Biographical Information
John J. Iandolo (Chair)
Dr. John Iandolo is studying predatory bacteria that attack and grow on gram negative bacteria. These fragile bacteria grow vigorously when susceptible bacteria are present, but die-off when prey disappear. His laboratory is focused a strain of Bdellovibrio that forms cysts as an innate survival mechanism allowing it to persist in nature in the absence of prey cells. Ultimately he intends to develop the use of this organism as a treatment for superficial infections caused by gram negative bacteria.
Darrin Akins, Ph.D.
Dr. Darrin Akins laboratory is focused on identifying molecules that could be used to develop a vaccine for Lyme disease. Lyme disease is the most common infection transmitted by ticks to humans in the United States and a vaccine for this debilitating disease is a public health priority. Dr. Akins’ laboratory has been identifying novel outer surface proteins from the organism that causes this disease so that they can be used in the future to prevent Lyme disease or improve diagnostic strategies for identifying patients afflicted with this disease.
Jimmy Ballard, Ph.D.
Dr. Ballard studies toxins produced by Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium difficile, two prominent Gram-positive pathogens. He uses a combination of cellular and molecular biology, and bacteriology to study the effects these bacterial toxins on eukaryotic cells, and has pioneered the zebrafish embryo as a novel system to follow localization of toxins to major organs in real-time.
Ira Blader, Ph.D.
Dr. Blader's laboratory studies the interaction between microbial pathogens and their human hosts. They have focused on the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is the cause of potentially fatal diseases in fetuses and immune compromised patients. Two major questions are under investigation. First, what pathways in the host cell are necessary for the parasite to grow. Second, how are immune responses initiated and function against the parasite in immune privileged tissues.
Daniel J. Carr, Ph.D.
Dan Carr, Ph.D. investigates the host immune response to the highly prevalent human virus pathogens, herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 & 2. In mouse ocular (HSV-1) and genital (HSV-2) models of infection, the role of chemokines and their receptors in the generation and recruitment of effector cells (T and NK cells) in response to infection is currently under evaluation.
Madeleine W. Cunningham, Ph.D.
Dr. Madeleine Cunningham has focused on molecular mimicry, autoimmunity and infection in studies of inflammatory heart diseases related to streptococci and viruses. Her work involves studies of the pathogenesis of rheumatic carditis, myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. Transgenic models of human antibody V gene expression are under investigation as novel animal models of antibody-mediated human diseases and how mimicry between host and pathogen may play a role in autoimmune disease.
David Dyer, Ph.D.
Dr. David Dyer’s work centers on microbial pathogenesis and microbial genomics. His laboratory has been responsible for sequencing the genomes of the human pathogens Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Aggregatabacter actinomycetemcomitans and in the sequencing of a strain of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae.Additional studies are exploring the regulation of the iron regulon in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and initial studies in gene regulation in Bacillus anthracis.
Joseph J. Ferretti, Ph.D.
Dr. Ferretti's laboratory was the first to complete the genome analysis of Streptococcus mutans. Recent work has centered on the genetics of sugar transport and metabolism and the regulatory mechanisms involved in metabolism and virulence.
William H. Hildebrand, Ph.D.
The Hildebrand Laboratory is focused on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II molecules. These molecules mediate the rejection of organ and bone marrow transplants, the targeting of cancerous and virus-infected cells for immune destruction and autoimmune responses such as diabetes and arthritis. To delineate the role that MHC molecules play in these various immune scenarios, the Hildebrand Laboratory studies MHC genes and the proteins they encode.
Mark Lang, Ph.D.
Dr. Lang and his team are researching the development and maintenance of antibody-mediated immunity also known as humoral immunity. The major focus is on mechanisms by which a specialized subset of T cells known as natural Killer-like T cells (NKT) are activated and in turn boost long-term humoral immunity. The laboratory has two specific goals: (i) understand the mechanisms by which NKT cells regulate long-term humoral immunity, (ii) apply the knowledge to develop novel vaccine strategies against pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
Rodney K. Tweten, Ph.D.
Dr. Rodney Tweten studies the molecular structure, pore-forming mechanism and cell biology of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins, a large family of toxins that contribute to the pathogenesis of a wide variety of Gram-positive bacterial species.
Frank J. Waxman, Ph.D.
Dr. Waxman currently devotes his time to serving as Director of Oklahoma's EPSCoR Program. This Program, which is the recipient of more than $100 million in active grants, is geared to helping states that have been historically challenged in terms of competing for federal research grants to build their research infrastructure. There are many educational components to this program, including support of summer undergraduate research programs. Dr. Waxman serves as Principal Investigator for two grants related to this Program, through the NSF and the NIH, with funding of $27 million.
John West, Ph.D.
HIV-1 continues to spread in developing countries despite more than 20 years effort in prevention. John West’s lab studies HIV at its initial interface with the host to develop strategies to block infection or control HIV-1 disease. The goal of these studies is to enhance basic understanding of HIV-1-host interactions and to exploit the understanding gained through these studies for prevention and treatment strategies.
Adjunct Faculty
Staff
