Researchers identify previously unknown step in the pathway that leads to asthma
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Published Date: Jan 27
A team of UAB researchers including microbiology department assistant professor Beatriz León, Ph.D., and her husband, Andre Ballesteros-Tato, Ph.D., (Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology) have identified a previously unknown step in the pathway that leads to asthma. The results of their study are published online, ahead of print, in “T follicular helper cell plasticity shapes pathogenic T helper 2 cell-mediated immunity to inhaled house dust mite.”
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A team of UAB researchers including microbiology department assistant professor Beatriz León, Ph.D., and her husband, Andre Ballesteros-Tato, Ph.D., (Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology) have identified a previously unknown step in the pathway that leads to asthma. The results of their study are published online, ahead of print, in “T follicular helper cell plasticity shapes pathogenic T helper 2 cell-mediated immunity to inhaled house dust mite.”
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Kearney Receives AAI-BioLegend Herzenberg Award
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Published Date: Jan 26
The American Association of Immunologists (AAI) has named microbiology professor John Kearney, Ph.D., the 2016 AAI-BioLegend Herzenberg Award for his outstanding research contributions to the field of immunology in the area of B cell biology.
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The American Association of Immunologists (AAI) has named microbiology professor John Kearney, Ph.D., the 2016 AAI-BioLegend Herzenberg Award for his outstanding research contributions to the field of immunology in the area of B cell biology.Read more
24th Annual Microbiology Research Retreat
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Published Date: Dec 04
Photo by Baiyi Cai
Written by Peter Burrows, Ph.D.
Photo by Baiyi CaiNovember 13-15, 2015, UAB Microbiology Department faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and special guests gathered in Chattanooga at the Chattanoogan Hotel for our annual research retreat. This year’s retreat—number 24—was once more a wonderful opportunity for members of the department to focus on science and to establish new collaborations away from the distractions of everyday life.
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Postdoctoral Scientists Numbers Declining
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Published Date: Nov 13
The quality and quantity of biomedical research may be negatively affected if the number of postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical field continues to decline. According to microbiology professor Louis Justement, Ph.D., co-author of “Biomedical science postdocs: an end to the era of expansion” (Oct. 6, 2015, FASEB Journal online), the number of early-career scientists choosing to become postdocs has declined for three years in a row.
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The quality and quantity of biomedical research may be negatively affected if the number of postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical field continues to decline. According to microbiology professor Louis Justement, Ph.D., co-author of “Biomedical science postdocs: an end to the era of expansion” (Oct. 6, 2015, FASEB Journal online), the number of early-career scientists choosing to become postdocs has declined for three years in a row.Federal Funding Important to UAB and Birmingham’s Economy
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Published Date: Nov 05
“Support for research at the federal level is an important issue for Birmingham and the state of Alabama,” explains microbiology professor Louis B. Justement, Ph.D.
“Support for research at the federal level is an important issue for Birmingham and the state of Alabama,” explains microbiology professor Louis B. Justement, Ph.D.$7.5 Million Awarded by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics to Discover New Therapies for CF Patients
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Published Date: Oct 21
Research begun by microbiology professor David Bedwell, Ph.D., identifying nonsense mutations in Cystic Fibrosis patients, has led to a collaboration between UAB and Southern Research with the goal of developing novel drugs for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients with rare genetic mutations.
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Research begun by microbiology professor David Bedwell, Ph.D., identifying nonsense mutations in Cystic Fibrosis patients, has led to a collaboration between UAB and Southern Research with the goal of developing novel drugs for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients with rare genetic mutations.UAB Microbiology #25, Immunology #27 in 2016 Best Global Universities Ranking
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Published Date: Oct 07
UAB was ranked 200th in the world and landed in the top 75 U.S. universities.
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UAB was ranked 200th in the world and landed in the top 75 U.S. universities.Read more
Julie Decker UAB Employee of the Year
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Published Date: Oct 06
Congratulations to Micro's own Julie Decker, 2015 UAB Employee of the Year!
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Congratulations to Micro's own Julie Decker, 2015 UAB Employee of the Year!
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2015 Susan Roberts Dubay Lecture
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Published Date: Oct 01
On September 1, 2015, faculty, staff, students and special guests, Dr. John Dubay and Dr. Eric Hunter, gathered at Volker Hall for the inaugural Susan Roberts Dubay Endowed Lecture.
Read morePatel Receives Cooper Travel Award
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Published Date: Sep 28
Preeyam Patel
(Kearney lab) is the winner of the 2015 Max D. Cooper Travel Award. She will use this award to help defray the cost of travel to attend the International Congress of Immunology meeting in Melbourne, Australia, in August 2016.
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(Kearney lab) is the winner of the 2015 Max D. Cooper Travel Award. She will use this award to help defray the cost of travel to attend the International Congress of Immunology meeting in Melbourne, Australia, in August 2016.
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Tuberculosis Necrotizing Toxin (TNT) Identified
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Published Date: Aug 05
Microbiology professor Dr. Michael Niederweis and colleagues identify the first known toxin of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a pathogen that infects 9 million people a year and kills more than 1 million.
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Microbiology professor Dr. Michael Niederweis and colleagues identify the first known toxin of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a pathogen that infects 9 million people a year and kills more than 1 million.
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Barnum Nominated for 2015 Argus Award
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Published Date: Jul 27
Microbiology professor, Dr. Scott Barnum, is one of three outstanding professors nominated by students from the UAB School of Medicine in the category of Best Educator in Fundamentals 2 for this year’s School of Medicine Argus Awards.
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Microbiology professor, Dr. Scott Barnum, is one of three outstanding professors nominated by students from the UAB School of Medicine in the category of Best Educator in Fundamentals 2 for this year’s School of Medicine Argus Awards.Read more
León-Ruiz Receives Dean’s Excellence Award in Research
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Published Date: Jun 04
Microbiology assistant professor Beatriz León-Ruiz, Ph.D., has been named the junior faculty winner of the 2015 Dean’s Excellence Award in Research. This honor recognizes exceptional contributions made by School of Medicine faculty in service, teaching, research, diversity enhancement and mentorship.
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Microbiology assistant professor Beatriz León-Ruiz, Ph.D., has been named the junior faculty winner of the 2015 Dean’s Excellence Award in Research. This honor recognizes exceptional contributions made by School of Medicine faculty in service, teaching, research, diversity enhancement and mentorship. UAB Takes a Stand on Capitol Hill Day
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Published Date: May 29
Microbiology professor Dr. Louis Justement and three other UAB professors were among 50 scientists from 27 states to meet with congressional staff during Capitol Hill Day, April 14, 2015.
“The annual Capitol Hill day represents an ongoing effort by The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), its constituent societies and individual scientists to communicate directly with legislators and their staffs regarding the importance of biomedical research in terms of the economic impact and benefits to the health of the country,” says Justement, who serves as chair of the FASEB subcommittee on Policy and Government Affairs.
This year, researchers proposed a specific funding strategy to more than 100 congressional offices. That strategy involves a five-year commitment to a five percent annual funding increase in support of science research and development. The researchers believe this plan would help maintain the country’s leadership in science and restore the purchasing power of the NIH budget, which has decreased by 25 percent since 2003.
“The good news is that the efforts of FASEB and other advocates for biomedical research are indeed having an impact on how legislators view the NIH, NSF and other federal research entities. Recently, there has been a clear indication that legislators realize that NIH and the biomedical research community across the country are struggling to keep pace and that we risk losing a generation of new scientists. Hopefully, this will translate into increased support for biomedical research in the near term,” says Justement.
Pictured are: UAB professors David Pollock, Ph.D.; Mary-Ann Bjornsti, Ph.D.; Louis Justement, Ph.D.; and Elizabeth Brown, Ph.D.
2015 Microbiology Faculty Retreat Forged New Ideas
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Published Date: May 26
Once a year, faculty members of the microbiology department join for a day-long retreat to discuss developments in their current research and plans for continued study. This year’s meeting included presentations from eight faculty members—Drs. Mengxi Jiang, Janusz Kabarowski, David Briles, Hui Hu, Scott Barnum, Allan Zajac, Amy Weinmann and Elliot Lefkowitz.
Once a year, faculty members of the microbiology department join for a day-long retreat to discuss developments in their current research and plans for continued study. This year’s meeting included presentations from eight faculty members—Drs. Mengxi Jiang, Janusz Kabarowski, David Briles, Hui Hu, Scott Barnum, Allan Zajac, Amy Weinmann and Elliot Lefkowitz.The retreat was held atop Birmingham’s Red Mountain at Vulcan Park & Museum, a premier venue for forging ideas. Named for the centerpiece of the park—the statue of the Roman god of fire and forge—Vulcan Park is by far the best place to view the city of Birmingham.
Microbiology professor David Briles says, “As with past faculty retreats, this retreat permitted the faculty to exchange information and help each other with scientific problems. This year’s talks were outstanding. The food was good, and the location was quiet, peaceful and had a beautiful view looking north over Birmingham.”
Tyler Stewart Receives Hiramoto Award
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Published Date: May 21
Congratulations to Tyler Stewart (Novak lab) who received a Hiramoto Travel Award to assist in his travel to the Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
Congratulations to Tyler Stewart (Novak lab) who received a Hiramoto Travel Award to assist in his travel to the Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting in San Francisco.The Hiramoto Travel Award honors the memory of Ray Hiramoto, Ph.D., a noted immunologist and faculty member in the UAB Department of Microbiology until his death in 2002.
All Microbiology graduate students (defined as Ph.D. students with a primary Microbiology faculty member as a dissertation mentor) in good standing are eligible to apply for a Hiramoto Travel Award. These awards will enable recipients to attend upcoming scientific conferences.
Mucosal Immunology, Fourth Edition, Released
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Published Date: Apr 28
Microbiology professor Jiri Mestecky, M.D., Ph.D., has completed the fourth edition of Mucosal Immunology, the only comprehensive reference covering the basic science and clinical manifestations of mucosal immunology.
Microbiology professor Jiri Mestecky, M.D., Ph.D., has completed the fourth edition of Mucosal Immunology, the only comprehensive reference covering the basic science and clinical manifestations of mucosal immunology.First published in 1994 as Handbook of Mucosal Immunology, this book was the first to cover the entire spectrum of mucosal immunology in a single work. In its infancy, the book was predicted to become an invaluable stimulus to new lines of interdisciplinary research—and that it has. For more than 20 years, Mucosal Immunology has been a go-to for a diverse group of biologists, researchers, health care workers and students of medicine and pediatrics as they each apply basic biology to virtually all immunological or infection-mediated disease processes of external mucosal surfaces.
The recently released fourth edition consists of two volumes with 2,560 pages. Mestecky has included new research data, exceptional illustrations, original theory, a new perspective, and excellent organization. The book covers immune system topics, such as inductive and effector tissues and cells, and development and physiology of the mucosal barrier; diseases in the digestive system, respiratory tract, and genitourinary tract; and immunodeficiency.
Mucosal Immunology, Fourth Edition, published by Academic Press, is available in hardcover and eBook formats.
Detecting Lupus Signals
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Published Date: Apr 03
Microbiology professor Mark Walter, Ph.D., is finding and optimizing antibodies against 17 different interferons and their receptors that provoke lupus, a chronic disease that damages skin, joints, blood cells, kidneys, heart, brain or lung affecting at least 1.5 million Americans. Walter’s research is funded by the Lupus Research Institute.
Microbiology professor Mark Walter, Ph.D., is finding and optimizing antibodies against 17 different interferons and their receptors that provoke lupus, a chronic disease that damages skin, joints, blood cells, kidneys, heart, brain or lung affecting at least 1.5 million Americans. Walter’s research is funded by the Lupus Research Institute.
Bliss Chang Receives College of Arts and Sciences 2015 Dean’s Award
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Published Date: Mar 27
Undergraduate student Bliss Chang (Saad Lab) has been selected as one of three students to receive the College of Arts and Sciences 2015 Dean’s Award.
“All departmental nominees for this special award were truly wonderful students. To receive a departmental nomination for the Dean’s Award is even more impressive because the competition is so intense,” says Catherine Daniélou, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, UAB College of Arts and Sciences. “Our College of Arts and Sciences’ Dean’s Award recipients represent the very best that UAB can achieve.”
Chang will be honored and recognized at Honors Convocation on Friday, April 24 at 3pm at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
Undergraduate student Bliss Chang (Saad Lab) has been selected as one of three students to receive the College of Arts and Sciences 2015 Dean’s Award.“All departmental nominees for this special award were truly wonderful students. To receive a departmental nomination for the Dean’s Award is even more impressive because the competition is so intense,” says Catherine Daniélou, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, UAB College of Arts and Sciences. “Our College of Arts and Sciences’ Dean’s Award recipients represent the very best that UAB can achieve.”
Chang will be honored and recognized at Honors Convocation on Friday, April 24 at 3pm at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
Bliss Chang Is UAB’s Newest Fulbright Scholar
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Published Date: Mar 18
Congratulations to Bliss Chang, an undergraduate student in Dr. Jamil Saad’s lab, who has been selected for a 2015-16 Fulbright US Student Award to Germany. He will represent the US as a cultural ambassador while overseas, helping to enhance mutual understanding between Americans and the people in Germany. He joins over 100,000 Fulbright US Student Program alumni who have undertaken grants since the program began in 1948.
Congratulations to Bliss Chang, an undergraduate student in Dr. Jamil Saad’s lab, who has been selected for a 2015-16 Fulbright US Student Award to Germany. He will represent the US as a cultural ambassador while overseas, helping to enhance mutual understanding between Americans and the people in Germany. He joins over 100,000 Fulbright US Student Program alumni who have undertaken grants since the program began in 1948.