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Allison C. Rice-Ficht, PhD

Allison C. Rice-Ficht
Allison C. Rice-Ficht, PhD

Regent Professor

Senior Associate Dean for Research, Medicine

Director of the Center for Microencapsulation and Drug Delivery

Contact

Department of Cell Biology and Genetics
Reynolds Medical Building, Room 425
College Station, TX 77843
a-ficht@tamu.edu
Phone: 979.436.2728
Fax: 979.847.0060

Education and Training

  • Vanderbilt University, PhD, transcriptional regulation in bacteriophage T5, 1980
  • University of Iowa, Postdoc, gene conversion directed gene expression, 1981
  • Texas A&M College of Medicine, gene expression in parasites, 1984-22
  • Assistant Dean for Research & Graduate Studies, College of Medicine, 1999-03
  • Texas A&M Health Science Center, Associate VP for Research, 2011-14
  • Texas A&M Health Science Center, Interim Vice President Research, 2014-16
  • Texas A&M University , Senior Associate VP Research , 2016-2022
  • Texas A&M College of Medicine, Senior Associate Dean for Research, 2022
  • Director, Center for Microencapulation & Drug Delivery , 2002-present

Research Interests

  • Studies in the Rice-Ficht lab are currently focused on the use of unique biomaterials for controlled release of live and subunit vaccines. Our focus is currently directed to the production of vaccines against human Brucellosis and Q fever, but is being applied to the storage and delivery of numerous other vaccines. A study of specific immune mechanisms and potentiation through controlled releases is underway. An additional focus is the study of alpha crystalline structure and function. These unique proteins protect against thermal insult and modulate folding and activity of other proteins.

Teaching Interests

  • Molecular parasitology
  • Controlled release vaccine formulation
  • Genetics and molecular pathogenesis
  • Dr. Allison C. Rice-Ficht received her Bachelor of Science from Auburn University and her doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 1980 investigating mechanisms of viral infection. In post-doctoral work at the University of Iowa she developed a keen interest in tropical diseases and uncovered the molecular basis of infection by the African sleeping sickness parasite, Trypanosoma brucei.
  • Since 1984, Rice-Ficht has been a member of the faculty of the Texas A&M University Health Science Center continuing her interest in tropical disease and vaccine development. These studies unexpectedly revealed a natural capsule produced by parasitic worms that could be used for timed-release of vaccines and drugs. Rice-Ficht has engineered this capsule or particle with the ultimate goal of creating a needle-free "pocket vaccine" delivery system for the delivery of virtually any vaccine.
  • The Rice-Ficht laboratory currently uses micro and nanoparticles for timed release of vaccines, producing a continual boosting effect and enhanced vaccination. This technology has been applied to the production of vaccines for brucellosis, tuberculosis and Q fever through funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and the Gates Foundation.
  • Since 2002, Rice-Ficht has served as the Director for the Center for Microencapsulation and Drug Delivery, a group of life scientists and engineers pioneering sustained and targeted delivery of vaccines and pharmaceuticals. She also serves as Senior Associate Dean for Research for Texas A&M Medicine

Representative Publications

  • Neuman BW, Brashear WA, Brun M, Chaki SP, Fischer RSB, Guidry SJ, Hill JE, Hillhouse AE, Johnson CD, Kahl-McDonagh MM, Metz RP, Rice-Ficht AC, Shuford JA, Skaggs TA, Stull MA, Threadgill DW, Akpalu Y, Zuelke K.(2021) Case Report: Paucisymptomatic College-Age Population as a Reservoir for Potentially Neutralization-Resistant Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants. Am J Trop Med Hyg.2021 Sep 20;105(5):1227-1229. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0542. PubMed PMID: 34544043; PubMed Central PMCID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8592217
  • Castano-Zubieta MR, Rossetti CA, Garcia-Gonzalez DG, Maurizio E, Hensel ME, Rice-Ficht AC, Ficht TA, Arenas-Gamboa AM (2021) Evaluation of the safety profile of the vaccine candidate Brucella melitensis 16MDELTAvjbR strain in goats. 39(3):617-625, 2021 Jan 15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8730362
  • Slim Zriba, Daniel G. Garcia-Gonzalez, Omar H. Khalaf, Lance Wheeler, Sankar P. Chaki, AllisonRice-Ficht, Thomas A. Ficht, Angela M. Arenas-Gamboa (2019) Vaccine safety studies of Brucella abortus S19 and S19DeltavjbR in pregnant swine. Vaccine X. 2019;3:100041. Epub 2019/09/19. doi: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2019.100041. PubMed PMID: 31528851; PMCID: PMC6737346 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6737346
  • Pandey A, Lin F, Cabello AL, da Costa LF, Feng X, Feng HQ, Zhang MZ, Iwawaki T, Rice-Ficht A, Ficht TA, de Figueiredo P, Qin QM. (2018) Activation of Host IRE1alpha-Dependent Signaling Axis Contributes the Intracellular Parasitism of Brucella melitensis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2018;8:103. Epub 2018/05/08. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00103. PubMed PMID: 29732320; PMCID: PMC5919948. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5919948
  • Pandey A; Ding SL; Qin QM; Gupta R; Gomez G; Lin F; Feng X; Fachini da Costa L; Chaki SP; Katepalli M; Case ED; van Schaik EJ; Sidiq T; Khalaf O; Arenas A; Kobayashi KS; Samuel JE; Rivera GM; Alaniz RC; Sze SH; Qian X; Brown WJ; Rice-Ficht A; Russell WK; Ficht TA; de Figueiredo P. (2017).Global Reprogramming of Host Kinase Signaling in Response to Fungal Infection. Cell Host & Microbe. 21(5):637-649. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5538893
  • Pandey A; Cabello A; Akoolo L; Rice-Ficht A; Arenas-Gamboa A; McMurray D; Ficht TA; de Figueiredo P. (2016) The Case for Live Attenuated Vaccines Against Neglected Zoonotic Diseases: Brucellosis and Bovine Tuberculosis. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases [electronic resource]. 10(8):e0004572, 2016 Aug. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4990199
  • de Figueiredo P; Ficht TA; Rice-Ficht A; Rossetti CA; Adams LG. (2015) Pathogenesis and Immunobiology of brucellosis: review of Brucella-host Interactins. American Journal of Pathology. 185(6):1505-17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC4450313
  • Patterson JL, Arenas-Gamboa AM, Wang TY, Hsiao HC, Howell DW, Pellois JP, Rice-Ficht A, Bondos SE, (2014) Materials composed of the Drosophila Hox protein Ultrabithorax are biocompatible and nonimmunogenic. J Biomed Mater Res A. doi: 10.1002/jbm.a.35295. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 25087647. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25087647
  • Gomez G, Adams LG, Rice-Ficht A, Ficht TA. (2013) Host-Brucella interactions and the Brucella genome as tools for subunit antigen discovery and immunization against brucellosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 3:17. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00017. eCollection 2013. Review. PMID: 23720712. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23720712
  • Gomez G, Pei J, Mwangi W, Adams LG, Rice-Ficht A, Ficht TA. (2013) Immunogenic and invasive properties of Brucella melitensis 16M outer membrane protein vaccine candidates identified via a reverse vaccinology approach. PLoS One. 8(3):e59751. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059751. Epub 2013 Mar 22. PMID: 23533646. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23533646
  • Pei J, Ding X, Fan Y, Rice-Ficht A, Ficht TA. (2012) Toll-like receptors are critical for clearance of Brucella and play different roles in development of adaptive immunity following aerosol challenge in mice. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2:115. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2012.00115. eCollection 2012. PMID: 22973560. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22973560
  • Rice-Ficht AC, Arenas-Gamboa AM, Kahl-McDonagh MM, Ficht TA. (2010) Polymeric particles in vaccine delivery. Curr Opin Microbiol. 13(1):106-12. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2009.12.001. Epub 2010 Jan 14. Review. PMID: 20079678. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20079678
  • Jupiter D, Ficht T, Qin QM, Rice-Ficht A, Samuel J, de Figueiredo P. (2010) Genomic polymorphisms as inherent watermarks for tracking infectious agents. Front Microbiol. 1:109. doi: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25087647 10.3389/fmicb.2010.00109. eCollection 2010. No abstract available. PMID: 21607081. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21607081
  • Arenas-Gamboa AM, Ficht TA, Davis DS, Elzer PH, Kahl-McDonagh M, Wong-Gonzalez A, Rice-Ficht AC. (2009) Oral vaccination with microencapsuled strain 19 vaccine confers enhanced protection against Brucella abortus strain 2308 challenge in red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus). J Wildl Dis. 45(4):1021-9. PMID: 19901378. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19901378
  • Ficht TA, Kahl-McDonagh MM, Arenas-Gamboa AM, Rice-Ficht AC. (2009) Brucellosis: the case for live, attenuated vaccines. Vaccine. 27 Suppl 4:D40-3. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.08.058. Review. PMID: 19837284. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19837284
  • Arenas-Gamboa, A.M., Ficht, T.A., Kahl-McDonagh, M.M., Gomez, G., and Rice-Ficht, A.C. (2009) The Brucella abortus S19 DeltavjbR live vaccine candidate is safer than S19 and confers protection against wild-type challenge in BALB/c mhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25087647 ice when delivered in a sustained-release vehicle. Infect. Immun. 77(2): 877-884. PMID: 19047401. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19047401
  • Arenas-Gamboa, A.M., Ficht, T.A., Kahl-McDonagh, M.M., Rice-Ficht, A.C. (2008) Immunization with a single dose of a microencapsulated Brucella melitensis mutant enhances protection against wild-type challenge. Infect. Immun. 76(6): 2448-2455. PMID: 18362129. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18362129
  • Kang, X.F., Cheley, S., Rice-Ficht, A.C., and Bayley, H. (2007) A storable encapsulated bilayer chip containing a single protein nanopore. J. Am. Chem. Soc.; 129(15): 4701-4705. PMID: 17375923. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17375923

Lab Members

Assistant Research Professor

  • Angela Arenas, PhD, DVM, DACVP

Associate Research Scientist

  • Xiaofeng Kang, PhD