Speakers
The 2019 NW ASM Branch meeting will have presentations from faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students from 7 different institutions in the northwest region as well as a highly anticipated keynote address from Stephen M. Beverley, an ASM distinguished lecturer from the Washington University School of Medicine.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Stephen M. Beverley
Ph.D, Washington University
ASM Distinguished Lecturer
Role of RNA Viruses as Pathogenicity Factors in Protozoan Parasites
Many protozoans contain endogenous viruses; examples include Leishmania, Trichomonas, Giardia, and several apicomplexans including Cryptosporidium, Babesia, and Toxoplasma. Focusing mostly on Leishmania, we showed a few years ago that these actually contribute towards parasite virulence in animal models and probably in humans. As endobiont viruses, these in effect constitute the “virome within.” Lecture topics would include the emerging parasite viromes including viral discovery, the structure and functional relationships of viruses within the parasite host, how these contribute to mammalian pathogenicity, and exploiting these viruses as therapeutic targets. Leishmania will be the central paradigm but studies of the other protozoal viruses will be incorporated depending on the specific lecture.
Dr. Beverley’s laboratory studies the biology of the protozoan parasite Leishmania, including virulence factors, host response and basic metabolic functions. His laboratory has focused on the development of genetic tools and their applications to diverse questions in Leishmania biology, more recently incorporating genomic and gene editing approaches. Recent foci include the study of the RNAi interference pathway as a tool and also the forces contributing to its loss during evolution in some Leishmania species. These studies have led his laboratory into the study of Leishmania RNA viruses and their role in parasite virulence. Translational interests include the identification of chemotherapeutic targets and live vaccination strategies.
Dr. Beverley earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and did postdoctoral research at Stanford University. In 1983 he moved to Harvard Medical School and went on to become Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology. In 1997 he joined the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as Head of the Department of Molecular Microbiology. He is a Burroughs-Welcome Scholar in Molecular Parasitology, a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, a member of the American Academy of Microbiology, a Fellow of the AAAS, and a Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. In 2017, Dr. Beverley received the Peter Raven Lifetime Achievement Award from the St. Louis Academy of Sciences.
CRAIG MOYER
Ph.D, Professor, Western Washington University
“Fine-Scale Biogeography and the Inference of Ecological Interactions among Neutrophilic
Iron-Oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria as Determined by a Rule-Based Microbial Network”
JEAN CELLI
Ph.D, Associate Professor,
Washington State University
"Modulation of Golgi-associated traffic by bacterial effectors"
JAY MELLIES
Ph.D, Professor,
Reed College
"Naturally Occurring Consortia of Bacteria Degrade Common Plastics"
NAEHA SUBRAMANIAN,
Ph.D, Assistant Professor
Institute for Systems Biology
"A host innate immune circuit controls inflammasome activity and immune escape of Salmonella inside macrophages"
JONATHAN PRUNEDA
Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Oregon Health & Science University
"How pathogenic bacteria subvert host ubiquitin signaling"
ISABELLA RAUCH
Ph.D, Assistant Professor
Oregon Health & Science University
"Epithelial NAIP-NLRC4 inflammasome induced cells extrusion defends against gastrointestinal pathogen invasion"
HOLLY PINKART
Ph.D, Professor, Central Washington University
"The utility of fecal microbiome as a proxy for the gut microbiome"
DANA SHAW
Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Washington State University
"Under Pressure: Stress and Immunity at the Pathogen-Vector Interface"
CHRISTY ANDRADE
Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Gonzaga University
"Phage hunting with mosquitoes: the discovery of novel Aeromonas phage"
TAYLOR STEPIEN
Graduate Student, University of Washington
"Mechanisms of Salmonella Typhi Persistence in Human Macrophages"
AMELIA SILVA
Graduate Student, Washington State University
"The Yersinia pestis Csr system coordinates efficient biofilm-mediated blockage of the flea foregut"
BLAIR ARMISTEAD
Graduate Student, University of Washington
"Novel insights into the Group B Streptocuccus hemolytic pigment "
ROCHELLE GLOVER
Graduate Student, University of Washington
"A genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen to identify host determinants of Listeria monocytogenes virulence gene regulation"
SAVANNAH SANCHEZ
Graduate Student, Washington State University
"The ferriphilic nature of Coxiella burnetii during axenic growth suggests a greater role for iron during replication and viability of this obligate intracellular bacterium"
NEEL SALUKHE
Graduate Student, University of Washington
"Establishing the Role of Apobec1-mediated editing during Alphavirus replication"
HANNAH LEDVINA
Graduate Student, University of Washington
"Tn-Seq reveals hidden complexity in the utilization of host-derived glutathione in Francisella tularensis"
KEYA SEN, PhD
Part-Time Lecturer, University of Washington Bothell
Fullbright Global Scholar (2016-2019)
"Isolation of Multi-Drug Resistant E. coli Including ST131, from a Constructed Wetland Dominated by a Crow Roost"
ADAM BROTHERS
PharmD, Seattle Children's
"Utilizing Clinical Microbiology Data to Facilitate Hands-off Stewardship"
ANN MELVIN
M.D., Professor, Seattle Children's
"The role of the laboratory in the work-up of child sexual abuse"
DEIRDRE RUIZ
Seattle Children's
"Red Flag Fungus"
ANDREW BRYAN
M.D., Ph.D, Assistant Professor, University of Washington
TBA
CALEB STOKES
M.D., Ph.D, Seattle Children's
"How Zika Virus Hijacks Immune Signaling and Hurts Brain Development"
RAFAEL HERNANDEZ
M.D., Ph.D, Seattle Children's
TBA
AMIN ADDETIA
Seattle Children's
"Genomic insights into sexually transmitted pathogens, new and old"