Microbiology
About
Research in Microbiology at UVA spans the fundamental molecular processes of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites of major importance to human health.Many fundamental biological processes have been uncovered through the study of bacteria, viruses and eukaryotic unicellular microorganisms, and these studies have also revealed mechanisms by which infectious agents cause disease. Our students and faculty examine how microbes replicate, invade the host cell, colonize the host and interact with the immune system. To this end we use state-of-the-art experimental approaches drawn from the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, structural biology, cell biology, physiology, cellular and sub-cellular imaging, genomics and bioinformatics.
The microbiology research community at UVA spans multiple basic science and clinical departments. It features numerous laboratories that are engaged in highly interactive and collaborative research, with many researchers sharing authorship on high-profile publications. Our research findings provide insights into basic biology and also provide foundations for translational applications, such as vaccine development and new therapeutic approaches for treating infections.
The robust educational opportunities available include specialized coursework, laboratory rotations, journal clubs, and weekly seminars highlighting the work of trainees as well as that of internationally renowned scientists.
Training in Microbiology at UVA equips our graduates to pursue diverse career options, including postdoctoral positions in academia, as well as jobs in government, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, collegiate teaching, public policy, consulting and patent law.
Faculty
Ambati, Jayakrishna
Understanding the Molecular Basis of Macular Degeneration in Order to Hasten the Eradication of Blindness
Cafiso, David S.
Molecular Mechanisms for Membrane Transport and Cell Signaling
Casanova, James E.
Role of Arf family GTPases in vesicular transport and cytoskeleton assembly.
Cell Biology of bacterial pathogenesis.
The innate immune response to bacterial infection.Cliffe, Anna
Herpes Simplex Virus Infection of Neurons
Columbus, Linda
Biophysical Chemistry: Membrane protein structure, function, and dynamics
Cowardin, Carrie A.
The maternal and infant microbiome in childhood growth and immunity
Criss, Alison K.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of Neisserial pathogenesis
Derré, Isabelle
Host/pathogen Interaction - Chlamydia Infection
Dremel, Sarah
Herpesvirus gene expression & RNA biology
Egelman, Edward H.
Structure and Function of Macromolecular Complexes Using Electron Microscopy
Engel, Daniel A.
Drug Discovery and Molecular Biology of Pathogenic RNA viruses: Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, Influenza and Zika
Ewald, Sarah
Innate immunity, chronic disease, host-parasite interactions, Toxoplasma gondii, proteomics
Ford, Roseanne M.
Bacterial attachment and biofilms, microbial transport in porous media
Gahlmann, Andreas
Super-resolution fluorescence imaging of bacterial cells
Gaultier, Alban
Exploring new therapeutics avenues to treat Multiple Sclerosis.
Guler, Jennifer
Mechanisms of Genetic and Metabolic Adaptation in the Malaria Parasite, Plasmodium falciparum
Hahn, Young S.
Immune regulation for HCV infection and chronic liver inflammation
Harris, Tajie H.
Immune response to infectious disease in the CNS
Hughes, Molly A.
Biodefense and emerging pathogens
Janes, Kevin A.
Systems-biology approaches to cancer biology and virology.
Kendall, Melissa M.
Bacterial cell signaling, host-pathogen interactions, intestinal pathogens
Kozminski, Keith G.
Regulation of Polarized Morphogenesis
Mauldin, Ileana Soto
Pathology
Papin, Jason A.
Systems biology, infectious disease, cancer, toxicology, metabolic engineering
Petri, William A.
Immune mechanisms of defense against COVID-19 and enteric (diarrheal) infections
Pompano, Rebecca
Bioanalytical tools for inflammatory disease
Ramakrishnan, Girija
Microbial Pathogenesis
Rekosh, David M.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Gene Expression; Human Endogenous Viruses; SARS-CoV-2 Protein Trafficking; Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation
Rutkowski, Melanie
Influence of commensal microbes on immune homeostasis, anti-tumor immunity, and metastasis
Spencer, Brady
Gram-positive pathogenesis; type VII secretion; impact of secreted effectors on host-pathogen interactions and immune responses
Sun, Jie
Viral immunology, T cells, Macrophages, Tissue repair
Tak, Uday
Prokaryotic immune systems, bacteriophage virology, programmed cell death, pore-forming proteins, evolution of immunity, protein engineering
Tamm, Lukas K.
Biomembrane Structure and Function; Cell Entry of Enveloped Viruses; Neurosecretion by Exocytosis; Structure of Bacterial Pathogen Membrane Proteins; Lipid-Protein Interactions
Vande Pol, Scott B.
How Viruses, Particularly Papillomaviruses, Can Cause Cancer
Wang, Qiwei
Cancer biology and immunology, Immuno-oncology, Immunometabolism, Genetically-engineered mouse models
Woodfolk, Judith A.
The immune response to common cold and allergens in health and disease.
Zegarra-Ruiz, Daniel Fernando
Unraveling the role of host microbe interactions in autoimmune diseases
Zeichner, Steven L.
Pathogenesis of infectious diseases and the development of new therapies and vaccines for infectious diseases and cancers.
Zimring, James C
Alloimmunity in Transfusion and Transplantation , Oxidant Stress Biology in Health and Disease