Pathobiology encompasses a diverse complement of disciplines to elucidate mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions. Research leads to tools for detection, control, and prevention of infectious diseases in humans and animals.
Department of Pathobiology
2522 Vet Med Basic Sciences Bldg.
2001 South Lincoln Avenue
Urbana, IL 61802
Raymond “Bob” Rowland, PhD
Professor and Head
Keith Jarosinski, PhD
Associate Professor and
Director of Graduate Programs
Karen Nichols
Administrative Assistant
P: (217) 333-2449 | F: (217) 244-7421
Overview
The Department of Pathobiology addresses complex problems in biomedical and veterinary infectious diseases.
Emphasis is placed on studies of microbiology, immunology, and epidemiology, with the goals of making healthy humans and animals, along with a healthy environment.
In the veterinary professional degree program, the department teaches courses in both the basic science and clinical portions of the second-year curriculum.
The department is the home to the Pathobiology Graduate Program.
Areas of Research
Bacterial/fungal infections, vaccines, and therapeutics
- Lois Hoyer Fungal genomics
- Gee Lau Molecular mechanism of virulence in Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Gireesh Rajashekara Ecology and epidemiology of foodborne pathogens, and alternatives to antibiotics
- Weiping Zhang Intestinal infections of human and swine; novel vaccines for prevention of intestinal infections
Cancer biology and therapy
- Timothy Fan Natural models of cancer and therapeutic interventions
Computational biology
- Taqueer Alam Evolution of antimicrobial resistance and virulence in Staphylococcus
- Christopher Gaulke The role of the microbiome in health and disease
- Di Wu Identifying therapeutic targets and biomarkers for genetic diseases and cancer
Epidemiology and population medicine
- James Lowe Pathogen trasmission within and between herds; evolution of Influenza A
- Rebecca Smith Tickborne disease prevention; analysis of large datasets
- Csaba Varga Spatial epidemiology and surveillance of foodborne pathogens
Immunology
- Masa Matsumoto Host-microbiota interactions in skin and gut
- Som Nanjappa Immunological bases for fungal pathogenesis and resistance
- Taejoon Won Cardiac immunology, autoimmunity, immune tolerance, and autoreactive T cells targeting the heart
Parasitic infections and antihelmintics
- Sumiti Vinayak Cryptosporidium genetics and novel drug targets
- William Witola Cryptosporidium gene function and identification of novel drug targets; phospholipid biosynthetic pathways in parasitic nematodes
Viral infections and vaccines
- Alberto Brandariz Nunez Molecular mechanisms implicated in PRRSV-host cell interactions
- Ying Fang Molecular mechanisms of nidovirus pathogenesis of humans and swine; vaccines platforms for swine
- Keith Jarosinski Marek’s disease virus (MDV) and other herpesviruses of poultry and humans; poultry vaccines
- Daniel Rock African swine fever virus (ASFV) and poxviruses; vaccines for ASFV in swine
- Raymond Rowland Host factors involved in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) pathogenesis
- Dongwan Yoo Molecular mechanisms of arterivirus infections and novel vaccines based on PRRSV infectious clones and reverse genetics
- Federico Zuckermann Swine vaccines, including PRRSV
