I am looking forward to the opportunity to participate in the ASM Distinguished Lecturer program (ASMDLP) as it is a great avenue to share my passion and expertise for clinical microbiology and interact with colleagues and trainees within the ASM family. I have served as president of the New York City branch of ASM and know the value of the ASMDLP for branches, having taken advantages of it for our local branch meeting programs. I have 10+ years of experience in molecular infectious disease diagnostics, developing several laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) for pathogens for which an FDA-cleared method was not available and participating in studies and clinical trials evaluating novel molecular tests. My colleagues and I have published several articles on these topics and I am looking forward to sharing my expertise with other ASM members. I am committed to the training and mentoring of the next generation of clinical microbiologists. I am the program director for a CPEP clinical microbiology post-doctoral fellowship and the faculty director for the microbiology rotation of the Infectious Disease Fellowship, the Molecular Genetic Fellowship, and the Laboratory Medicine Fellowship programs at MSK. For the last several years, I have mentored high school and undergraduate students participating in the MSK minority students summer program. This last experience has reinforced to me the importance for me, as an underrepresented minority scientist, to be more visible in our society and I believe that the ASMDLP is a great opportunity to share my passion and expertise for microbiology and bring and retain more underrepresented minority students to our field.

Clostridium difficile Epidemiology and Diagnostics Challenges       

The laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) may be accomplished using several methods, each with benefits and limitations. This poses a diagnostic challenge for clinical laboratories, particularly in high-risk patient populations where clinical symptoms alone can be confounding. This topic will cover information on different methods available for the diagnosis of CDI, including data on C. difficile strain types and their potential impact on transmission and disease severity.  

Rapid Diagnosis and Investigation of Hospital-acquired Infections (HAI)

Accurate and rapid detection and characterization of pathogens causing HAIs is an essential component of any infection prevention program. Rapid detection methods are designed to prevent acquisition of these infections, which can have serious, debilitating consequences for immunocompromised patients. Several new methods for identification of many of the pathogens responsible for HAIs are now available, and novel methods including mass spectrometry and whole genome sequencing are being applied to epidemiology and outbreak investigations. This lecture will review and discuss the use of these methods and their impact on HAI.

Challenges in the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections and the Fungal Diagnostic Laboratories Consortium

The incidence of fungal infections is on the rise and it has become a big threat in transplant/oncology patients. The diagnosis of invasive fungal infection is often delayed, and current methodologies can be insensitive. To address this challenge, in collaboration with my colleagues Dr. Sean Zhang, Director of the Clinical Mycology Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Dr. Shawn Lockhart, Senior Clinical Laboratory Advisor of the Mycotic Diseases Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I founded the Fungal Diagnostic Laboratory Consortium (FDLC). This international consortium currently has 25 member institutions across the U.S. and Canada. One goal of the FDLC is to promote research collaboration across centers that will support development and evaluation of new methods for improving diagnosis of fungal infection. In this lecture, I will describe the current state of fungal diseases in immunocompromised patients, the diagnostic gaps and opportunities and the role of the FDLC.

SARS-CoV-2: From Diagnostic Challenges to Variants Identification 

Rapid and accurate laboratory diagnosis of the Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) was critical in controlling and managing the pandemic. However, initial development and deployment of diagnostic tests to detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was challenging and was complicated by regulatory barriers, supply chain issues and the rise of SARS-CoV-2 variants. This lecture will review the diagnostic challenges encountered during the pandemic, describe the innovative approaches developed by clinical microbiologists to support hospitals, and discuss public efforts to control the pandemic.                                                      

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.

Prion diseases and particularly chronic wasting disease (CWD) are timely topics. With the geographic expansion and increased incidence of CWD, many groups are becoming increasingly concerned about the threat of CWD on the long-term health of cervid populations and the potential transmission of CWD to humans. Importantly, recent evidence indicates that other protein misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease share many fundamental properties of prions, resulting in the controversial idea that these diseases are also prions. This discussion is principally in the domain of neuroscientists and is largely unknown to microbiologists. The ASMDL is a powerful means of communicating cutting edge work on prions to microbiologists. Work from my group has covered a wide range of topics in prion diseases, ranging from basic science studies on the structure function relationship between prion strains, how prions behave as quasispecies, to applied research on strategies to mitigate CWD prions in field settings. In addition to a wide-ranging expertise, I also bring an enthusiasm for science that, in part, comes from the opportunity to work with and train new scientists. Overall, I think the greatest contribution that we can make as scientists is training the next generation of scientists

Prion Diseases, a New Paradigm of Infectious Agents

Once considered heretical, prions are now known to be comprised of only protein. First supported by a series of experiments correlating PrPSc, the prion conformation of the normal host protein PrPC, with prion infectivity, recent experiments have synthetically generated infectious prions from minimal components. Synthetic prions cause bona fide prion disease in animals that also replicate PrPSc fulfilling Koch’s hypothesis. This new paradigm of infectious agents has implications for other protein-misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Prion Strain Biology: How Does a Protein-Only Infectious Agent Encode Information?

Prions are comprised of PrPSc, a misfolded form of the cellular host prion protein, PrPC. Within a given host species, distinct strains of prions are characterized by differences in incubation period, distribution of PrPSc within a host and zoonotic potential. A significant hurdle for the prion hypothesis was providing a mechanism for how a protein-only infection agent could encode strain diversity and perform complex biological functions. Recent compelling evidence now indicates that prion strain diversity is encoded in distinct strain-specific conformations of PrPSc.

 Environmental Fate and Persistence of Prions

Prions are comprised solely of protein and, as such, are unusually resistant to inactivation and can persist in the environment for decades. Recent evidence suggests that the interaction of prions with soil, in combination with the hydration state of the particle, may protect prions from the impact of weathering. These prion soil interactions are dictated by the matrix that prions enter the environment and may also aid in the bioavailability of prions to infect a new host. Recent studies are investigating means of detecting prions in the environment and developing mitigation procedures to try to slow the spread of deadly prion diseases.

Prions and Prion-Like Diseases of Humans

Prions are comprised of PrPSc, a misfolded form of the cellular host prion protein, PrPC, and are characterized by long subclinical incubation periods followed by the onset of neurological disfunction. Over the last decade, it is becoming increasingly clear that other protein misfolding neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s) share many features with prion diseases. These commonalities include (i) biochemically similar process of formation of the misfolded form of the normal host protein, (ii) similar pattern of transsynaptic spread within the central nervous system, (iii) injection of the misfolded form of the protein in a susceptible causes disease and (iv) distinct biochemical properties of the misfolded form of the protein correlate with distinct clinical and neuropathological features of disease, reminiscent of prion strains. While evidence is mounting for similarities of these diseases, it is a highly controversial topic with far reaching implications.

 Chronic Wasting Disease, an Emerging Prion Disease of Cervids

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in an emerging inevitably fatal prion disease of cervids that has been described as an existential threat to wild cervids. CWD is highly contagious and can reach incidence rates of over 50% of animals in a given population. The geographical range of CWD is expanding in North America and has recently been identified in Scandinavia. While it is known that prions can be zoonotic (e.g., mad cow disease infection of humans), the host range of CWD is poorly described and conflicting evidence exists for the risk of transmission of CWD to humans.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions – at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

I am passionate about training the next generation of scientists and in helping trainees of all levels achieve their career goals. I am the Principal Investigator of the National Science Foundation-funded Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Biological Mechanisms Program at the University of North Carolina (UNC). This program provides opportunities for students from groups underrepresented in the sciences or from schools with limited research capacity to work in UNC laboratories for the summer. I also founded the Southeastern Mycobacteria meeting, which provides students and postdoctoral trainees with opportunities to present their research and to network with other scientists. I am excited to be an ASM Distinguished Lecturer because it will allow me to contribute more broadly to the career development of future scientists through interactions at ASM Branch meetings. I am an ASM member since 1996. I served as the ASM Division U (Mycobacteriology) Chair, I am a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, I am a member of the ASM Journal of Bacteriology editorial board, and I am one of the editors of the ASM Press Gram Positive Pathogens book published in 2019. As a PI who still does experiments, I welcome the opportunity to speak about my research, career path, and experiences with student and postdoctoral trainees.

The Bacterial Protein Export Zoo

All bacteria have pathways for exporting specific subsets of proteins from their site of synthesis in the bacterial cytoplasm to the cell envelope or extracellular environment, where exported proteins play critical roles in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis. There are many types of protein export systems and new systems are being discovered all the time. This lecture will discuss different pathways that bacteria use to solve the problem of exporting proteins across permeability barriers. Functional similarities between diverse systems will be highlighted, including examples of components that are shared between or co-opted from different systems.

 Survival in the Belly of the Beast: Bacterial Survival Strategies in Macrophages  

There are many examples of bacterial pathogens that survive in the normally hostile environment of the macrophage. Such intracellular bacteria have mechanisms, which commonly involve secreted bacterial effector proteins, to resist the antimicrobial attack or subvert the innate immune response of macrophages. There is often a high level of redundancy incorporated into these mechanisms to ensure bacterial intracellular survival. This lecture will discuss similarities and differences in mechanisms used by an array of intracellular pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis.  

 TB or Not TB? That Is the Lecture.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the infamous bacterial pathogen responsible for tuberculosis, remains a significant global health problem accounting for 1.5 million deaths per year. In addition to M. tuberculosis there are pathogenic nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) that are a growing threat, particularly for individuals living with cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mycobacterium abscessus, a NTM found in soil and water, is among the most common NTMs encountered in NTM pulmonary disease and it is highly drug resistant. M. tuberculosis and NTM pathogens share many similarities including the ability to survive in macrophages and to induce the formation of granulomas. However, there are also differences between these mycobacterial pathogens that need to be understood to inform therapeutic development. This lecture will compare and contrast tuberculous and nontuberculous mycobacteria and their associated diseases.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions – at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

Our world has been devastated by a once-in-a-generation pandemic. Today, more than ever before, our society knows how powerful infectious diseases can be and recognizes the need to develop strategies to counter them. My work focuses on developing novel antibiotics and diagnostics. Since I was a young undergraduate student, I have been fascinated by bacteria, the first living organisms to ever exist and the ultimate survivors, and have delineated ways to combat them. However, microbes can also be good, and my lab is interested in developing tools to reprogram and understand the microbiota. I have been a member of ASM since 2010 and have been an author and reviewer for ASM journals. In addition to my scientific work, I am truly committed to expanding the reach of microbiology to include groups historically underrepresented. I am a frequent discussion leader for graduate and postdoctoral scientists, particularly those from underrepresented minorities, including topics in career development and mentorship. I very much look forward to interacting, mentoring and inspiring students and post-docs at ASM branch meetings. Finally, as an immigrant and someone who has learned English as a second language, I hope to inspire others to pursue their dream of becoming scientists. 

Antibiotic Discovery by Means of Computers

Until now, the natural world has supplied us with antibiotics. Bacteria, however, are increasingly resistant to these drugs. The next generation of antibiotics will likely come not from nature but from computer-based discovery. Here, I will describe novel computational methods developed for antibiotic discovery.

Novel Technologies for Microbiome Engineering

New strategies are needed for perturbing complex microbial communities and studying their function. Without tools to remove specific bacteria from such a complex community, it is difficult to determine whether their roles in health and disease are causal or correlational. In this talk, I will describe the design of molecules capable of knocking out specific bacteria in order to study their function and to reconfigure microbiome communities.

Antibiotic Discovery in Venoms

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are projected to kill 10 million people annually by 2050 if no new drugs are developed. Here, I will discuss our recent successes in harnessing venoms as a previously untapped source of antimicrobials and how these molecules can be reprogrammed in the laboratory to target multidrug-resistant bacteria in animal models.

Low-cost Rapid Diagnostic Tests for COVID-19 and Beyond

Diagnostic technologies are urgently needed to detect COVID-19 in order to inform subsequent treatment and to enable a surveillance system to control outbreaks. Currently available diagnostics are primarily limited by their high cost of production and slow time of detection, thus hindering their widespread use in the population. To address these issues, my lab is developing low-cost diagnostics for COVID-19 and other emerging pathogens.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions – at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

I’ve been a microbiologist since I learned about that vast, hidden world, and I’ve been a member of the ASM almost as long as that. Microbes affect every part of our lives, and I’m proud to be a member of a strong organization advocating for sense about microbes. I first heard about the ASMDL program at a Connecticut Valley Branch meeting a decade ago, where Dr. Sue Lynch delivered an excellent lecture on how the human microbiome affects the health outcomes in chronic inflammatory diseases. I felt privileged to get one-on-one mentorship from a near-peer early in my research career. I am passionate about supporting members of our microbiology community, and I would like to create mentoring opportunities now as a senior scientist. As a first-generation college student, I have a good perspective on the challenges of hidden rules and expectations of academia. I hope, through becoming an ASM Distinguished Lecturer, that I can share my love of microbiology and help to create a community where members of all intersecting identities can succeed. As the biologist Dr. Beronda Montgomery teaches us, to build stronger, more diverse communities, we have to change the environment so that everyone can thrive.

Healthy Soils: Our Hope for a Warming World

Climate change is the most important problem facing people today. An important solution lies hidden in plain sight: soil. Soils are microbial super-organisms, and in this lecture, Dr. DeAngelis will give listeners a greater depth of appreciation for soil, as well as the means to foster its stewardship through composting, planting, and support for sustainable agriculture.

Evidence-based Teaching Undergraduates in STEM

At the heart of teaching is understanding the ways that we can engage students in deep learning and help them to identify as microbiologists and scientists. This lecture is adapted from the CIRTL MOOC “An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching.” At the end of this lecture, attendees will be able to identify some tools that they can use to improve STEM learning outcomes for undergraduate students and feel empowered to incorporate one or two new ideas into their teaching. Special emphasis is on improving learning outcomes from traditionally underrepresented groups of students in STEM.

Soils and the Social Equity of the Microbiome

Soils are a limiting natural resource whose growth, conservation and regeneration require time, resources and personal investments that are not equally available. In this lecture, we will discuss the sustainability of organic agriculture as a case study in the social equity of the microbiome. We begin with the sustainability of pre-colonial land stewardship, and then discuss how the industrial and green revolutions changed our relationship with land. At the end of this lecture, attendees will evaluate the perspectives around privilege and its cascading effects on soil as the source of our food, fiber, feed and fuel.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

My work encompasses both molecular and evolutionary approaches giving me unique insights into how bacteria cause disease and resist treatment. I am committed to supporting Societies and have a track record of service to the Microbiology Society in the U.K. I was an elected member of the U.K. Microbiology Society Council, and after my term ended, I became an editor for Microbiology, their flagship journal. Now that I am based in the U.S., I would like to support the ASM via the ASM Distinguished Lecturer (ASMDL) program. I am committed to promoting microbiology to students, early career scientists and the general public. In the U.K., I have been a guest on live BBC Radio Science shows to discuss quorum sensing. I have also been interviewed by New Scientist about how we can use bacterial cheats to treat infection (cheatobiotics). Finally, our work with a 1000-year-old ancientbiotic recipe, led to TV, radio and newspaper interviews (e.g., Washington Post, CNN), and the work was featured for a full-length episode of Radio Lab (Staph Retreat). My lectures are interdisciplinary in nature and highlight how scientists and researchers from different fields can work together to create new ideas and conceptually change research fields.

Social Evolution in Microbes

Microbiologists are rapidly gaining a greater understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in social behaviors, and the underlying genetic regulation. In this literature it is often assumed that cooperation is favored because it provides a benefit at the population or species level. However, evolutionary theory shows that this idea cannot work because the population is at risk from invasion by selfish individuals (cheaters or free-loaders), who do not cooperate but can obtain the benefit of cooperation from others. More generally, explaining cooperation remains a problem for evolutionary theory. Microorganisms are particularly useful for addressing this problem because of the opportunities that they offer for genetic manipulation and experimental evolution, and there is huge potential for interdisciplinary research in this area, combining both mechanistic and evolutionary approaches. In this lecture I will cover what a social behavior is and how this applies to microbes and how it impacts our understanding of infection. I will discuss how this field has progressed over the past 10 years, the key findings and future directions.
  

Quorum Sensing in Virulence and Disease

We now have a depth of knowledge about how bacteria use quorum sensing (QS) signals to communicate with each other and to coordinate their activities. In recent years there have been extraordinary advances in our understanding of the genetics, genomics, biochemistry and signal diversity of QS. We are beginning to understand the connections between QS and bacterial sociality. This foundation places us at the beginning of a new era in which researchers will be able to work towards new medicines to treat devastating infectious diseases and use bacteria to understand the biology of sociality. In this lecture I cover the history of QS, and the major discoveries. I will examine the diversity of QS systems across bacterial species and how they impact virulence and disease. I will also discuss how QS can be exploited as an antibacterial strategy and will discuss the future direction of the field.
 

AncientBiotics: Medieval Medicine and Modern Applications

Plant-derived compounds and other natural substances are a rich potential source of compounds that kill or attenuate pathogens that are resistant to current antibiotics. Medieval societies used a range of these natural substances to treat conditions clearly recognizable to the modern eye as microbial infections, and there has been much debate over the likely efficacy of these treatments. Recently, our interdisciplinary team, comprising researchers from both sciences and humanities, identified and reconstructed a potential remedy for Staphylococcus aureus infection from a 10th century Anglo-Saxon leechbook. The remedy repeatedly killed established S. aureus biofilms in an in vitro model of soft tissue infection and killed methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in a mouse chronic wound model. While the remedy contained several ingredients that are individually known to have some antibacterial activity, full efficacy required the combined action of several ingredients, highlighting the scholarship of premodern doctors and the potential of ancient texts as a source of new antimicrobial agents. In this lecture I will talk about how our ancestors dealt with infection and what we can learn from the past in our battle with antimicrobial resistance. I will focus on our study as an example of a pipeline that could be used to data-mine ancient texts.

Understanding the Ecology and Evolution of Chronic Infection

It is now accepted that individual cystic fibrosis (CF) patients become chronically infected with a single strain of P. aeruginosa (Pa) (either an environmental or transmissible epidemic strain). These strains evolve in the lung environment over time, undergoing genomic mutations and rearrangements, resulting in population level phenotypic and genetic variation. While significant progress has been made in understanding mechanisms of virulence and antibiotic resistance in many bacterial species, including Pa, most of this work is based upon in vitro experimentation in conditions not necessarily relevant to chronic infection. In general, little is understood about how behaviors evolve in vivo, and there remain significant gaps in our understanding of how Pa populations adapt to the CF lung and become resistant. We know little about how ecology (biotic and abiotic factors) shapes behaviors during chronic infections, and studies have not considered factors such as population level dynamics and bacterial social interactions. In this lecture I will discuss the value of research into the ecology of infection and how developing more realistic models of infection can help us better understand how virulence and AMR evolve in chronic infection environments.

Understanding the Role of R-pyocins During Chronic Infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative opportunistic pathogen and a major determinant of declining lung function in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). P. aeruginosa isolates from chronic CF lung infections develop increasing resistance to antibiotics over time, making new treatment approaches necessary. R-type pyocins are narrow spectrum bacteriocins specifically produced by P. aeruginosa. Due to their anti-pseudomonal activity and similarity to bacteriophage, they have potential as therapeutics against P. aeruginosa. In this lecture I will introduce R-pyocins, how they function and kill cells and their potential use as future therapeutic agents

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

I was trained in microbial physiology and biochemistry, but with the advent of the genome revolution I transitioned to computational genomics research and education. I will bring to the ASMDL program my 20 years of “wet” and “dry” research and teaching experience. I have trained 12 postdoctoral fellows and 20 graduate students, and I take pride in helping young scientists to take the next career step: a postdoctoral or faculty position in a research-intensive university, a teaching position in a small college, or a managerial job in industry. Lecture is my favorite way of teaching. I enjoy looking in the eyes of the audience and seeing their interest and curiosity. You never know where their questions will take you and it is a thrill to explore them together. I have been an ASM member for nearly 25 years and an elected AAM Fellow since 2017. For ten years, I served as an Editor of the ASM Journal of Bacteriology and I am currently an Editor for ASM mBio. I have attended many ASM meetings and gave talks at several of them, including the 2019 ASM Microbe. Thus, bringing my passion for teaching to serve ASM is just a natural thing to do. 

How Novel Receptors Arise in Bacteria

Chemoreceptors provide bacteria with an opportunity to detect numerous signals in the environment and to navigate towards favorable conditions. The number of chemoreceptors in bacteria varies significantly – from just a few to more than 50 – and different bacterial species evolved unique receptor proteins. Where do these novel receptors come from? We will discuss how gene duplication serves as a foundation for evolving receptors with novel sensing capabilities. We will also consider other, unique mechanisms for how new receptors are born to enable bacteria to better adapt to their environment.
 

Amino Acid Sensor Conserved from Bacteria to Humans

Amino acids are building blocks of life. They serve as nutrients and as signaling molecules. Thus, it is critical for all living cells to be able to detect the presence of amino acids in their surroundings. Bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes evolved various receptors capable of sensing the presence of amino acids and different ways of amino acid binding by these receptors. However, no universal mechanism of amino acid sensing is currently known. This talk will reveal how amino acids are detected by the most ubiquitous bacterial sensor and how this sensor was transferred to archaea and eukaryotes, including humans, where it serves an important role in neurotransmission.
 

Signal Transduction in Bacteria: Mix-and-Match of “LEGO Bricks”

Bacteria adapt to changing environmental conditions by adjusting their cellular functions – from motility to gene expression. These adjustments are mediated by signal transduction systems that have a modular design. Like famous LEGO construction toys, bacterial signal transduction systems are based on a nearly endless combinatorial possibility of constructing objects by using simple “building bricks” – protein domains. As in the LEGO game, some “bricks” are used in bacterial signal transduction very often, whereas other, more unique shapes are used rarely, only on certain occasions. This talk will introduce the audience to this bacterial LEGO game: from simple shapes to complex compositions of bacterial signaling schemes.
 

Bacterial Signal Transduction in Various Environments and in the Human Microbiome

Signal transduction systems in bacteria link environmental signals with appropriate cellular responses. Various bacteria occupy drastically different ecological niches, which raises a question: does the environment affect signal transduction in bacteria? We will discuss how bacteria from oceans differ from soil bacteria in their ability to sense their environment. Similar trends will then be revealed in the human microbiome: Bacteria from the oral cavity differ from the gut-inhabiting bacteria in terms of how many genes they dedicate to sense their surroundings. We will further explore how understanding signal transduction in beneficial gut bacteria can help in designing future antibiotics to fight pathogens.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

I am interested in virus-host interactions, specifically in understanding how different components of the virus community affect the infected organism and how they impact virus evolution and its maintenance in nature. Our laboratory delineated the function of non-standard viral genomes exposing a host-virus co-evolutionary mechanism that explains how viruses that actively evade immune recognition are detected and ultimately cleared by the host immune system. Our findings place non-standard viral genomes as fundamental elements of the virus-host interaction. I’m committed to the training and education of students and postdocs of diverse backgrounds. I’m a fellow of the NIH-National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) aimed at enhancing professional and mentoring skills to better serve a diverse community. I was member of the Committee for the Status of Women at the American Association of Immunologists and I was a member of the Council on Microbial Sciences (2017-2020) and chair of Division E (Immunology) at the American Society of Microbiology. Through the ASM Distinguished Lecturer (ASMDL) program, I hope to reach out to a broader set of emerging scientists of diverse backgrounds and inspire them to question social and scientific paradigms that limit scientific advancement.

A Virus Is a Community

This lecture introduces students to the concept of a virus as a community of particles with distinct genomic composition and functions. In addition to the parental standard viral genome, various other non-standard forms of the viral genome are generated as the virus replicates, providing essential functions and altering the outcome of viral infections. We go through specific examples of well-characterized non-standard viral genomes and their role during infection.
 

Antiviral Immunity, Interferons, and the Host-Virus Struggle

In this lecture I provide an historical perspective on the discovery of interferons, which are the primary antiviral molecules, and walk the audience through the state of the field to date. We discuss how viruses that are adapted to the host block or interfere with the action of interferons and how ultimately the virus is controlled upon the emergence of highly immunostimulatory non-standard viral genomes.
 

A Division of Labor During Virus Infections

In this lecture we discuss concrete examples of how different components of the viral community differentially impact infected cells. While some cells are dominated by the standard virus and function as a virus producing machine, others are dominated by non-standard viral genomes and are engaged in the production of cytokines that will initiate the antiviral response. These antiviral cells also survive the infection longer allowing for the persistence of a virus reservoir. Understanding how each of the components of a virus interact and impact the host organism is essential to come up with innovative ways to control virus infections.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

My path to an academic appointment at MSU was not straightforward. After earning my Ph.D., I was awarded a research fellowship through the CDC/APHL to study emerging infectious diseases. Through this fellowship, I learned a great deal about the public health system and built important collaborative networks that I continue to rely on for my research. I therefore feel that I bring a unique perspective to microbiology research and to the different paths that one can take to become an independent researcher. Throughout my career, I have been lucky to have outstanding advisors and teachers, who taught me the importance of mentorship and collaboration. While I recognize that I have much more to learn, I feel that the ASM Distinguished Lecturer (ASMDL) program will give me the opportunity to reach out to a larger, more diverse population of students and postdoctoral researchers, who may be facing challenges similar to the ones that I faced. I have been an ASM member for 20 years, but I have yet to take on a leadership role within the organization. This program will allow me to highlight my passion for science and to work closely with students, which has always been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.

Why Are Some E. coli Meaner?

This talk will focus on the diversity of bacterial pathogen populations and will illustrate how this diversity impacts virulence and variation in disease severity. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), a common foodborne pathogen, will be used as a model. Bacterial evolution and STEC emergence will be discussed as well as the high degree of genetic variation, which can be examined via the use of multiple molecular genotyping tools. Application of these tools to epidemiological data from patients with infections will highlight the role that genetic diversity plays in disease presentation.

Invasion of the Gut Microbes and Effects on the Microbiome

The focus of this lecture will be to demonstrate how infection with enteric pathogens negatively impacts the microbial communities in the gut. The importance of the gut microbiome will be discussed, as well as our studies showing that infection with foodborne pathogens causes major alterations in the composition of microbial communities. Specifically, we will highlight increases in the abundance of potentially harmful microbial populations as well as antibiotic resistance determinants, which will lead into a discussion about the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacterial populations.

Pathogens Down on the Farm

This lecture will emphasize the One Health approach to disease prevention and will highlight the importance of surveillance studies to recover and characterize pathogens from the farm environment. Our studies of Campylobacter jejuni and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) shedding and persistence in cattle herds will be discussed to demonstrate how external pathogen reservoirs are critical for the evolution and emergence of new pathogens with unique traits (e.g., biofilm production and antibiotic resistance). Use of molecular typing tools and comparative genomics studies will illustrate how certain subsets of pathogen types are more important for human infection and carriage of resistance determinants than others, leading to new ideas about surveillance and prevention practices.

Understanding Hypervirulence in a Neonatal Pathogen

This talk will focus on how genetic variation in group B Streptococcus (GBS), a vertically transmitted pathogen and leading cause of neonatal disease, contributes to variation in virulence. GBS disease will be discussed as well as our earlier studies showing that the application of multilocus sequence typing identified a more virulent lineage that was linked to neonatal infections. Multiple follow-up studies will be discussed to describe pathogenic mechanisms, such as enhanced adherence to placental cells and survival in macrophages, which are unique to the more virulent strains representing this lineage. These findings will demonstrate how enhancing our understanding of pathogenic mechanisms can lead to the development of novel disease prevention strategies.

Foodborne Disease Outbreaks: History, Challenges, and Control Measures

My experience working in the public health system will be highlighted to illustrate the importance of pathogen surveillance systems to monitor disease trends and detect outbreaks. Our surveillance studies of three important foodborne pathogens, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter jejuni, will be discussed, as will the challenges related to detection, strain characterization, and outbreak investigations.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Lead a grant proposal writing workshop to introduce students to this topic.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has brought to the forefront the urgent need for strong and accurate science communication, and the need for us to help develop these skills in our trainees. I am pleased to have the opportunity to be a part of ASM's Distinguished Lectureship Series as I am passionate about science communication and trainee mentorship. I have participated in many outreach activities centered around CRISPR-Cas genome editing technologies, including public debates, lectures to community stakeholders, developing videos for the general public, and addressing high school and undergraduate students. This ASM lecturer program will provide an excellent opportunity to share my experiences as a basic research scientist and woman in STEM, allow me to mentor trainees in diverse research areas in science communication, and provide an avenue to share my excitement about fundamental research in microbiology.

Exploring the Dark Matter of Phage Genomes

While there is greatly renewed interest in the use of phage therapy to treat human infections in response to rapidly increasing rates of antibiotic resistance, phages are known to transmit bacterial virulence factors and contribute to immune evasion. As the functions of most phage genes remain unknown, it is currently very difficult to predict potential complications that may arise during treatment. This lecture outlines ongoing efforts to determine the biological functions of genes comprising the “dark matter” of phage genomes, which will allow us to engineer phages with increased efficacy and safety.
 

Chemical Defense in the Phage-Host Evolutionary Arms Race

Bacteria use small chemical molecules for a variety of purposes, including cell-cell communication, upregulating cellular processes in response to environmental stimuli, and inhibiting the growth of competing organisms that share the same environment. This lecture covers recent work that shows that bacteria use small molecules directly to protect themselves from phage predation, as well as indirectly via quorum sensing pathways to regulate anti-phage defenses and warn surrounding cells of the danger of infection.
  

Off-switches for CRISPR-Cas9: From Phage Biology to Biotechnology

CRISPR-Cas systems provide bacteria with adaptive immunity that protects them from phage predation. In response to this evolutionary pressure, phages have evolved protein inhibitors, known as anti-CRISPR proteins, that allow them to overcome CRISPR-Cas immunity. This lecture discusses how these proteins function in bacterial cells to inhibit CRISPR-Cas systems and allow phage replication, as well as their biotechnological uses in genome editing and gene drive applications.

In addition to providing lectures for Branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at Branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions – at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

I am interested in activities of virulence factors from pathogenic bacteria to gain molecular insight into eukaryotic signaling systems. My lab discovers new molecular mechanisms by which invading bacteria hijack and deregulate a cell’s signaling systems, cutting off the cell’s ability to communicate with other cells that are needed to fight off disease. These studies provide novel insight into the molecular workings of eukaryotic signal transduction. I have trained postdocs and students to relish in the rigor, frustrations and mysteries of scientific discovery. As they move on, I have worked to ensure they have the tools for success, whether in academics, government or industry. I contribute to various programs for “women in science,” including panel discussions at ASBMB, GRC and FASEB meetings and with a published, solicited, personal reflection on my unusual path in science as a way to provide tools for younger scientists (JBC, 2018). I am honored with a number of awards including recent election to the National Academy of Sciences. I enjoy sharing my love of science by interacting with, learning from and teaching others at ASM. 

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Black Spot, Black Death, Black Pearl: Tales of Bacterial Effectors

This lecture uses 3 interwoven examples to illustrate how bacterial pathogens rewire host cells using their effector proteins. Black Spot refers to work with Xanthamonas campestris, which causes black spots on tobacco and tomato leaves. Black Death highlights work with Yersinia pestis, which causes "the black plaque," and how Yersinia Yop proteins hijack host cells. Black pearl covers work with effector proteins from Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which contaminates oysters.

Aliens Have Entered Your Home and Created a New Homeostasis 

One evening, after a very long day, you drive up to your home, walk through your front door … and you are in shock! All the lights are on. It is very, very hot! All the faucets are dripping in every sink! And the TV is on full blast. Your home has been invaded by aliens and they have changed the environment to their liking. Bright, hot, wet, loud. When bacteria invade our cells, they change the environment of the host cell so that they can thrive and replicate and spread to other cells. We study the tools pathogens use to change our cells to their liking.

How to Kill a Cell Without the Host Knowing It Will Die – All in 3 Hours

Bacteria can kill host cells from the outside using a needle like structure to inject toxins into them. The pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major cause of food poisoning that occurs due to the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood. This bacterium injects about four toxins that work in concert to orchestrate a multifaceted and temporally regulated host cell infection by inducing autophagy, cell rounding, and then cell lysis. We figure out how and when the bacterial toxins work.

How to Escape Once You Have Invaded the Host

While bacteria have clever tools to invade a host cell, it is not always clear how they escape from the inside of host cells. While trying to act as Sherlock Holmes to reveal clues as to how bacteria might escape, we went on what seemed like a wild goose chase to discover a very surprising mechanism. Pathogens are both clever and resourceful. 

The Twelfth Year of a Continuing Journey to Understand AMPylation

While studying a bacterial pathogen, we found a new mechanism that a pathogen had hijacked from a bacterial housekeeping gene. The protein called Fic is able to use ATP to modify host proteins with AMP (AMPylation). The pathogen mutated Fic so that it is no longer regulated and is harmful to the host cell during infection. In bacteria, the wildtype housekeeping gene is important for bacterial survival under stress. Following an evolutionary trail, we have studied the pathogenic Fic, the fly Fic and now the mouse Fic to understand how this eukaryotic form of Fic is used by our own cells to deal with stress and maintain health.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

I am happy to have the opportunity to be a part of the ASM Distinguished Lecturer (ASMDL) series as I am very passionate about communicating science. I really enjoy outreach projects, such as working with high school students in "phage hunting." Along with my trainees, I travel to a high school for several weeks each year and work one-on-one with high school students. The students learn about phages and basic science practice and have the opportunity to ask questions about career development and what "college is really like." It is a great opportunity to share my experiences and I have received great feedback from students over the years. In particular, it makes students realize scientists are people too, and that students can approach scientists and ask questions. I have also gotten positive feedback that as a woman and a first-generation college student, I help some high school students feel that they can "do it too" by providing an example that someone like them is a scientist in the "real world." Participation in the ASMDL program will provide me with the opportunity to reach even more students and trainees, as well as non-scientists, to communicate the importance and the excitement of science.

A Gateway into Understanding the Unique Vertex of Giant Viruses

Giant viruses like Mimivirus, Pandoravirus and Sambavirus are larger in size and have larger genomes than many cellular organisms and exist on the interface between the living and the non-living. They typically infect unicellular eukaryotes like amoeba. This lecture explores the origin, infection process and lifestyle of these fascinating creatures.

Structure and Evolution of Shigella Phages: From a Neighborhood Near You

Bacteriophages are involved in genetic mobilization in many bacteria, including important human pathogens like Shigella, often associated with food poisoning, and they play an important role in the microbiome. Shigella phages are abundant in the environment and can be easily isolated from sewage. This lecture explores the diversity of Shigella phages found all around us.

Structure, Biochemistry and Genetics, Oh My!

This lecture explores how structural biology can be incorporated into a biochemistry and genetics curriculum and can be a fun introduction to biomedical science for students from high school to undergraduates to graduate school.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

My career started with an amazing microbiology course that I had as an undergraduate. Since then, I have been fascinated by microorganisms and the ways they have influenced mankind and continue to influence modern society. I find it almost comical that we term microorganisms as “contaminants” even though by all measures, humans are the contaminants on earth. So, I thoroughly enjoy speaking about microbiology and getting students and the public interested in and excited about microbiology. I am fortunate to work at a large university where I have been able to encourage many undergraduate students to get involved in microbiology. I wish to use the ASM Distinguished Lecturer (ASMDL) program to “give back” to the students, postdocs and peers what ASM has provided me over the past 30 years. The ASMDL program is an excellent platform for mentoring and providing career tips and suggestions. I wish to use the ASMDL program to share my insights on how professional careers can and will evolve over years and provide an optimistic roadmap for students and early career scientists. I want to share my perspectives about succeeding in graduate school, as well share my views on why it is imperative in today’s competitive world that graduate students, post docs, and faculty are open minded and not dogmatic about their professional career paths. I plan to use the program to empower others.

What Is Death in Bacteria?

This presentation will provide insight on the resiliency of microbial cells and how this resiliency should challenge our contemporary definitions of alive and dead bacteria. The talk will delve into the molecular machinery that bacterial cells draw upon when encountering inactivating agents, especially ionizing technologies.         

Electron Beam Sterilization and Pasteurization Technology

This presentation will provide an in-depth look at how nature’s most organic and fundamental building blocks of life, the electrons, are now being harnessed by man to clean, heal, feed and shape this world and beyond. The presentation will provide the audience with insight into how electron beam technology is used around the world in medicine, food and industry. It will cover the legacy technology, such as gamma irradiation, and how and why the governments around the world are encouraging alternative technologies for blood irradiation, medical device sterilization, phytosanitary treatment, sterile insect technology, food pasteurization and environmental remediation.

Is Hurdle Technology in the Food Industry Resulting in Enhanced Virulence in Foodborne Pathogens?

This presentation will explore the rationale behind the concept of “hurdle technology” in the food industry. We now know that sub-lethal inactivation of foodborne pathogens results in enhanced virulence. This talk explores the bigger question of hurdle technologies and their impact on foodborne pathogens. It will focus on the issue of sub-lethal inactivation of microbial pathogens and the challenges they can pose in the food industry. 

Are Microbes Responsible for Criminal Behavior?

This is an expansion of my TEDx talk that discusses the sophistication of microbes, their ability to communicate among themselves and the growing body of literature that is slowly confirming the critical role that microbes have on our moods and behavior. The talk will include specific case studies involving Toxoplasma gondii, Bartonella sp. and Borrelia sp., and will include a discussion of psychotic disorders in prisons, recidivism, and whether microbial links to behavioral disorders will be admissible in the courts of law.

Electron Beam-based Vaccines 

Killed vaccines helped eradicate smallpox in humans and significantly controlled rinderpest in cattle. Killed vaccines have major advantages, such as no handling of live organisms in the field during administration, zero risk of vaccine-based transmission, no potential reversion to a virulent state and most importantly, no special storage requirements. Killed vaccine has shown great promise against COVID-19 in China. However, not all killed vaccines are the same. Killed vaccines can be developed using chemicals (formalin or b-propiolactone). However, even though chemically killed vaccines have shown promise (e.g., against COVID-19), it is also known that chemical inactivation can be beset with challenges such as incomplete mixing, improper mixing resulting in damaged epitopes, as well as the need to handle excessive volumes of this known OSHA-regulated carcinogen. This talk will focus on the use of commercial electricity to harness electrons to produce the next generation of killed vaccines. Case studies of specific eBeam vaccines against humans and animals will be presented.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Mentor post docs, graduate students, and undergraduate students.

The archaea are ubiquitous, play key roles in ecological processes, and perhaps in human health, and have useful industrial applications. Still, relatively little is known about the cell biology of the Archaea as compared to the bacteria, and, in many minds, the Archaea remain primarily associated with extreme environments. As with many misconceptions about science, the key to overcoming ignorance is education. This is one reason I am passionate about students having opportunities to learn microbiology using a hands-on approach that imbues them with a personal understanding of the evidence-based nature of science. To gain greater understanding of the Archaea, my lab uses interdisciplinary approaches combining biochemical and genetic characterization with bioinformatic analyses, in a great model system, to unravel the molecular mechanisms underpinning the processes key to archaeal survival. The knowledge accumulated in our studies has also allowed us to develop in vivo and in silico tools, further facilitating in-depth investigations of these processes. This has resulted in the identification of many of the mechanisms and pathways critical to the biosynthesis and function of the cell surface of the model archaeon, Haloferax volcanii. The insights gained using this strategy may have important implications for biotechnology, bioremediation and biomedicine.

What Bioinformatics and Big Data Have Revealed about Archaea

The application of bioinformatics to the study of microbiology has revealed that the Archaea are extremely diverse and essentially ubiquitous, being ensconced in niches that range from the human microbiome to deep lakes in Antarctica. It has also been used to show that the Archaea play important ecological roles in carbon and nitrogen cycling. Bioinformatics has been particularly useful in teasing out evolutionary relationships, showing, for instance, that the Archaea are more closely related to the Eukarya than are the Bacteria, while the development and use of subcellular localization prediction programs, combined with in vivo experiments in the model archaea, has uncovered adaptation strategies. Finally, the Archaea Proteome Project, spearheaded in our lab, is an example of a community-based approach where the combination of a great archaeal model system, a wide range of expertise, and a bioinformatics-based approach has been used to gain new insights into the processes underpinning archaeal cell biology.

Haloferax volcanii as a Model System for Sophisticated and Affordable Microbiology Experiments Available to all K-12 Schools

While hands-on experience is key to introducing students to the exciting world of science, informative microbiology experiments are typically too expensive for use in most public schools. Using the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii, sophisticated experiments in microbiology can be performed using affordable homemade kits and growth media made from ingredients purchased at a grocery store. These experiments also do not require the use of an autoclave as the non-pathogenic H. volcanii grow in extremely saline media and, thus, cultures resist contamination. Using these kits, experiments can be designed that teach high school students about a wide range of topics including extremophiles, the effects of stress on archaea, microbial evolution, basic genetics, life on Mars and antibiotic resistance. In fact, so much remains to be learned about archaea that, with discovery driven design, such experiments may even yield unique insights into archaeal biology.

Archaeal Cell Surface Biogenesis and Function—An Evolutionary Perspective

Like bacteria, archaea are unicellular, lack a nucleus and share conserved mechanisms for protein transport into or across the cytoplasmic membrane. Yet, the bacterial and archaeal membranes that extracytoplasmic proteins must cross are distinct, as are their cell walls. Similarly, while type IV pili, surface filaments required for biofilm formation, are evolutionarily conserved, the rotating surface structures that can propel cells through liquid media, flagella and archaella in bacteria and archaea, respectively, are unrelated, being an example of convergent evolution. Yet, both communicate with a conserved chemotaxis system. The discoveries revealing that such a mingling of conserved and divergent mechanisms regulates the biosynthesis and function of prokaryotic cell surface appendages has led to fascinating new insights into the evolution of biological processes in the prokaryotes.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

Ground-breaking studies over the last two decades have transformed our understanding of the microbes that inhabit our bodies and their importance to human health. I am fascinated by how microbes influence every facet of mammalian biology, and I take every opportunity to discuss this work with students and the general public. In particular, my lab studies the role of gut bacterial metabolism on chronic diseases including obesity, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. I believe these topics provide a great scientific framework to discuss with students how concepts in microbial ecology and bacterial physiology are critical for understanding human diseases and potentially for finding treatments. I have been fortunate to have great mentors throughout my career that instilled in me their passion for microbiology. I strive to build on their examples by conveying the excitement of scientific discovery. The ASMDL program is a great platform for sharing my passion for learning microbiology and provides multiple opportunities to inspire and contribute to the development of early-stage microbiologists. I support ASM by publishing, reviewing manuscripts, and serving as an editor in ASM journals. The ASMDL program provides an exciting opportunity to expand my contribution to ASM’s mission.

Dissecting Microbe-Host Interactions in the Mammalian Gut Using Systems Genetics Approaches

Defining the general principles that govern microbe-host interactions in the gut ecosystem is a daunting task. Over the last decade several studies have shown that host genetics influences intestinal microbiome composition, and genetic loci modulating abundance of bacterial taxa and metabolism have been discovered. A central premise of these approaches is that genetic variation drives phenotypic differences. This powerful premise produces an anchor for creating robust causal network models that can connect microbes, metabolites, and host genes to complex phenotypes. Thus, when traits without known relation (e.g., abundance of a microbe and a particular metabolite) are highly correlated at a specific host locus, novel hypotheses emerge connecting these traits. Follow-up hypothesis-driven studies can then be conducted to test these novel ideas. During my talk I will introduce commonly used systems genetic approaches and discuss examples of how we have applied these methods to identify novel molecular players that potentially shape microbe-host interactions in the mammalian gut.

Exploring the Consequences of Interpersonal Variation in Gut Microbial Metabolism of Dietary Fiber

Consumption of diets rich in fiber and polyphenols (e.g., whole grains) has been associated with protective effects against metabolic and cardiovascular disease. However, clinical intervention studies have revealed a large degree of interpersonal variation in the effects associated with consumption of diets rich in fiber and polyphenols, with a subset of individuals not exhibiting any benefits. During my talk I will discuss examples of how bacterial metabolism modifies specific nutrients and how differences in gut microbiome composition can contribute to interpersonal variation in the host responses to dietary fiber.

Gut Bacterial Metabolism and Cardiometabolic Disease

Association and experimental studies have implicated gut microbiota in a number of risk factors for atherosclerosis, including insulin resistance, altered bile acid metabolism, inflammation, and obesity. A major mechanism by which gut bacteria contribute to atherosclerosis and other diseases is via the production of metabolites that enter host circulation. During this talk I will discuss key microbially-derived metabolites that influence metabolic and cardiovascular disease, the bacterial pathways involved in their production and what is known about how these metabolites influence disease.

Workshop on Gnotobiotics

Studies establishing causal links between gut microbes and disease often use germ-free mice, which enable precise manipulation of colonizing microbes. While they have only been widely used in the last two decades, the first germ-free animals were generated >100 years ago. In this workshop I will discuss how germ-free mice are generated, maintained, and monitored, and provide a short review of the fascinating history of gnotobiotics.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

In my professional career, I have always been interested in education and training for young scientists who work in the field of infectious diseases. Any contemporary studies on infectious diseases will need a multidisciplinary approach, including microbiology, immunology, pathology, epidemiology, and clinical medicine. My previous clinical and graduate training provide me with practical experience in conceptualizing, organizing, and conducting independent basic and applied research emphasizing clinical diagnosis, epidemiologic studies, and molecular characterization of infectious diseases. I have been able to integrate all these related disciplines to explore clinico-pathologic-microbiologic correlation on diagnosis and research of infectious diseases. Furthermore, my 25-years working experience at CDC has furnished me with knowledge in many exciting field investigations and unique perspectives. My vision is to provide next generation microbiologists, immunologists, pathologists, epidemiologists, or infectious disease clinicians a comprehensive aspect to study infectious diseases, even if they may just work in a specific area of their interest. I am now having more flexible time to make my commitment on education and teaching after my retirement, and hopefully to inspire young scientists to devote their future career studying infectious diseases. The ASMDL program is a great gateway to help me fulfill such commitment.

Global Impact of Emerging Infections

There are multiple factors responsible for causing recent emerging infectious diseases. Today's enormous movement of humans, animals, and materials provides an arena of mixing diverse genetic pools at an extremely rapid pace. Microbes have been evolving with an even faster speed, which has constantly posed a major threat to global health. How to increase the awareness of these emerging infections has become an important issue in modern practice of medicine, public health, and laboratory diagnosis.
 

Solving the Puzzle of Unexplained Outbreaks with a Multidisciplinary Approach

Many emerging pathogens were discovered during unexplained outbreak investigations. The intertwining complexity of emerging pathogens with their diverse tissue tropisms, direct effects on host cells, and multiphasic immunological responses, is beyond the expertise of a single discipline in modern medicine. The diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these emerging infections need a multidisciplinary approach. Laboratory methods are essential to identify an etiologic agent from testing clinical samples. These methods, including traditional microbiological techniques, conventional immunological assays, and modern molecular methods, remain the mainstay in today’s practice of clinical microbiology and infectious disease medicine. Pathology plays a key role as a bridging subspecialty in such a multidisciplinary approach. Pathologic examination can establish a more specific diagnosis correlated with clinical manifestations. Recent advances in molecular biology have revolutionized the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine.
 

One Health and Recent Challenges of Emerging Zoonoses

“One Health” is an approach that recognizes the interconnections between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment to achieve optimal health and well-being outcomes. It needs a cohesive collaboration among multi-disciplinary expertise at local, regional, national, and global levels. An important area in One Health approach is the control of zoonoses or zoonotic infectious diseases. Zoonoses are a complex group of diseases caused by a remarkable diversity of pathogenic microorganisms that ordinarily reside in animals. Approximately 75% of recent emerging infections are zoonoses. These diseases have caused severe illness in humans and posed major threats to global health. Improving diagnostic capability, increasing awareness, and enhancing surveillance are all crucial measures to help deal with these emerging challenges of zoonoses.
 

Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases with Modern Technology

Diagnosis of infectious diseases needs a combined evaluation of patient’s history, clinical manifestations, and physical examination, but it is often insufficient to determine the specific infectious etiology. Laboratory methods are essential for identifying an etiologic agent from testing clinical samples, such as blood, serum, nasopharyngeal swab, etc. These methods, including traditional microbiological techniques, conventional immunological assays, and modern molecular methods, remain the mainstay in today’s practice of clinical microbiology and infectious disease medicine. Nevertheless, there are technical and logistic issues associated with these methods, and the test results often lack a clinic-pathologic-microbiologic correlation that can confound the interpretation of their clinical significance. Pathologic examination, if available, can establish a more specific diagnosis correlated with clinical manifestations. The practice of modern pathology has evolved from using morphologic pattern recognition as the main tool to a sophisticated medical subspecialty by applying a wide array of advanced immunologic and molecular techniques on top of the traditional methods.

In addition to providing lectures for Branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at Branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions – at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an ASM Student Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.