Rebecca Rashid Achterman

Rebecca Rashid Achterman is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Washington, where she has been actively involved in microbiology education since at least 2001. She teaches laboratory courses in general microbiology, medical bacteriology, and medical mycology/parasitology.

Her research and academic contributions focus on:

• Fungal pathogenesis, particularly dermatophytes and their virulence mechanisms in skin infections
• Microbiology education innovation, including gamification approaches like FoldIt for teaching protein folding concepts
• Comparative analysis of bacterial virulence factors across host species (e.g., E. coli O157:H7 in bovine vs. human infections)
• Historical work in bacterial genetics and molecular diagnostics

Recent publications highlight her dual expertise in medical mycology and pedagogical research, with notable work on vaccine education techniques. She has collaborated with researchers like T.C. White and J.R. Naglik in fungal pathogenesis studies.

Key affiliations:

• University of Washington
• Teaching Faculty, Department of Microbiology
• Graduate Training Faculty (as listed on departmental menu)