Wilbert A. Derbigny

Wilbert A. Derbigny is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Marian University's Tom and Julie Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine. He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Virology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) and has held academic positions at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), where he led a NIH-funded research program on Chlamydia pathogenesis. His research focuses on understanding the role of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in genital tract immune responses to Chlamydia trachomatis infection, with recent work exploring links between TLR3 dysfunction and HPV co-infection-driven cervical carcinogenesis.

• Education:
• Bachelor of Science, Xavier University of Louisiana (1990)
• Ph.D. in Molecular Virology, LSUHSC-Shreveport (2001)
• Career Highlights:
• NIH K22 Career Development Award (2007)
• NIH R01 Grant (active, with competitive renewal)

His lab investigates mechanisms of chronic inflammation and pathophysiology in chlamydial infections, particularly how TLR3 signaling influences epithelial barrier integrity and immune dysregulation. Current projects include developing mouse models to study interferon-alpha's role in genital tract chlamydial pathogenesis.

Dr. Derbigny teaches medical students about microbiology and mentors researchers in hypothesis-driven infectious disease studies.