Faculty Research Summaries
Mark Brown, Professor, Department of Entomology
Characterize the structure and function of peptide hormones and their
receptors that activate key reproductive processes in two mosquito
species: the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, and the African
malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.
Donald E. Champagne, Associate Professor, Department of Entomology
Vector biology; salivary factors, particularly polypeptides, which
facilitate blood feeding by inhibiting hemostatic defenses in
vertebrate hosts.
Daniel G. Colley, Director, CTEGD; Professor, Department of Microbiology
Immunology of schistosomiasis and operational research in support of schistosomiasis control.
Harry W. Dickerson, Jr. Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases; Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Veterinary Medicine
Molecular approaches to diagnosis and vaccine development in fish and livestock diseases.
Roberto Docampo
Barbara and Sanford Orkin - GRA Eminent Scholar in Tropical and
Emerging Global Diseases; Professor, Department of Cellular Biology
Metabolic pathways of trypanosomatids and malaria parasites.
Stephen L. Hajduk, Professor and Department Head, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Molecular and biochemical basis of parasitic diseases
Donald Harn, Professor and GRA Distinguished Investigator, Department of Infectious Diseases
Identification
of cell receptors and signaling pathways that drive anti-inflammatory
activation of antigen presenting cells; development of vaccines and
therapeutics for HIV-1 and schistosomiasis
Jessica Kissinger, Professor, Department of Genetics; Director, Institute of Bioinformatics
Comparative genomic approaches to address issues relevant to the evolution and biology of the Apicomplexa. Big data and data integration for the solution of biological and host-pathogen interaction research questions.
Patrick J. Lammie Supervisory Research Biologist, Parasitic Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control; Adjunct Faculty, Department of Cellular Biology
Immunology of human bancroftian filariasis and cryptosporidiosis.
Kojo A. Mensa-Wilmot Professor and Department Head, Cellular Biology
Biochemistry and molecular biology of Trypansoma brucei. Role of GPIs and GPI-phospholipase C in protozoan biology.
Julie M. Moore, Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases
Human and animal model-based studies of host immune mechanisms in
malaria during pregnancy and their disruption in HIV-1 infection;
immunopathogenesis of malaria-associated pregnancy loss.
Silvia N.J. Moreno, Professor, Department of Cellular Biology
Biochemical studies of Toxoplasma gondii: identification of differences
in Ca2+ metabolism and function between the host cell and the parasite.
Vasant Muraldharan, Assistant Professor, Department of Cellular Biology
Cells in infection and immunity, Cell structure and function
Ynes R. Ortega, Associate Professor, Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science & Technology
Detection of human and animal pathogenic parasites in food, biological
and environmental samples; pathogenesis of coccidian parasites with
emphasis on Crytosporidium parvum and Cyclospora cayetanensis. Methods
for parasite inactivation in food products.
David S. Peterson, Associate Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases
Role of Plasmodium adhesion proteins in invasion and pathogenesis.
Robert Sabatini, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Antigenic variation in African trypanosomes
Mike R. Strand, Regents Professor, Department of Entomology
Parasite-host interactions with emphasis on the study of parasitic wasps (parasitoids), insect development, and immunity.
Boris Striepen, Professor and GRA Distinguished Investigator, Department of Cellular Biology
Cell and molecular biology of apicomplexan parasites (Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium).
Rick L. Tarleton Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Cellular Biology, and UGA Athletic Association Distinguished Professor in Biological Sciences
Mechanisms of immunity and disease in Trypanosoma cruzi infections.
Adrian Wolstenholme Associate Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases
Anthelmintic drugs and parasitic nematodes: mechanisms of action and modes of resistance. Ion channels and receptors in the nematode nervous system.
