Marena Guzman

Marena Guzman, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. Her research focuses on understanding the host innate immune response to Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, using human cell models and Drosophila systems. She is mentored by Daniel Voth, Ph.D., and investigates how bacterial proteins modulate host cell functions while exploring evolutionary conservation of antimicrobial mechanisms.

Dr. Guzman holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biosciences from Washington State University. Her doctoral work pioneered Coxiella infection studies in fruit flies and S2 cells, revealing insights into cross-species infection mechanisms. Her current work bridges fruit fly models with human cell systems to study host-pathogen interactions from multiple angles.

Her research interests include microbial pathogenesis, innate immunity pathways (e.g., STING signaling), genetic determinants of host susceptibility, and comparative infection models. Key findings include discoveries about STING-mediated ROS regulation in Drosophila and genetic variants influencing host survival during infection.

Publications highlight her expertise in infection models, innate immune mechanisms, and genetic studies of pathogen-host interactions. Ongoing work aims to uncover novel therapeutic targets for Q fever and related infectious diseases.