MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY PROGRAM

Introduction to the Microbiology and Immunology Program

The mission of the Graduate Program in Microbiology and Immunology within the Institute for Biomedical Sciences is to provide a flexible, rigorous training program, so that our graduates may become outstanding independent research scientists. It is a multidisciplinary program comprised of faculty at The George Washington University as well as at academical institutions such as Children’s National Medical Center, The Institute for Genomic Research, and the National Institutes of Health. Current research strengths and training opportunities include the study of host-pathogen relationships, inflammation, vaccine development, T lymphocyte development and activation, cancer immunology, molecular parasitology, molecular retrovirology (HIV/AIDS), and microbial genomics and proteomics. The Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine at George Washington University is also home to the Human Hookworm Vaccine Initiative, and several investigators maintain active international collaborations with research laboratories in Brazil, Honduras and China.

For general program information, please refer to the Program page located on this website. For detailed questions about individual programs, please contact the IBS Office. Detailed Admissions information can also be found on this website.

For more detailed information regarding the program, you may also contact:

David Leitenberg, MD, Ph.D.
Director, Microbiology and Immunology Program
Email: dleit@gwu.edu

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Jeff Bethony
Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine; Ph.D. 2000, State University of New York, Buffalo. Genetic and Parasite Epidemiology. (Website)

Paul Brindley
Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, Ph.D. 1983, University of Queensland, Australia. Basic molecular aspects of the genome, proteome and biochemistry of the human schistosomes, including development of transgenic parasites, and the molecular pathogenesis of liver fluke induced liver cancer.

Maria Elena Bottazzi
Assistant Research Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine; Ph.D., 1995, University of Florida. Host-parasite relationships during hookworm disease; project manager human hookworm vaccine initiative. (Website)

Michael Bukrinsky
Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine; M.D., Ph.D. 1984, Moscow Medical. Regulation of HIV nuclear importation. HIV and innate immunity. (Website)

Stephanie Constant
Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine; Ph.D. 1991, York, England. Host-pathogen interactions and regulation of inflammation. (Website)

Ionnis Eleftherianos
Assistant Professor, Ph.D. 2002 University of Bath, England. Molecular and evolutionary insect immunity, bacterial symbiosis and nematode parasitism.

John Hawdon
Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine; Ph.D. 1991, Univ. of Pennsylvania. Hookworm infective process, nematode growth and development, hookworm population genetics. (Website)

Robert Hawley
Professor of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology; Ph.D. 1984, University of Toronto. Regulation of hematopoietic cell development; gene therapy (Website)

Peter J. Hotez
Professor and Chair of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine; M.D., Ph.D., 1987, Cornell. Development of hookworm vaccine. (Website)

Imitiaz Khan
Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine
Immune responses to infections by opportunistic pathogens.

Ajit Kumar
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Ph.D. 1968, University of Chicago. Regulation of viral gene trans-activation; role of cellular factors; RNA protein interactions. (Website)

David Leitenberg (Program Director)
Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, Pediatrics and Pathology; M.D, Ph.D., 1990, Iowa. Regulation of T-cell activation and differentiation; modulation of signal transduction during T cell development. (Website)

Gary L. Simon
Professor of Medicine; Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; M.D. 1975, University of Maryland; Ph.D. 1972, University of Wisconsin. HIV/AIDS Pathogenesis. (Website)

Courtney Smith
Associate Professor of Biology; Ph.D. 1985, UCLA. Origins and evolution of the vertebrate immune system in sea urchins. (Website)

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Anamaris M. Colberg-Poley
Professor of Pediatrics and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Ph.D. 1980, Pennsylvania State University (Hershey). Regulation of gene expression and protein trafficking of cytomegalovirus. (Website)

Robert Freishtat
Professor of Pediatrics and of Emergency Medicine, M.D. 1997 University of Maryland, M.P.H. 2003 The George Washington University. Molecular genetics and immunology of severe sepsis and acute lung injury.

Stephan Ladisch
Professor of Pediatrics and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; M.D. 1973, Pennsylvania. Tumor immunosuppression by gangliosides; gangliosides and metabolism. (Website)

Kanneboyina Nagaraju
Associate Professor of Pediatrics; DVM 1986 College of Beterinary Sciences, AP, India, Ph.D. 1995 Sanjay Gandhi PG Institute of Medical Sciences. Mechanisms of initiation and perpetuation of autoimmune and inflammatory responses in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Sasa Radoja
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine; Ph.D. 2001, New York University. Development and lytic function of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes. (Website)

Mary Rose
Professor of Pediatrics, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Ph.D. 1970, Case Wesern Reserve. Lung inflammation, asthma, and genetic regulation of mucin production. (Website)

Stanislav Vukmanovic
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Tropical Medicine and Immunology; M.D., Ph.D. 1991, Belgrade ( Yugoslavia). T-cell repertoire selection; maintenance and survival of peripheral T cells. (Website)

Steve Zeichner
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, Ph.D.1981, Microbiology, University of Chicago, M.D.1983 University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. HIV-AIDS.

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Beda Brichacek
Senior Research Fellow, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, NICHD, NIH; RNDr. PhD 1982 Charles University, Prague. HIV pathogenesis, HIV co-infections.

B. J. Fowlkes
Adjunct Associate Professor of Genetics and Immunology; Ph.D. 1985, George Washington. T-cell differentiation in the thymus; thymus selection. (Website)

Andy Hurwitz
Principle Investigator, National Cancer Institute; Ph.D. 1994, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Tumor immunology and tumor vaccine development. (Website)

Ligia Pinto
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Immunology; Ph.D. 1995, Lisbon. Immune response to HPV and HIV.

Jeffrey Schlom
Adjunct Professor of Genetics and of Immunology; Ph.D. 1969, Rutgers. Tumor immunology; monoclonal antibodies. (Website)

Pam Schwartzberg
Adjunct Faculty, M.D. and Ph.D. 1992 Columbia University. T lymphocyte signal transduction, T lymphoctye activation and development MI/BMG.

Thomas E. Wellems
Chief, Malaria Genetics Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID; M.D. 1981, Ph.D.1980, University of Chicago. Disease processes and drug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum.

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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
The George Washington University
Microbiology and Immunology Program
Institute for Biomedical Sciences
2300 Eye St., N.W., Ross Hall #605
Washington, D.C. 20037
Phone: (202) 994-2179
Fax: (202) 994-0967
E-mail: gwibs@gwu.edu

FOR APPLICATION MATERIALS CONTACT:
Columbian School of Arts and Sciences
The George Washington University
Washington, D.C. 20052
Phone: (202) 994-6210
Fax: (202) 994-6213
E-mail: askccas@gwu.edu
Website: http://columbian.gwu.edu/