UTMB Center for Tropical Diseases

Faculty by Discipline

ADMINISTRATION
Kimberly Schuenke, Ph.D.
Associate Director of the UTMB Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and program administrator for the Western Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research .

AGING
Rebeca Wong, Ph.D.
Director of the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center on Aging and Health: Cross-national studies of the effect of lifestyle transitions, health care utilization, migration, disability and family support on healthy aging in the U.S. and Latin America.

ASTHMA / ALLERGY

BACTERIAL INFECTIONS
Donald Bouyer, Ph.D.
Pathogen, vector, and host determinants of rickettsial diseases.

Ashok Chopra, Ph.D., C.Sc.
Molecular pathogenesis of host-parasite interactions; structure-function relationships and regulation of bacterial virulence determinants; anthrax and plague.

Janice Endsley, Ph.D.
Mechanisms and regulation of cell mediated immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Rong Fang, M.D., Ph.D.
Immune mechanisms by which intracellular pathogens such as Rickettsia evade host defense surveillance.

Jere McBride, Ph.D.
Role of Ehrlichia DNA binding proteins in modulating eukaryotic host cell gene transcription, and their role in pathobiology and immunity.

Vladimir Motin, Ph.D.
Yersinia pestis pathogenesis; vaccine; therapeutics.

Juan Olano, M.D.
Development of diagnostics for rickettsial diseases; molecular pathogenesis of rickettsial diseases.

Vsevolod Popov, Ph.D.
Ultrastructure of bacteria (especially rickettsia, ehrlichia, anaplasma, and chlamydia), viruses and protozoa pathogenic for humans and animals and their interaction with the host cells at the ultrastructural level.

Victor Reyes, Ph.D.
Mucosal immunology in infectious diseases and inflammatory bowel disease.

Jian Sha, M.D.
Host-bacterial interactions, characterization of bacterial virulence determinants, and regulation of virulence gene expression in pathogens such as Aeromonas, Salmonella, and Yersinia.

Saravanan Thangamani, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Arthropod-host-pathogen interactions and mechanisms of enhancement of viral transmission and establishment by blood feeding arthropods.

Alfredo Torres, Ph.D.
Mechanisms used by pathogenic E. coli and other enteric pathogens to adhere and colonize the intestinal epithelia and characterization of the regulatory networks controlling their expression.

David Walker, M.D.
Immunopathogenesis and immunity in infection with rickettsiae and ehrlichiae and identification of the protein antigens that stimulate immunity.

BIOINFORMATICS / STATISTICS

CHRONIC DISEASES

CLINICAL EDUCATION
Matt Dacso, M.D.
Epidemiology and social determinants of tropical diseases; global health education

Phil Keiser, M.D.
International HIV Program and Clinic Director; Health services and outcomes research in care and treatment of HIV and its related infections.

A. Scott Lea, M.D.
Clinical Tropical medicine, international travel and adult infectious diseases.

Peter Melby, M.D. - Director
Clinical and research training in tropical diseases; Immunopathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis; drug discovery for leishmaniasis; malnutrition in infectious diseases.

Janak A. Patel, M.D.
Clinical Tropical medicine, international travel and pediatric infectious diseases.

Premal Patel, M.D.
Social determinants of disease in resource limited settings; global health education.

A. Clinton White, Jr., M.D.
Human host-parasite interface and clinical tropical medicine; clinical and research training in parasitology, tropical medicine, and global health.

CLINICAL MEDICINE
Tasnee Chonmaitree, M.D.
Pathogenesis, viral etiologies and genetic and environmental risk factors for acute otitis media.

Matt Dacso, M.D.
Epidemiology and social determinants of tropical diseases; global health education

Phil Keiser, M.D.
International HIV Program and Clinic Director; Health services and outcomes research in care and treatment of HIV and its related infections.

Peter Melby, M.D. - Director
Clinical and research training in tropical diseases; Immunopathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis; drug discovery for leishmaniasis; malnutrition in infectious diseases.

Janak A. Patel, M.D.
Clinical Tropical medicine, international travel and pediatric infectious diseases.

Premal Patel, M.D.
Social determinants of disease in resource limited settings; global health education.

Melinda Tanabe, MD
Zoonotic helminth infections with a particular interest in fascioliasis diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies

A. Clinton White, Jr., M.D.
Human host-parasite interface and clinical tropical medicine; clinical and research training in parasitology, tropical medicine, and global health.

COMMUNITY HEALTH

DIABETES

DRUG DISCOVERY
Peter Melby, M.D. - Director
Clinical and research training in tropical diseases; Immunopathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis; drug discovery for leishmaniasis; malnutrition in infectious diseases.

Bruno L. Travi, DVM, Ph.D.
Immunopathogenesis of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis; identification of new anti-leishmanial drugs; development and application of affordable, field-oriented molecular tools.

Stan Watowich, Ph.D.
Structural, biophysical, biochemical and computational studies of viruses and their component proteins; computer-based virtual screening and high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries for drug discovery.

A. Clinton White, Jr., M.D.
Human host-parasite interface and clinical tropical medicine; clinical and research training in parasitology, tropical medicine, and global health.

ENTOMOLOGY
Dennis Bente, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Pathogenesis of tick-borne hemorrhagic fever viruses including Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus.

Donald Bouyer, Ph.D.
Pathogen, vector, and host determinants of rickettsial diseases.

Thomas Ksiazek, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Epidemiology and ecology and laboratory diagnosis of hemorrhagic fevers and arthropod-borne viral diseases.

Melinda Tanabe, MD
Zoonotic helminth infections with a particular interest in fascioliasis diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies

Robert Tesh, M.D.
Ecology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and characterization of a variety of arthropod- and rodent-borne viral pathogens; Director of the World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, located at UTMB.

Saravanan Thangamani, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Arthropod-host-pathogen interactions and mechanisms of enhancement of viral transmission and establishment by blood feeding arthropods.

Nikos Vasilakis, Ph.D.
Evolution and pathogenesis of arthropod-borne viruses, virus – mosquito, and virus – host interactions utilizing sylvatic dengue virus (DENV) as a model.

Scott Weaver, Ph.D.
Alphavirus vaccine development, arboviral pathogenesis, genetics, ecology and evolution, and mechanisms of virus transmission by mosquitoes.

EPIDEMIOLOGY
Thomas Ksiazek, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Epidemiology and ecology and laboratory diagnosis of hemorrhagic fevers and arthropod-borne viral diseases.

Robert Tesh, M.D.
Ecology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and characterization of a variety of arthropod- and rodent-borne viral pathogens; Director of the World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, located at UTMB.

Susan C. Weller, Ph.D.
Field research related to public beliefs and acceptance of treatments and preventive measures.

Rebeca Wong, Ph.D.
Director of the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center on Aging and Health: Cross-national studies of the effect of lifestyle transitions, health care utilization, migration, disability and family support on healthy aging in the U.S. and Latin America.

FUNGAL INFECTIONS

GENOMICS

HIV / AIDS
Monique Ferguson, Ph.D.
Role and mechanism of action of cellular proteins (e.g. ADAM-10, CD63) involved in HIV replication.

Phil Keiser, M.D.
International HIV Program and Clinic Director; Health services and outcomes research in care and treatment of HIV and its related infections.

IMMUNOLOGY and HOST DEFENSE
Alejandro Castellanos, Ph.D.
Host-parasite relationship and parasite evasion of the immune response.

Yingzi Cong, Ph.D.
Host immune response to intestinal microbiota, how microbiota regulate mucosal immunity, and the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Sara Dann-Grice, Ph.D.
Intestinal immune response to enteric bacterial and protozoal pathogens.

Janice Endsley, Ph.D.
Mechanisms and regulation of cell mediated immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Rong Fang, M.D., Ph.D.
Immune mechanisms by which intracellular pathogens such as Rickettsia evade host defense surveillance.

Monique Ferguson, Ph.D.
Role and mechanism of action of cellular proteins (e.g. ADAM-10, CD63) involved in HIV replication.

Nisha Garg, Ph.D.
Inflammation, immunity, and vaccine efficacy in T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease; policy interests in prevention of chronic diseases as a global health problem.

Peter Melby, M.D. - Director
Clinical and research training in tropical diseases; Immunopathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis; drug discovery for leishmaniasis; malnutrition in infectious diseases.

Slobodon Paessler, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Viral pathogenesis and recombinant genetics of alphaviruses and arenaviruses.

Janak A. Patel, M.D.
Clinical Tropical medicine, international travel and pediatric infectious diseases.

Jian Sha, M.D.
Host-bacterial interactions, characterization of bacterial virulence determinants, and regulation of virulence gene expression in pathogens such as Aeromonas, Salmonella, and Yersinia.

Lynn Soong, M.D., Ph.D
Mechanisms of protection and pathogenesis in human and experimental Leishmania infection.

Robin Stephens, Ph.D.
Generation and maintenance of adaptive immunity in malaria; B cell memory and splenic architecture and effector and memory T cell differentiation.

Jiaren Sun, M.D., Ph.D.
Immunological mechanisms of viral persistence (HCV) and pathogenesis, and the effector function of cytotoxic T cells in disease resolution or progression.

Saravanan Thangamani, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Arthropod-host-pathogen interactions and mechanisms of enhancement of viral transmission and establishment by blood feeding arthropods.

Bruno L. Travi, DVM, Ph.D.
Immunopathogenesis of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis; identification of new anti-leishmanial drugs; development and application of affordable, field-oriented molecular tools.

David Walker, M.D.
Immunopathogenesis and immunity in infection with rickettsiae and ehrlichiae and identification of the protein antigens that stimulate immunity.

Tina Wang, Ph.D.
Immune response to West Nile virus infection in protection and pathogenesis.

A. Clinton White, Jr., M.D.
Human host-parasite interface and clinical tropical medicine; clinical and research training in parasitology, tropical medicine, and global health.

IMAGING
Massoud Motamedi, Ph.D.
Imaging approaches to study of pathogenesis of disease; Director, Center for Biomedical Engineering.

LABORATORY DIAGNOSTICS
Alejandro Castellanos, Ph.D.
Host-parasite relationship and parasite evasion of the immune response.

Vicki Freeman, Ph.D.
Laboratory identification of and testing for tropical diseases in resources limited countries, building laboratory capacity and in establishing and maintaining quality laboratory testing.

Nisha Garg, Ph.D.
Inflammation, immunity, and vaccine efficacy in T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease; policy interests in prevention of chronic diseases as a global health problem.

Peter Melby, M.D. - Director
Clinical and research training in tropical diseases; Immunopathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis; drug discovery for leishmaniasis; malnutrition in infectious diseases.

Juan Olano, M.D.
Development of diagnostics for rickettsial diseases; molecular pathogenesis of rickettsial diseases.

Lynn Soong, M.D., Ph.D
Mechanisms of protection and pathogenesis in human and experimental Leishmania infection.

Bruno L. Travi, DVM, Ph.D.
Immunopathogenesis of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis; identification of new anti-leishmanial drugs; development and application of affordable, field-oriented molecular tools.

A. Clinton White, Jr., M.D.
Human host-parasite interface and clinical tropical medicine; clinical and research training in parasitology, tropical medicine, and global health.

PARASITIC INFECTIONS
Alejandro Castellanos, Ph.D.
Host-parasite relationship and parasite evasion of the immune response.

Sara Dann-Grice, Ph.D.
Intestinal immune response to enteric bacterial and protozoal pathogens.

Nisha Garg, Ph.D.
Inflammation, immunity, and vaccine efficacy in T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease; policy interests in prevention of chronic diseases as a global health problem.

Peter Melby, M.D. - Director
Clinical and research training in tropical diseases; Immunopathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis; drug discovery for leishmaniasis; malnutrition in infectious diseases.

Lynn Soong, M.D., Ph.D
Mechanisms of protection and pathogenesis in human and experimental Leishmania infection.

Robin Stephens, Ph.D.
Generation and maintenance of adaptive immunity in malaria; B cell memory and splenic architecture and effector and memory T cell differentiation.

Melinda Tanabe, MD
Zoonotic helminth infections with a particular interest in fascioliasis diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies

Bruno L. Travi, DVM, Ph.D.
Immunopathogenesis of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis; identification of new anti-leishmanial drugs; development and application of affordable, field-oriented molecular tools.

A. Clinton White, Jr., M.D.
Human host-parasite interface and clinical tropical medicine; clinical and research training in parasitology, tropical medicine, and global health.

PROTEOMICS

PUBLIC HEALTH
Phil Keiser, M.D.
International HIV Program and Clinic Director.

Thomas Ksiazek, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Epidemiology and ecology and laboratory diagnosis of hemorrhagic fevers and arthropod-borne viral diseases.

Susan C. Weller, Ph.D.
Field research related to public beliefs and acceptance of treatments and preventive measures.

RESEARCH EDUCATION
Peter Melby, M.D. - Director
Clinical and research training in tropical diseases; Immunopathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis; drug discovery for leishmaniasis; malnutrition in infectious diseases.

Kimberly Schuenke, Ph.D.
Associate Director of the UTMB Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and program administrator for the Western Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research .

A. Clinton White, Jr., M.D.
Human host-parasite interface and clinical tropical medicine; clinical and research training in parasitology, tropical medicine, and global health.

STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
Stan Watowich, Ph.D.
Structural, biophysical, biochemical and computational studies of viruses and their component proteins; computer-based virtual screening and high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries for drug discovery.

VACCINE
Alan Barrett, Ph.D.
Director of the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development and the predoctoral T32 in “Emerging and Tropical Infectious Diseases”; Development of vaccines against flavivirus diseases, including West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever and dengue; generation of YF17D chimeric vaccine viruses; identification of molecular determinants of virulence of West Nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses.

Dennis Bente, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Pathogenesis of tick-borne hemorrhagic fever viruses including Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus.

Antonella Casola, M.D.
Viral and host-specific mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of respiratory viral infections; development of novel therapeutic interventions and vaccine candidates.

Nisha Garg, Ph.D. 
Inflammation, immunity, and vaccine efficacy in T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease; policy interests in prevention of chronic diseases as a global health problem.

Tetsuro Ikegami, Ph.D.
Molecular virology and vaccine development of important emerging viral diseases such as Rift Valley fever virus.

Peter Melby, M.D. - Director
Clinical and research training in tropical diseases; Immunopathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis; drug discovery for leishmaniasis; malnutrition in infectious diseases.

Vladimir Motin, Ph.D.
Yersinia pestis pathogenesis; vaccine; therapeutics.

Lynn Soong, M.D., Ph.D
Mechanisms of protection and pathogenesis in human and experimental Leishmania infection.

David Walker, M.D.
Immunopathogenesis and immunity in infection with rickettsiae and ehrlichiae and identification of the protein antigens that stimulate immunity.

Scott Weaver, Ph.D.
Alphavirus vaccine development, arboviral pathogenesis, genetics, ecology and evolution, and mechanisms of virus transmission by mosquitoes.

VIRAL INFECTIONS
Alan Barrett, Ph.D.
Director of the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development and the predoctoral T32 in “Emerging and Tropical Infectious Diseases”; Development of vaccines against flavivirus diseases, including West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever and dengue; generation of YF17D chimeric vaccine viruses; identification of molecular determinants of virulence of West Nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses.

Dennis Bente, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Pathogenesis of tick-borne hemorrhagic fever viruses including Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus.

Antonella Casola, M.D.
Viral and host-specific mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of respiratory viral infections; development of novel therapeutic interventions and vaccine candidates.

Monique Ferguson, Ph.D.
Role and mechanism of action of cellular proteins (e.g. ADAM-10, CD63) involved in HIV replication.

Naomi Forrester, Ph.D.
Molecular dynamics and diversity of arboviral populations that impact transmission cycles; Venezuelan equine encephalitis transmission.

Alexander Freiberg, Ph.D.
Host-pathogen interaction in the development of disease following Nipah and Hendra virus and Bunyavirus (Rift Valley fever virus) infection.

Roberto P. Garofalo, M.D.
Respiratory syncytial virus immunopathogenesis; inflammation; cytokine transcription; eosinophils; epithelial cell signaling.

Thomas Geisbert, Ph.D.
Pathogenesis of emerging and re-emerging viruses (Ebola virus, Marburg virus, and Lassa virus) that require Biosafety level (BSL)-4 containment and development of countermeasures against these viruses.

Tetsuro Ikegami, Ph.D.
Molecular virology and vaccine development of important emerging viral diseases such as Rift Valley fever virus.

Thomas Ksiazek, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Epidemiology and ecology and laboratory diagnosis of hemorrhagic fevers and arthropod-borne viral diseases.

James LeDuc, Ph.D.
Director of the Galveston National Laboratory; utilization of the facility to advance fundamental understanding of emerging infectious diseases and threats of bioterrorism.

Shinji Makino, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) replication strategies, virus-host interactions and RVFV pathogenesis.

Gregg Milligan, Ph.D.
Activation, effector function, and regulation of immunity to herpes simplex virus; interactions between viral pathogens and the innate immune system and how these interactions shape the adaptive immune response.

Slobodon Paessler, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Viral pathogenesis and recombinant genetics of alphaviruses and arenaviruses.

Janak A. Patel, M.D.
Clinical Tropical medicine, international travel and pediatric infectious diseases.

Vsevolod Popov, Ph.D.
Ultrastructure of bacteria (especially rickettsia, ehrlichia, anaplasma, and chlamydia), viruses and protozoa pathogenic for humans and animals and their interaction with the host cells at the ultrastructural level.

Richard Pyles, Ph.D.
Molecular evaluation of pathogens and the host response to infections using in vitro and in vivo modeling and molecular analyses.

Jiaren Sun, M.D., Ph.D.
Immunological mechanisms of viral persistence (HCV) and pathogenesis, and the effector function of cytotoxic T cells in disease resolution or progression.

Robert Tesh, M.D.
Ecology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and characterization of a variety of arthropod- and rodent-borne viral pathogens; Director of the World Reference Center of Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, located at UTMB.

Saravanan Thangamani, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Arthropod-host-pathogen interactions and mechanisms of enhancement of viral transmission and establishment by blood feeding arthropods.

Chien-Te Tseng, Ph.D.
Initiation and regulation of the innate immune response to RNA viruses and viral mechanisms of immune evasion.

Nikos Vasilakis, Ph.D.
Evolution and pathogenesis of arthropod-borne viruses, virus – mosquito, and virus – host interactions utilizing sylvatic dengue virus (DENV) as a model.

Tina Wang, Ph.D.
Immune response to West Nile virus infection in protection and pathogenesis.

Stan Watowich, Ph.D.
Structural, biophysical, biochemical and computational studies of viruses and their component proteins; computer-based virtual screening and high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries for drug discovery.

Scott Weaver, Ph.D.
Alphavirus vaccine development, arboviral pathogenesis, genetics, ecology and evolution, and mechanisms of virus transmission by mosquitoes.

Min Kyung Yi, Ph.D.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) particle assembly, therapeutic target discovery, and pathogenesis of HCV-induced metabolic diseases and cancer.