Brenda Anne Wilson

Brenda Anne Wilson is a Professor at the University of Illinois, affiliated with the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology (Microbiology), Pathobiology, and Biomedical and Translational Sciences. She serves as Associate Director for Undergraduate Education and Scientific Co-Director of the Center for Zoonoses Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Education:

• B.A. in Biochemistry and German, Barnard College/Columbia University (1981)
• DAAD Fellowship, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität Munich (1981-1982)
• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University (1989)
• Postdoctoral training in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School (1989-1993)

Research: Focuses on bacterial protein toxins, host-pathogen interactions, and microbiome dynamics. Key projects include:

• Elucidating molecular mechanisms of dermonecrotic toxins from pathogens like Pasteurella multocida and E. coli
• Developing anti-toxin therapeutics and toxin-based drug delivery systems (BTIDD)
• Studying vaginal and gut microbiomes in human/nonhuman primates for disease susceptibility

Scientific Awards:

• ASM Academy Fellow (2020)
• AAUW Marion Talbot Award (2018)
• Dr. Larine Y. Cowen Leadership in Diversity Award (2017)
• 13 major honors including teaching awards and research fellowships

Collaborations: Active in translational research with cross-disciplinary teams working on antimicrobial resistance, toxin engineering, and comparative genomics. Leads proteomic/metabolomic projects for toxicogenomic biomarkers.