Microbiology and Immunology Forum
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
January 21, 2026 – Wednesday @ 2pm
“Unveiling the dance of evolution: Pla-mediated cleavage of Ymt modulates the virulence dynamics of Yersinia pestis”
Elizabeth Van Order, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
January 28, 2026 – Wednesday @ 2pm
“Chemotherapy-induced antitumor immunity requires formyl peptide receptor 1 “
Gabriel Gibson, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
February 26, 2026
“A regulatory tug-of-war governs omp25d expression in Brucella ovis”
Jodi Ogle, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
March 5, 2026
Poster Presentations – Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Students ~ Brody, North 5th Floor
Lyssa Barr “Development of a Reporter to Examine Delivery of a Bordetella Effector Protein to Host Cells”
Gabriel Gibson “HTLV-1 abnormally regulates VCAM-1 and AnxA1 expression to potentially facilitate infection”
Kai Li: “Understanding the Role of BLIMP-1 and ZNF683 in HIV- Latency”
Diya Patel: “The translational GTPase BipA regulates biofilm formation in Yersinia pestis”
Elizabeth Van Order “Potential Novel Regulatory Circuit of Plasminogen Activator Protease (Pla) in Yersinia pestis”
March 12, 2026
“Deciphering the miR-29c-3p / TET3 regulatory axis within the SARS-CoV-2-infected midbrain”
Abigail Dickerson, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
March 18, 2026 – Wednesday @ 2pm
“TBA”
Lyssa Barr, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
March 26, 2026
“TBA”
Sunny Sneed, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
April 9, 2026
“TBA”
Diya Patel, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
April 23, 2026
“TBA”
Kai Li, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
May 7, 2026
“TBA”
Connor Cribb, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
Individuals with disabilities, requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), should contact the Department for Disability Support Services at 252-328-6799 (V) or 252-328-0899 (TTY).