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 2023-2024.
Immunology
Dr. Youssef Aachoui (YAachoui@uams.edu)
Innate immune response (caspase 1 and caspase 11 inflammasomes) in infection and inflammatory diseases
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)
Poxvirus evasion of SAMD9 host restriction pathway
Dr. Tiffany Weinkopff (tweinkopff@uams.edu)
Pathogenesis of leishmaniasis
Microbiology
Dr. Youssef Aachoui (YAachoui@uams.edu)
Innate immune response (inflammasomes) in infection and inflammatory diseases
Dr. Jon Blevins (JSBlevins@uams.edu)
Pathogenesis and transmission of Lyme disease and relapsing fever Borrelia
Dr. Mohamed Elasri (MOElasri@uams.edu)
Global gene regulation in Staphylococcus aureus
Dr. Matthew Jorgenson (MAJorgenson@uams.edu)
Manipulating the glycans that surround and protect bacteria
Mycology
Dr. Praveen Juvvadi (Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, prjuvvadi@uams.edu)
1. Aspergillus fumigatus antifungal resistance and pathogenesis mechanisms
2. Calcineurin signaling pathway
3. Antifungal targets
4. Structure based approaches for antifungal drug development and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of invasive Aspergillosis.
Parasitology
Dr. Tiffany Weinkopff (tweinkopff@uams.edu)
Pathogenesis of leishmaniasis
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)
Poxvirus evasion of SAMD9 host restriction pathway
Dr. Mark Manzano (mmanzano@uams.edu)
1. Role of mitochondrial proteins in viral lymphoma
2. Long non-coding RNAs in viral chromatin organization
3. Genome-wide CRISPR screens to study host-pathogen interactions
Dr. Zhiqiang Qin (Department of Pathology, ZQin@uams.edu)
1. Pathogens interaction in immunocompromised patients including microbiome research
2. Development of new antiviral and anticancer drugs for oncogenic viruses such as KSHV and EBV
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. Role of mitochondrial proteins in viral lymphoma
2. Long non-coding RNAs in viral chromatin organization
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)
Poxvirus evasion of SAMD9 host restriction pathway
Dr. Mark Manzano (mmanzano@uams.edu)
1. Role of mitochondrial proteins in viral lymphoma
2. Long non-coding RNAs in viral chromatin organization
3. Genome-wide CRISPR screens to study host-pathogen interactions
Dr. Tiffany Weinkopff (tweinkopff@uams.edu)
Pathogenesis of leishmaniasis
Pathobiology Track
Dr. Jon Blevins (JSBlevins@uams.edu)
Pathogenesis and transmission of Lyme disease and relapsing fever 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. Role of mitochondrial proteins in viral lymphoma
2. Long non-coding RNAs in viral chromatin organization
3. Genome-wide CRISPR screens to study host-pathogen interactions
Dr. Zhiqiang Qin (Department of Pathology, ZQin@uams.edu)
1. Pathogens interaction in immunocompromised patients including microbiome research
2. Development of new antiviral and anticancer drugs for oncogenic viruses such as KSHV and EBV
Dr. Tiffany Weinkopff (tweinkopff@uams.edu)
Pathogenesis of leishmaniasis