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Dr. Olano

Juan P. Olano, M.D.

Professor, Department of Pathology;
Director, Residency Training Program;
Member, Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases

University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Boulevard
Galveston, TX  77555-0428

Office (409) 772-2870
Fax: (409) 747-2400
jolano@utmb.edu

Professional Education

Degree Institution Field of Study Graduation Year
M.D. University of Cauca, Colombia Medicine 1987
Resident University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Program 1992–1997
Chief Resident Pathology Residency Program, UTMB Pathology 1996–1997
Post-Doctoral Fellow Clinical Microbiology and Experimental Pathology, Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, UTMB   1997–1999

Honors

2011 Paul Brindley Distinguished Scholar. UTMB
2011 George Dock Distinguished Professorship in Pathology
2007 Excellence in Teaching Award. UTMB Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
2007-2011 America’s Top Pathologists.
2006-2011 America’s Top Doctors.
2002 Commendation for excellence in laboratory instruction in the Pathobiology and host defense course
1999 UTMB Hospitals. Outstanding Resident/Fellow Award
1999 James W. McLaughlin Travel Award, UTMB.
1997, 1998 Pathology Resident Research Honorable mention, Pathology Trainee Research Session,  UTMB, Galveston, TX.
1993, 1997 Excellence in Research Postgraduate Award, UTMB.
1996-1997 Excellence in Pathology Patient Services, UTMB
1995, 1997 Competitive George Dock Scholarship Postgraduate Grant, UTMB.
1987 Medical School: Cum Laude graduate, University of Cauca, Popayan, Colombia

Professional Affiliations

1992–Present Texas Society of Pathology
2001–Present American Society for Rickettsiology
2001–Present Binford-Dammin Society of Infectious Disease Pathologists
2002–Present

American Society for Investigative Pathology
2004–Present

United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology
2008–Present

American Society for Microcirculation

Research Interests

My research interests are focused on the pathogenesis of obligate intracellular bacteria, namely rickettsiae and ehrlichiae. My long term goal is to study molecular pathogenesis of rickettsioses, specifically on microvascular permeability and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the increased vascular permeability seen in rickettsioses. Specifically, I am interested in adherens- and tight junction proteins and the signal transduction pathways involved in their regulation. Such increased vascular permeability leads to cerebral and pulmonary edema, the two main causes of morbidity and mortality in human rickettsioses. In addition, I also have two funded projects in rickettsial diseases. The first project focuses on the development of ultrasensitive diagnostic methods for rickettsial infections during the acute phase of the disease in collaboration with the University of Houston and Sandia National Laboratories in California; the second project focuses on the development of small animal models to study rickettsioses acquired via aerosols.

Selected Publications (Out of 65)

  1. Olano, J.P.; Wolf, W.; Keherly, M.; Gelman, B.B. Quantifying apoptosis in banked human brains using flow cytometry. J. Neuropath. Exp. Neurol. 55(11):1164-1172; 1996
  2. Olano, J.P.; Holmes, H.; Woods, G.L. Evaluation of the Myko AKT latex agglutination test for rapid diagnosis of Mycobacterium avium complex infections. Diag. Microbiol. Infec. Disease.30:71-74; 1998
  3. Sotomayor, E.; Popov, V.L.; Feng, H.M.; Walker, D.H.; Olano, J.P. Animal model of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis. Am. J. Path. 158(2):757-769; 2001                                    
  4. Olano, J.P.; Walker, D.H. Current recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of the human ehrlichioses, Inf. in Med.19:318-325; 2002
  5. Olano, J.P.; Hogrefe, W.; Seaton, B.; Walker, D.H. Clinical manifestations epidemiology and laboratory diagnosis of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis in a commercial laboratory setting. Clin. Diag. Lab. Immun. 10:891-896; 2003
  6. Olano, J.P.; Masters, E.; Hogrefe, W.; Walker, D.H. Human Monocytotropic Ehrlichiosis, Missouri. Emerging Infect. Dis.9:1579-1586; 2003
  7. Ismail, N.; Soong, L.; Olano, J.P.; Walker, D.H. Overproduction of TNF-a and downregulation of IFN-g-dominated Th1 response contribute to toxic shock-like syndrome in an animal model of fatal human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis. J. Immunol.172:1786-1800; 2004
  8. Olano, J.P.; Wen, G.; Feng, H.M.; McBride, J.W.; Walker, D.H. Histologic, serologic, and molecular analysis of persistent ehrlichiosis in a murine model. Am. J. Path. 165:997-1006; 2004
  9. Wen, G; McBride, JW; Zhang, X; Olano, JP. Early diagnosis of rickettsioses by electrochemiluminescence. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2006:1078:590-594
  10. Woods ME, Olano JP. Host defenses to Rickettsia rickettsii infection contribute to increased microvascular permeability in human cerebral endothelial cells. J Clin Immunol. 2008;28:174-185.
  11. Olano, J.P. and Walker, D.H. Human ehrlichioses. In The Medical Clinics of North America. Tick Borne Diseases, Edlow, J.A. (Ed). WB Saunders Co., 86:375-393, 2002.
  12. Olano JP. Rickettsial infections. Hechemy KE, Oteo JA, Raoult D, Silverman D, Blanco JR (eds). Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2005;1063:187-196.
  13. Dong J., Olano JP., McBride J., Walker DH. Emerging Pathogens: Challenges and Successes of Molecular Diagnostics. J of Molecular Diagnostics. 10:184-197; 2008.
  14. Cowan, D.F., Olano, J.P. A Practical Guide to Clinical Laboratory Testing, Malden, Massachusetts, Blackwell Science, Inc., 1997.
  15. Olano, J.P. Human Ehrlichioses. In Tropical Dermatology. Stephen K. Tyring, Omar Lupi, Ulrich R. Hengge (Eds.), Elsevier Inc. 2006.
  16. Olano, J.P., Peters, C.J., Walker, D.H. Distinguishing tropical infectious disease from bioterrorism. In Tropical Infectious Diseases: Principles, Pathogens and Practice. Guerrant, R., Walker,D.H., Weller P (eds), 2nd Edition, Elsevier Churchill Livingston, Philadelphia, 2006:1386-1399.
  17. Olano, J.P., Krogstad, D.J., Guerrant, R.L., Weller, P.F. and Walker, D.H. Principles of Parasitism: Host-Parasite interactions. In Tropical Infectious Diseases: Principles, Pathogens and Practice, 2nd Edition, Elsevier Churchill Livingston, Philadelphia, 2006:1-12.
  18. Olano J.P, Aguero-Rosenfeld ME. Ehrlichia, Anaplasma and related intracellular bacteria. In ASM Manual for Clinical Microbiology. Murray P.,(ed in chief). 9th Edition. American Society for Microbiology Press. Washington DC. 2007.
  19. Olano J.P. Human Ehrlichioses. In Rickettsial Diseases.  Raoult D, Parola P, (eds). Informa Health Care, USA, Inc. New York. 2007.
  20. Olano JP. Molecular Pathology of lung parasitic infections. In Molecular Pathology of Lung Diseases (Cagle P, Zander DS, Jagirdr J, Barrios R, Haque A, Popper H, Eds). Springer Science and Bussiness Media, Inc. Norwell MA. 2007:442-458.
  21. Olano JP, Walker DH. Agents of emerging infectious diseases. In Vaccines against biothreat and emerging infectious diseases. Stanberry L, Barrett ADT (eds). Academic Press. 2009.

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