T32 NIH Training Grant in Infection and Immunity: The Pathogenesis of Host-Microbe Interactions
T32 NIH Training Grant in Infection and Immunity: The Pathogenesis of Host-Microbe Interactions
Infection and Immunity: The Pathogenesis of Host-Microbe Interactions Training Program
The overarching goal of this predoctoral training program is to train the next generation of researchers in microbiology, and to prepare them with the skills necessary to address the nation’s critical needs in the battle against infectious disease. Our program takes a student-centric approach that blends didactic and wet lab learning with the University of Rochester’s signature URBEST program in career preparedness to develop self-motivated, independent research scientist who are well prepared for diverse research careers.

Our Faculty
The training faculty in this program are members of the various departments across UR and URMC.

Our T32 Trainees
Blurb about the trainees. This blurb should be approximately this long (in words).
News and Announcements
SAVE THE DATE: Summer Kick Off Picnic
Jun 27, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Investigating glial contributions to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HANDs) through human microglial and astroglial models"
Sebastian Bosch - Graduate Student
May 01, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Stephen Dewhurst, Ph.D.
Investigating the Contributions of Infection and Vaccination-Induced CD4 T cells to the Establishment of Protective Immunity Against Respiratory Pathogens
Chantelle Lehone White - Graduate Student
Apr 28, 2025 @ 2:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Ryan Case Method (1-9576)
Zoom LinkHost: Advisor: Andrea Sant, PhD
MBI Seminar: "The role of specialized microtubule regulators during HIV infection"
Mojgan Naghavi, PhD - Professor, Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Apr 28, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Aud. (3-7619)
Host: Yiping Zhu, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "LECT-2/LECT2 and the menorin complex: Neuronal development vs maintenance"
Ian Stone - Graduate Student
Apr 24, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Carlos Diaz-Balzac, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology Seminar Series - "DNA barcoded libraries to determine how abundant gut anaerobes tolerate stress"
Yolanda Huang, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo
Apr 14, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Steven Gill, Ph.D.
MBI Seminar Series: "Bio-inspired catalysis for circularizing the polymer economy"
Gang Fan, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester
Mar 31, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Jacques Robert, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Determining Phage Specificity in S. aureus"
Kenny Jacoby - Graduate Student
Mar 27, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Andrew Varble, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Developmental Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Alters the House Dust Mite Induced Allergic Response in Mice"
Hannah Teets - Graduate Student
Mar 27, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Paige Lawrence, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Determining the Mutation Rate of Vaccinia Virus Using a Fluorescence-Based Fluctuation Assay"
Julie Tobin - Graduate Student
Mar 20, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Brian Ward, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Role of antiviral pattern recognition receptor RIG-I in poxvirus infection"
Christine Li - Graduate Student
Mar 20, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Brian Ward, M.D.
MBI Seminar Series: "Characterizing the pathogenic determinants of an emerging cold-blooded killer: from pond to bedside?"
James Jancovich, Ph.D. - Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University San Marcos
Mar 17, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Brian Ward, Ph.D., Co-Sponsored by the Pathogenesis Training Grant
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Studying the association between a putative secondary metabolite pathway and the pathogenicity of Mycobacterium abscessus in Xenopus laevis"
Nicholas Miller - Graduate Student
Mar 06, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Jacques Robert, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Identification of proteins that interact with vaccinia virus envelope protein F13"
Zhinian Zhou - Graduate Student
Mar 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Brian Ward, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Identification of proteins that interact with vaccinia virus envelope protein F13"
Zhinian Zhou - Graduate Student
Mar 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Brian Ward, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Determining the role of metabolism in antimicrobial resistance"
Zirui Zhao - Graduate Student
Feb 27, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Allison Lopatkin, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Myelodysplastic Syndrome leads to loss of diversity and immunomodulatory capacity in human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells"
Adam Tyrlik - Graduate Student
Feb 27, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Laura Calvi, M.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Exploring the role of glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) in a Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) model"
Raegan Myers - Graduate Student
Feb 20, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Stephen R. Hammes, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI Student Seminar: "Investigating the role of lung resident macrophages during influenza infection"
Zoe Matacchiera - Graduate Student
Feb 20, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Felix Yarovinsky, M.D.
POSTPONED When good bugs go wild: The role of oral commensals in the development and treatment of chronic airway disease
Ryan Hunter, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
University of Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Feb 17, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
Host: Steven Gill, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Role of innate immunity in farming lifestyle protection against food allergy"
Sophie Troyer - PhD Candidate
Feb 13, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Nearest Neighbor Parameters for RNA Sequences Including Pseudouridine and N1-Methyl-Pseudouridne"
Thandolwethu Shabangu - PhD Candidate
Feb 13, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: David Mathews, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI 501Student Seminar: "The effect of CCL3 on T cell populations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) bone marrow microenvironment (BMME)"
Kevin Li - PhD Candidate
Feb 06, 2025 @ 12:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Benjamin Frisch, Ph.D. & Scott Gerber, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Investigating pathogenic CD4+ T cell subpopulations to prevent the progression of the atopic march"
Abby He - PhD Candidate
Feb 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, M.D., Ph.D.
MBI Faculty Candidate: "Decoding the Interactions Between Ultrasmall Epibiotic Bacteria and Their Hosts"
Yaxi Wang, Ph.D. - Postdoctoral Scholar and Acting Instructor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Feb 03, 2025 @ 2:30 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Steve Gill, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Replication of RNA-like plasmids in bacteria"
Maedeh Aghahosseini; Sarah Eckl - PhD Candidate, Immunology, Microbiology, and Virology Ph.D. Program
Jan 30, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Andrew Varble, PhD and Advisor: Scott Gerber, PhD
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "T cell dysfunction during implant-associated S. aureus osteomyelitis"
Katya McDonald - PhD Candidate, Immunology, Microbiology and Virology PhD Program
Jan 23, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Gowrishankar Muthukrishnan, Ph.D.
MBI 501 Student Seminar: "Elucidating host factors responsible for the silencing of HIV-1 DNA in the centromere"
Stephanie Renner - PhD Candidate, Immunology, Microbiology, and Virology Ph.D. Program
Jan 16, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Yiping Zhu, Ph.D.
MBI Student Seminar: "Characterizing Immune Cell Heterogeneity and CD4+ T Cell Dynamics in Pediatric Allergy"
Natalie Vance - PhD Candidate
Jan 09, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | K307 (3-6408)
Host: Advisor: Juilee Thakar, Ph.D
IL-9 in the Allergic Lung
Mark H. Kaplan, Ph.D. - Chair, Dept. Microbiology & Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine
Jan 06, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
Medical Center | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)
The New Issue of Opportunities to Explore is Out Now!
Monday, April 21, 2025
Read the April 21 - April 25 Issue