
979.436.0852

David Gafford-Gaby
Research Group: Hyde

Cory Mabry
Research Group: Patrick/Watson
cory1024@tamu.edu

Eduardo Martinez
Research Group: Patrick/Watson
emarti62@tamu.edu

Ricardo Munoz
Research Group: Cannon
ricardo.munoz01@tamu.edu

Anna Pinson
Research Group: Samuel
apinson@tamu.edu

Brittany Shapiro
Research Group: Skare
bshap48@tamu.edu

Mackenzie Smith
Research Group: Patrick
mackenzie.smith@tamu.edu
979.436.0352

Benjamin Thomas
Research Group: Chen
magicairben6@tamu.edu

Christina James Thomas
Research Group: Song
chrjamesthomas@tamu.edu

Liqing Wang
Research group: Song
wang1989@exchange.tamu.edu
979.436.0794

Michael Woolley
Research Group: Chen
michael.woolley@tamu.edu

Postdoctoral Research Associates

Aaron Benjamin
Research Group: Cirillo
aaronbbenjamin@tamu.edu
979.436.9164

Amanda Zangirolami
Research Group: Cirillo
979.436.9164
 
Anil Kumar
Research Group: Song
anil85krp@tamu.edu
979.436.0794

Aryashree Arunima
Research Group: Samuel
aarunima@tamu.edu
979-436-0351
 

Brandee Stone
Research Group: Hyde
brandee.stone@tamu.edu
979.436.0871

Catherine Weindel
Research Group: Patrick/Watson
chiweindel@tamu.edu
979.436.0273

Chuan Liang
Research Group: Cirillo
chuan@tamu.edu
979.436.9164

 
Hailee Nerber
Research Group: Skare
979.436.0355
 

Kent Koster
Research Group: Cirillo
kkoster@tamu.edu
979.436.9164

Rakesh Kumar
Research Group: Song
979.436.0794
 

Yushu Qin
Research Group: McGregor
yushu@tamu.edu
979-436-9407

Joana Rocha

Research Group: Andrews-Polymenis
joana1@tamu.edu

979.436.0341Nagaraja Sunnagatta, (Sunil) Sunilgowda
Research Group: Song
sunilgowda.sn4492@gmail.com

979.436.0794 

 

Dongmei Zhang
Research Group: Cirillo
979.436.9164