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College of Medicine: Department of Microbiology and Immunology
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      • Jon Blevins, Ph.D.
      • Youssef Aachoui, Ph.D.
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      • Mohamed O. Elasri, Ph.D.
      • Craig Forrest, Ph.D.
      • Lu Huang, Ph.D.
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  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. College of Medicine
  3. Department of Microbiology and Immunology
  4. Graduate Program
  5. Ph.D. & M.D./Ph.D. Rotations in MBIM Track

Ph.D. & M.D./Ph.D. Rotations in MBIM Track

First year students in the Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (GPIBS) are required to take three five-week rotations during their first semester. Students are encouraged to consult with their Track Directors based on their research interests before reaching out to their prospective mentors.

Interested M.D./Ph.D. students are also encouraged to reach out to the faculty below for potential summer rotations.

Below are faculty who are accepting students for rotations in AY 2024-2025 (as of June 23, 2024).

Immunology

Dr. Ryan Allen (rmallen2@uams.edu)
Macrophage dysfunction in cardio-metabolic disease

Dr. J. Craig Forrest (JCForrest@uams.edu)
1. Virus-host interactions in oncogenic gammaherpesviruses pathogenesis
2. Genomic instability and translocations in gammaherpesvirus B cell lymphomas

Dr. Lu Huang (lhuang@uams.edu)
1. Metabolic and epigenetic regulation of lung macrophages in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
2. Reprogramming of macrophages against infection and cancer.

Dr. Lin-Xi Li (lxli@uams.edu)
Development and maintenance of CD4 T cell memory in a mouse model of Chlamydia female reproductive tract (FRT) infection

Dr. Jia Liu (JLiu4@uams.edu)
1. Understanding APOBEC driven viral evolution
2. Poxvirus evasion of host immunity
3. Poxviruses regulation of SAMD9/9L functions to evade host immune surveillance and antiviral responses

Microbiology

Dr. Jon Blevins (JSBlevins@uams.edu)
1. Studying regulatory systems in relapsing fever Borrelia that are important for infection
2. Identification of relapsing fever Borrelia virulence factors
3. Characterization of novel virulence determinants in Lyme Borrelia

Dr. Mohamed Elasri (MOElasri@uams.edu)
Global gene regulation in Staphylococcus aureus

Dr. Matthew Jorgenson (MAJorgenson@uams.edu)
Defining novel mechanisms of bacterial cell envelope assembly

Virology

Dr. J. Craig Forrest (JCForrest@uams.edu)
1. Virus-host interactions in oncogenic gammaherpesviruses pathogenesis
2. Genomic instability and translocations in gammaherpesvirus B cell lymphomas

Dr. Jia Liu (JLiu4@uams.edu)
1. Understanding APOBEC driven viral evolution
2. Poxvirus evasion of host immunity
3. Poxviruses regulation of SAMD9/9L functions to evade host immune surveillance and antiviral responses

Dr. Mark Manzano (mmanzano@uams.edu)
1. Control of chromatin organization of the latent viral genome
2. Viral co-infections in cellular transformation
3. Genome-wide CRISPR screens to study host-pathogen interactions

MBIM Faculty that are part of other GPIBS Tracks and are accepting rotation students:

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Track

Dr. Mark Manzano (mmanzano@uams.edu)
1. Control of chromatin organization of the latent viral genome
2. Viral co-infections in cellular transformation
3. Genome-wide CRISPR screens to study host-pathogen interactions

Cell Biology and Physiology Track

Dr. J. Craig Forrest (JCForrest@uams.edu)
1. Virus-host interactions in oncogenic gammaherpesviruses pathogenesis
2. Genomic instability and translocations in gammaherpesvirus B cell lymphomas

Dr. Lu Huang (lhuang@uams.edu)
1. Metabolic and epigenetic regulation of lung macrophages in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
2. Reprogramming of macrophages against infection and cancer.

Dr. Jia Liu (JLiu4@uams.edu)
1. Understanding APOBEC driven viral evolution
2. Poxvirus evasion of host immunity
3. Poxviruses regulation of SAMD9/9L functions to evade host immune surveillance and antiviral responses

Dr. Mark Manzano (mmanzano@uams.edu)
1. Control of chromatin organization of the latent viral genome
2. Viral co-infections in cellular transformation
3. Genome-wide CRISPR screens to study host-pathogen interactions

Pathobiology Track

Dr. Jon Blevins (JSBlevins@uams.edu)
1. Studying regulatory systems in relapsing fever Borrelia that are important for infection
2. Identification of relapsing fever Borrelia virulence factors
3. Characterization of novel virulence determinants in Lyme Borrelia

Dr. J. Craig Forrest (JCForrest@uams.edu)
1. Virus-host interactions in oncogenic gammaherpesviruses pathogenesis
2. Genomic instability and translocations in gammaherpesvirus B cell lymphomas

Dr. Lu Huang (lhuang@uams.edu)
1. Metabolic and epigenetic regulation of lung macrophages in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
2. Reprogramming of macrophages against infection and cancer.

Dr. Mark Manzano (mmanzano@uams.edu)
1. Control of chromatin organization of the latent viral genome
2. Viral co-infections in cellular transformation
3. Genome-wide CRISPR screens to study host-pathogen interactions

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