Meet the brilliant minds shaping the scientific landscape at ASM Microbe 2025. The ASM Microbe Program Committee comprises esteemed researchers, thought leaders and innovators, united in their dedication to advancing microbiology. With diverse expertise spanning various disciplines, they curate a dynamic program, showcasing cutting-edge research, fostering collaboration and inspiring the next generation of microbiologists. Get ready to explore the forefront of the microbial sciences under the guidance of this exceptional team.

The Steering Committee includes the following principals and the track leaders noted in the Program Committee Members list below.

Robert Tibbetts, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Henry Ford Health System

Pamela Brown, Ph.D.

Director of Undergraduate Research, University of Missouri-Columbia

K. Heran Darwin, Ph.D.

Professor of Microbiology, New York University

Jay T. Lennon, Ph.D.

Indiana University

Bobbi S. Pritt, M.D., M.Sc.

Professor of Clinical Microbiology, Mayo Clinic

K. Heran Darwin, Ph.D.

Professor of Microbiology, New York University

Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance (AAR)

• Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabir, Pharm.D., University of California San Diego, San Diego, Calif.* (Track Leader).
• Ashlan Kunz Coyne, Pharm.D., Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich.* (Vice Track Leader).
• Alexei Savchenko, Ph.D., University of Calgary.
• Georgina Cox, Ph.D., University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
• Jason Bryowsky, Pharm.D., M.S., Shionogi, Inc.
• Omar El-Halfawy, Ph.D., University of Regina, Regina, Canada.
• Razi Kebriaei, Ph.D., Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
• Sharanie V. Sims, Pharm.D., MPH, BCPS, BCIDP, Cleveland.
• Tomefa Asempa, Pharm.D., Hartford, Conn.

Applied and Environmental Science (AES)

• Blake Ushijima, Ph.D., University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, N.C. (Track Leader).
• Erika Espinosa-Ortiz, Ph.D., Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont. (Vice Track Leader).
• Kung-Hui Chu, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
• Nikki Shariat, Ph.D., University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
• Nicole Buan, Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb.

Clinical Infections and Vaccines (CIV)

• Sanchita Das, M.D., D(ABMM), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. (Track Leader).
• Lisa Stempak, M.D., University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio (Vice Track Leader).
• Derrick Chen, M.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Rachel Denyer, M.D., MRCP, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, D.C.*
• Adrian Zelazny, Ph.D., D(ABMM), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.

Clinical and Public Health Microbiology (CPHM)

• Jennifer Guthrie, Ph.D., Public Health Ontario, Toronto (Track Leader).*
• David Peaper, M.D., Ph.D., Yale University, New Haven, Conn. (Vice Track Leader).
• Utsav Pandey, Ph.D., D(ABMM), Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, Calif.*
• Mimi Precit, Ph.D., D(ABMM), M(ASCP)CM, Labcorp and Providence Health and Services, Portland, Ore.
• Nicholas Moore, Ph.D., D(ABMM), MLS(ASCP), Rush University, Chicago.
• Sara Blosser, Ph.D., D(ABMM), U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
• Lars Westblade, Ph.D., Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

Clinical Virology (CV)

• Rangaraj Selvarangan, Ph.D., BVSc, D(ABMM), FIDSA, FAAM, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. (Track Leader).
• Amy Leber, Ph.D., D(ABMM), SM(ASCP)MB, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
• William Meyer, III, Ph.D., D(ABMM), MLS (ASCP)CM, Quest Diagnostics, Baltimore, Md.
• Heba Mostafa, M.D., Ph.D., D(ABMM), John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
• Melinda Poulter, Ph.D., D(ABMM), MLS(ASCP), University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Va.
• Xiaotian Zheng, Ph.D., D(ABMM), FIDSA, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, Ohio.

Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity (EEB)

• Catalina Cuellar-Gempeler, Ph.D., Cal Poly Humboldt, Arcata, Calif. (Track Leader).
• William Harcombe, Ph.D., University of Minnesota (Vice Track Leader).
• Sada Boyd-Vorsah, Ph.D., UCLA.*
• Lenora Bittleston, Ph.D., Boise State University, Boise, Idaho.
• Simon Roux, Ph.D., DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Host-Microbe Biology (HMB)

• Matthew Lawrenz, Ph.D., University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky. (Track Leader).
• Kelly Bachta, M.D., Ph.D., Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
• Mariana Byndloss, D.V.M., Ph.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
• Ryan Hunter, Ph.D., University of Minnesota.
• Megan Kiedrowski, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham.
• Jeremiah Johnson, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.

Molecular Biology and Physiology (MBP) 

• Josephine Chandler, Ph.D., University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan. (Track Leader).
• Jan-Ulrik Dahl, Ph.D., Illinois State University, Normal, Ill. (Vice Track Leader).
• Ashley Groshong, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.*
• Prahathees Eswara, Ph.D., University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.
• Randy Morgenstein, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla.
• Marcos de Moraes, Ph.D., Rice University, Houston.

Profession of Microbiology (POM)

• Rebecca Yee, Ph.D., George Washington University, Washington, D.C. (Track Leader).
• Laura Oliveira, M.D., Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro.*
• John Buchner, Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, Md.
• Oscar Tirado Acevedo, Ph.D., Procter & Gamble, Mason, Ohio.
• Lindsey Price Burbank, Ph.D., USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Parlier, Calif.

*Member of the ASM Microbe Junior Advisory Group (JAG)

The Junior Advisory Group’s role is to support and encourage the meeting participation of early career investigators (those about to complete, or within 3 years of completing their training), as well as the formation of early career-related sessions at the meeting.