Sharon Tennant

Sharon Tennant is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine with primary appointments in Medicine and secondary appointments in Microbiology and Immunology. Her research focuses on bacterial pathogens, vaccine development, and diagnostic assay innovation, particularly targeting Salmonella, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. She leads the Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics Section at the Center for Vaccine Development (CVD), supporting global clinical trials.

Research Interests

• Global health initiatives in enteric diseases
• Pathogenesis of invasive Salmonella strains
• Live attenuated and conjugate vaccine platforms
• PCR-based diagnostic assays for resource-limited settings

Publication Trends

Dr. Tennant's recent work emphasizes age-specific vaccine responses, cross-serovar protection, and expanding conjugate vaccine strategies to Klebsiella and Pseudomonas. Her preclinical models include murine and nonhuman primate studies, with a focus on translating findings to clinical trials.

Scientific Awards

• J.N. Peters Bequest Research Fellowship

Laboratory & Resources

Her lab operates advanced equipment including real-time PCR machines, biosafety cabinets, and molecular biology tools, enabling microbiology and immunology research for vaccine and diagnostic development.