Terri Ellis, Ph.D.

Terri Ellis, Ph.D.

University of North Florida

Dr. Terri Ellis is a medical microbiologist and associate professor of biology at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Duke University and her Ph.D. in 2004 from the University of California Davis under the mentorship of Blaine Beaman, investigating innate immune responses to Nocardia asteroides. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the NIH/NIEHS and Duke University where she studied outer membrane vesicles with Dr. Meta Kuehn.

The Ellis lab investigates how modifications to the outer surface components of Klebsiella pneumoniae, such as outer membrane vesicles, porins and polysaccharide capsule, contribute to virulence and antibiotic resistance. The Ellis lab utilizes a range of proteomic, biochemical, cell biology, genetic and immunology based techniques to investigate how small changes to the outer surface of these bacteria trigger larger downstream alterations in virulence. Incorporated into all investigations is student training.

Dr. Ellis has a particular interest in science pedagogy, student mentorship and undergraduate research opportunities. She has been a participant in both the the NSF CREATE and FIRST IV initiatives to improve science teaching and incorporate primary literature into undergraduate coursework. She is an active member of the leadership for the Florida Branch of ASM.