Microbiology and Immunology Forum Archives
The Microbiology and Immunology Forum (MCBI 7480) is an integral part of the graduate training program in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in which students develop their skills in presenting research findings in a standard seminar format. All students are required to give a formal seminar once each semester on a topic from current research literature or their own research. The Forum is attended by all departmental faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students, and research staff who participate in discussion and critical review of the presentation.
Thursdays 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted)
2E-100
Fall 2025
September 25, 2025
“Host Adaptation Predisposes Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Type VI Secretion System-Mediated Predation by the Burkholderia cepacia Complex”
Diya Patel, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
October 16, 2025
“Homeostatic cell culture promotes a novel APC-like human T cell population with high self-renewal capacity”
Sunny Sneed, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
October 23, 2025
“miR-29c-3p regulates TET2 expression and inhibits autophagy process in Parkinson’s disease models”
Abigail Dickerson, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
October 30, 2025
“Intermediate filament proteins of resting CD4+ T cells stop HIV-1 capsid cores from reaching the host nucleus”
Kai Li, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
November 6, 2025
“The role of myoferlin in the metabolism of HTLV-1 infected cells”
Noah Schaaf, Master Student, Microbiology & Immunology
November 20, 2025
“MdrA and VjbR antagonize MucR repression of the gene encoding the autotransporter adhesin btaE”
Connor Cribb, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
December 4, 2025
“Aged Hemopoietic Progenitor and Myeloid Compartments Exhibit Altered dsRNA Sensing through Cytoplasmic Pattern Recognition Receptors “
Sara Lowe, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
Spring 2025
January 27, 2025 – Monday – 2S-04
“B Cell Activating Factor and Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 as Novel Modulators of Insulin Resistance and Glucose Utilization”
Melissa Lempicki, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
January 29, 2025 – Wednesday, 2-3pm
“Stressing HIV Reservoir Cells to Death, Reducing Viral Loads and Latency Reversal”
Kai Li, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
February 6, 2025
Poster Presentations – Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Students ~ Brody, North 5th Floor
Abigail Dickerson: “miR-29c-3p Interacts with TET3”
Jodi Ogle: :Does a novel exopolysaccharide play an important role in Brucella virulence?”
Kai Li: “Fibroblastic Reticular Cells And HIV Latency Establishment”
Diya Patel: “Mutagenesis of Yersinia pestis virulence factors”
Sunny Sneed: “A novel approach to Treg expansion for improved GvHD therapeutics”
Hannah Walsh: “SpoVG is a Key Regulatory Protein Crucial for the Infectious Life Cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi”
February 27, 2025
“A Stealthy Pathogen’s Hidden Talent: A Look into How a Novel Exopolysaccharide Contributes to Brucella Virulence”
Jodi Ogle Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
March 6, 2025
“A Novel Approach To Treg Expansion For Improved GvHD Therapeutics”
Sunny Sneed, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
March 13, 2025
“SpoVG Modulates Cell Aggregation in Staphylococcus aureus by Regulating sasC Expression and Extracellular DNA Release”
Hannah Walsh, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
March 19, 2025 – Wednesday, 2-3pm
“Yersiniabactin contributes to overcoming zinc restriction during Yersinia pestis infection of mammalian and insect hosts”
Diya Patel, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
April 17, 2025
“Aged Monocytes: A Culprit of Viral Persistence in Old Age ”
Sara Lowe, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
April 24, 2025
“Investigating the link between miR-29c-3p and SARS-CoV-2 induced neurodegeneration””
Abigail Dickerson, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
June 3, 2025 – Brody Auditorium Burgundy Section
“A Novel Antiviral Therapeutic Platform: Anchoring IFN-Β to the Surface of Infectious Virions Equips Interferon-Evasive Virions with Potent Antiviral Activity”
Hoda Jabbour, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
June 5, 2025 – Brody Auditorium Burgundy Section
“HTLV-1BZIP Factor Activated Myoferlin Expression to Facilitate HTLV-1 Infection and Migration of Infected T-Cells”
Kawsar Sarker, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
June 25, 2025 – Tuesday – Brody Auditorium Blue Section
“Defining the role of a putative unipolar polysaccharide in Brucella virulence”
Jodi Ogle, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
July 29, 2025 – Tuesday
“Decoding SpoVG-Mediated Regulation of Bacterial Virulence and Transmission in Lyme Disease”
Hannah Walsh, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
Fall 2024
September 5. 2024
“Donor regulatory T cells rapidly adapt to recipient tissues to control murine acute graft-versus-host disease”
Sunny Sneed, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
September 12, 2024
“Cerebral Semaphorin3D is a novel risk factor for age-associated cognitive impairment”
Abigail Dickerson, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
September 26, 2024
“Lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and traffic in the envelope of the pathogen Brucella abortus”
Jodi Ogle, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
October 3, 2024
“BadR directly represses the expression of the glycerol utilization operon in the Lyme disease pathogen”
Hannah Walsh, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
October 24, 2024
“Matrix Metalloproteinases-2 as a novel regulator of glucose utilization by adipocytes”
Melissa Lempicki, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
October 31, 2024
“Investigating the potential MucR/counter-silencer relationships regulating the autotransporter adhesin genes encoded by Brucella”
Connor Cribb, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
November 14, 2024
“Some but not all TLR activations alter developmental decisions in old HSPCs”
Sara Lowe, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
December 5, 2024
“A Novel Platform for Antiviral Therapeutic Vaccines”
Hoda Jabbour, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
Spring 2024
January 17, 2024 – Wednesday, 2-3pm
“Control of CD4+ T cells to restrain inflammatory diseases via eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase”
Sunny Sneed, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
February 1, 2024
Poster Presentations – Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Students ~ Brody, North 5th Floor
Abigail Dickerson: “Differential Growth in Hematopoietic Progenitors of Aged DRAG Mice”
Jodi Ogle: “Role of a Brucella Wzx-Wzy-like Polysaccharide Biosynthetic Pathway in the Production of an Exopolysaccharide and its Effect on Virulence”
Will Roque: “Borrelia burgdorferi BBQ03 is a novel Factor H-binding protein”
Sunny Sneed: “Subsets of T cells grown in vitro identified via flow cytometry”
Hannah Walsh: “SpoVG is a Key Regulatory Protein Crucial for the Infectious Cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi”
February 14, 2024 – Wednesday, 2-3pm
“miR-153-3p Suppresses the Differentiation and Proliferation of Neural Stem Cells Via Targeting GPR55”
Abigail Dickerson, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
February 28, 2024 – Wednesday, 2-3pm
“Structural evolution of an immune evasion determinant shapes pathogen host tropism”
Will Roque, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
March 13, 2024 – Wednesday, 2-3pm
“Dual Adhesive Unipolar Polysaccharides Synthesized by Overlapping Biosynthetic Pathways in Agrobacterium tumefaciens”
Jodi Ogle, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
March 21, 2024
“Investigating the Role of BAFF in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes”
Melissa Lempicki, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
March 27, 2024 – Wednesday, 2-3pm
“The Borrelia burgdorferi RelA/SpoT Homolog and Stringent Response Regulate Survival in the Tick Vector and Global Gene Expression during Starvation”
Hannah Walsh, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
March 28, 2024
“Investigating the role the polar autotransporter adhesin genes encoded by Brucella have on crossing mucosal barriers and virulence”
Connor Cribb, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
April 18, 2024 – 12:30-1:30pm
“Specific innate immune receptors induced aged-specific differences in hematopoietic progenitor differentiation”
Sara Lowe, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
May 1, 2024 – Wednesday, 9-10am
“Molecular Insights into the Regulation of Complement Protease C1s by the Multi-Specific SERPIN C1 Esterase Inhibitor”
Ryan Garrigues, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
May 2, 2024
“A Novel Platform for Anti-Viral Therapeutic Vaccines”
Hoda Jabbour, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
Fall 2023
September 28, 2023
“Protease Recognition by C1 esterase inhibitor: More than just the reactive center loop”
Ryan Garrigues, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
October 19, 2023
“The role of myoferlin in the invasion of adult T-cell leukemia”
Kawsar Sarker, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
November 2, 2023
“BAFF neutralization attenuates B-cell activation, worsens adipose tissue remodeling, and promotes insulin resistance in obese mice”
Melissa Lempicki, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
November 9, 2023
“A Novel Platform for Anti-Viral Therapeutic Vaccines”
Hoda Jabbour, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
November 16, 2023
“MucR represses Brucella genes encoding polar autotransporter adhesins”
Connor Cribb, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
December 7, 2023
“Consequences of age-related 1-IFN-related TLR signaling changes in human hematopoietic cells”
Sara Lowe, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
Spring 2023
February 16, 2023
“MucR represses Brucella genes encoding polar adhesins”
Connor Cribb, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
February 23, 2023
“BAFF neutralization retains insulin resistance in late-stage obesity”
Melissa Lempicki, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
March 2, 2023
“A Novel Platform for Narrow-Spectrum Anti-Viral Therapeutics and Vaccines”
Hoda Jabbour, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
March 23, 2023
“Noncanonical determinants of C1 esterase inhibitor specificity”
Ryan Garrigues, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
April 13, 2023 – Dissertation
“Structure-function Analysis of a Family of Borrelial C1r Inhibitors from Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Spirochetes”
Charles “CJ” Booth, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
April 20, 2023
“Investigating membrane-binding properties of lipoxygenases using surface plasmon resonance”
Denise Rohlik, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
May 4, 2023
“Ex vivo toll-like receptor expression and inflammatory cytokine profiles of young and old hematopoietic cell types”
Sara Lowe, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology