Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology is the largest basic science department at UVA, comprising an outstanding group of faculty, students and post-doctoral fellows conducting cutting-edge research in many exciting areas of basic biology and human disease.
Our research takes an integrated and cross-disciplinary approach to address questions in three key major fields: Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology.
AAAS to Induct Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco, MD, PhD, Chair of Department
Garcia-Blanco is a leading researcher into how genetic material called RNA influences immunity to disease. He made headlines in June for discovering a key factor that determines our risk for multiple sclerosis – advancing efforts to better treat and prevent the often debilitating disease. Shortly before that, his team made an important discovery about the transmission of dangerous dengue viruses, revealing how the saliva of carrier mosquitoes can thwart the human immune system and make it easier for people to become infected. Congratulations!!!
Shoutout to MIC Student Nadia Holness!
Congratulations to Nadia Holness, graduate student in Sarah Ewald's lab, on being selected for the highly competitive Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellowship. Holness’ project is designed to understand how a cell recognizes that it is infected. She hopes to learn why some microbes within the host cell are detected and destroyed while others in the same cell evade immune clearance.
Graduate student Patryk Krakowiak receives AHA Predoctoral Fellowship Award!
Patryk Krakowiak a graduate student from the Cliffe Lab received a prestigious two year long Predoctoral Fellowship Award from the American Heart Association, starting January 1st 2025. His project, entitled ‘The Consequences of UL12.5-Mediated Innate Immune Activation in Neurons and Its Role in HSV-1 reactivation’ is aiming to investigate neuronal-specific responses to HSV infection, particularly focusing on the viral protein UL12.5 and the mechanisms by which HSV-1 co-opts host cell signaling pathways to reactivate. Congratulations Patryk!
Please consider contributing to:
Robert Kadner Memorial Fund 14702
Parsons-Weber-Parsons Fellowship 21057
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, Cancer Biology 12331
