Hema Prasad Narra, PhD
Assistant Professor

Department of Pathology

Phone: (409) 747-2412
Email: hpnarra@utmb.edu

Hema Prasad Narra, PhD

  • My laboratory's long-term research goal is to uncover the molecular mechanisms driving the pathogenesis of vector-borne intracellular bacteria, with a focus on pathogenic Rickettsia and Orientia species. We employ a diverse set of multidisciplinary techniques, including genomics, proteomics, molecular biology, cell biology, and advanced microscopy, to identify and analyze bacterial factors that drive virulence, modulate host gene expression, and ensure persistence in arthropod vectors. Additionally, we integrate immunology with advanced technologies such as next-generation sequencing, single-cell omics, and bioinformatics to unravel the complexities of pathogen-host-vector interactions. Our current research focuses on the following key areas:

    • Investigating post-transcriptional regulation's impact on bacterial gene expression during host and vector interactions.
    • Creating and analyzing Rickettsia and Orientia gene deletion mutants to study pathogenesis.
    • Identifying and characterizing the role of bacterial effector proteins secreted into the host environment.
    • Analyzing the functions of bacterial hypothetical proteins in host invasion and disease.
  • INSTITUTION AND LOCATION DEGREE FIELD OF STUDY COMPLETION
    Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh, India BS Basic and Applied Sciences 1998
    Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India MS Pathology 2000
    University of Reading, Reading, UK PhD Biological Sciences 2005
  • Robert L. Harrison Award for best research poster, Department of Pathology, UTMB 2014 - 2017, 2019
    James W. McLaughlin Award for best research poster, IHII, UTMB 2015
    American Society for Rickettsiology Travel Award for attending the 26th ASR meeting, Portland, Maine 2013
    National Academy of Sciences (USA) Travel Award for attending the Sackler Colloquium, California 2004
    Society for Experimental Biology Travel Award for attending the Fusarium workshop, Australia 2003
    Arthur Hosier Travel Award for attending the ICPP conference, New Zealand 2003
    International Society for Plant Pathology Travel Award for attending the ICPP conference, New Zealand 2003
    School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Travel Award for attending the Annual British Society for Plant Pathology conference, Nottingham, UK 2003
    Felix Scholarship Award for pursuing PhD at the University of Reading, UK 2001 – 2005
    Senior Research Fellowship Award, IARI, New Delhi, India 2000 – 2001
    Junior Research Fellowship Award, IARI, New Delhi, India 1998 – 2000
  • Membership in Scientific and Professional Organizations:
    American Society for Microbiology 2010 - Present
    American Society for Rickettsiology 2012 - Present
      
    Editorial responsibilities:  
    Editorial Board
    • Frontiers in Microbiology (Associate Editor for section on Systems Microbiology)
     Ad-hoc reviewer
    • Experimental Parasitology
    • Frontiers in Immunology
    • Journal of Clinical Microbiology
    • AMB Express
    • Environmental Pollution
    • Future Microbiology
    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • PLoS One
    • PeerJ
    • Scientific Reports
    • International Journal of Molecular Sciences
    • Vaccines
    		 
  • Sahni A, Alsing J, Narra HP, Montini M, Zafar Y and Sahni SK (2024). Endothelial mechanistic target of rapamycin activation with different strains of R. rickettsii: possible role in rickettsial pathogenesis. Microorganisms, 12(2): 296, doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12020296.
    Accoti A, Quek S, Vulcan J, Cansado-Utrilla C, Anderson ER, Alsing J, Narra HP, Khanipov K, Hughes GL and Dickson LB. (2023) Variable microbiomes between mosquito lines are maintained across different environments. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 17(9): e0011306. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011306.
    Narra HP, Alsing J, Sahni A, Montini M, Zafar Y and Sahni SK (2023). A small non-coding RNA mediates transcript stability and expression of cytochrome bd ubiquinol oxidase subunit I in Rickettsia conorii. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24: 4008, doi.org/10.3390/ ijms24044008.
    Narra HP, Sahni A, Sepuru KM, Alsing J and Sahni SK (2022). Sensing the messenger: potential roles of cyclic-di-GMP in rickettsial pathogenesis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(7): 3853, doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073853.
    Narra HP, Sahni A, Alsing J, Schroeder CLC, Golovko G, Nia AM, Fofanov Y, Khanipov K and Sahni SK (2020). Comparative transcriptomic analysis of Rickettsia conorii during in vitro infection of human and tick host cells. BMC Genomics, 21:665, doi: 10.1186/s12864-020-07077-w.
    Patel JG*, Narra HP*, Sepuru KM*, Sahni A, Golla SR, Sahni I, Singh A, Schroeder CL, Chowdhury IH and Sahni SK (2020). Identification and characterization of a novel peptidoglycan amidase in a prototypical spotted fever species Rickettsia conorii. Biological Chemistry, 401(2): 249-262. doi: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0389. *Equal contribution.
    Narra HP, Sahni A, Khanipov K, Fofanov Y and Sahni SK (2019). Global transcriptomic profiling of pulmonary gene expression in an experimental murine model of Rickettsia conorii infection. Genes, 10(3), 204; doi: 10.3390/genes10030204.
    Hegde S, Nilyanimit P, Kozlova E, Anderson ER, Narra HP, Sahni SK, Heinz E and Hughes GL (2019). CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene deletion of the ompA gene in symbiotic Cedecea neteri impairs biofilm formation and reduces gut colonization of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13(12), e0007883. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007883.
    Alhassan A, Liu H, McGill J, Cerezo A, Jakkula M, Nair A, Winkley E, Olson S, Marlow D, Sahni A, Narra HP, Sahni SK, Henningson J and Ganta RR (2019). Rickettsia rickettsii whole cell antigens offer protection against Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the canine host. Infection and Immunity, 87(2), doi: 10.1128/IAI.00628-18.
    Chowdhury IH, Narra HP, Sahni A, Khanipov K, Fofanov Y and Sahni SK (2019). Enhancer associated long non-coding RNA transcription and immune gene regulation in experimental models of rickettsial infection. Frontiers in Immunology, 9:3014. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.03014.
    Schroeder CLC*, Narra HP*, Sahni A, Khanipov K, Patel J, Fofanov F and Sahni SK (2017). Transcriptional profiling of Rickettsia prowazekii coding and non-coding transcripts during in vitro host-pathogen and vector-pathogen interactions. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, 8: 827-836. *Equal contribution.
    Narra HP, Schroeder CL, Sahni A, Rojas M, Khanipov K, Fofanov Y, Sahni SK. (2016). Small regulatory RNAs of Rickettsia conorii. Scientific Reports, 6: 36728. PMCID: PMC5105140.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Narra+HP&ac=no&sort=date