Olga Zhaxybayeva is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Adjunct Associate Professor of Computer Science at Dartmouth College. She is a Simons Foundation Investigator in Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems, focusing on microbial evolution and bioinformatics. B.S. in Applied Mathematics (Kazakh State University, 1997) Ph.D. in Genetics (University of Connecticut, 2004) Postdoctoral Training in Microbial Evolution (Dalhousie University, 2005-2009) Her research explores how microbes evolve through horizontal gene transfer, genomic signatures of adaptation, and computational modeling of microbial systems. She investigates gene transfer agents (GTAs) as viriforms and thermoadaptation in Thermotogota phylum. Her recent articles highlight GTAs' co-evolution with stress response genes, thermoadaptation genetics, and computational methods for detecting horizontal gene transfer. These works span microbiology, evolutionary genetics, and bioinformatics. Scientific Awards Simons Foundation Investigator in Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems She has trained 16 students/postdocs and received 5 grants. Her lab at Life Sciences Center Room 333 Hanover, NH, collaborates internationally on microbial genome analysis and systematics.
Patric Nilsson serves as an Associate Professor of Bioscience at the University of Skövde, Sweden, within the School of Bioscience and Department of Biosciences. His academic position combines teaching responsibilities as Education Course Coordinator with active research in immunology, microbiology, and systems biology. Based in Room G2311, he can be contacted at patric.nilsson@his.se or by phone at 0500-448630. Dr. Nilsson's research interests span multiple interconnected fields including Immunology, Microbiology, Systems Biology, Mathematical Modeling, Stem Cell Research, Quorum Sensing, T-cell Development, and Bacterial Pathogenesis. His work demonstrates a unique interdisciplinary approach that bridges experimental biology with computational methods to understand complex biological systems. His publication record from 2003-2013 reveals a strong focus on mathematical modeling of biological processes, particularly examining T-cell development dynamics, bacterial quorum sensing mechanisms, and stem cell differentiation pathways. The research shows consistent collaboration with colleagues across immunology and microbiology disciplines, indicating active participation in research networks. While specific awards aren't documented in the available materials, his publication record in reputable journals such as Journal of Biological Chemistry, Infection and Immunity, and Stem Cells demonstrates significant scholarly contributions. His work on T-cell development and bacterial communication systems represents important contributions to understanding fundamental biological processes with potential therapeutic applications.
Diana Tilevik is an Associate Professor and Head of School in Systems Biology at the University of Skövde, Sweden. She is affiliated with the School of Bioscience and conducts research within the Infection Biology Research Group at the Systems Biology Research Environment. Her office is located in Room G2256 and she can be reached at diana.tilevik@his.se or by phone at 0500-448635. Associate Professor, Systems Biology, University of Skövde, 2022 Doctor of Philosophy in Infection Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 2010 Master of Science in Computational Molecular Biology, University of Skövde, 2004 Diana Tilevik's research primarily focuses on applying computational and statistical methods in infection biology, with a particular emphasis on developing data-mining methods for sepsis diagnostics. Her work aims to improve early identification of sepsis patients by developing methods to detect pathogenic microorganisms in patients' blood and diagnose sepsis using biomarkers. She has developed multi-marker panels that combine biological and clinical markers for improved diagnostic precision, evaluated various molecular biology methods for rapid pathogen identification, and utilized sequencing techniques to analyze bacterial genomes for species identification and antibiotic resistance assessment. Her research bridges computational biology, microbiology, and clinical medicine to address the life-threatening condition of sepsis that affects over 50,000 people annually in Sweden. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on sepsis diagnostics using advanced computational and genomic approaches. She has published extensively on pathogen identification (particularly Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella), biomarker validation, and the development of diagnostic pipelines. Her work shows a clear progression from fundamental studies on pneumococcal transmission to applied clinical diagnostics for sepsis, with an increasingly computational approach integrating machine learning and big data analysis techniques. Diana Tilevik collaborates with multiple institutions including Skaraborg Hospital, Unilabs AB, 1928Diagnostics AB, and QIAGEN AB on sepsis research projects. She leads or contributes to several significant research initiatives including AI-driven precision medicine (AID-PM), miRSeps for future sepsis diagnostics, and data-mining for biomarker discovery. These projects focus on developing earlier and more accurate diagnostics for sepsis to increase patient survival rates and reduce complications. As part of the Systems Biology Research Environment, Tilevik works within a multidisciplinary team that combines expertise in computational methods, molecular biology, and clinical medicine. Her research group focuses on translating computational findings into clinical applications, with particular attention to developing reliable diagnostic tools that can be implemented in healthcare settings. The team utilizes advanced sequencing technologies, bioinformatics pipelines, and statistical modeling to address critical challenges in infection biology and sepsis management.
Dr. Ömer Faruk Karasakal is an Assistant Professor at Üsküdar University's Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques. Holding a PhD in Biology from Marmara University (2021), he specializes in bioinformatics , molecular biology , and neurogenetics with a focus on in silico analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. BSc (2011) and MSc (2013) in Biochemistry from Balıkesir University Occupational Health and Safety Specialist (2013) His research explores SNP analysis in genes related to Leigh syndrome , Alzheimer's , Huntington's , and autism spectrum disorders , combining molecular docking and computational modeling . Recent work includes plant-derived SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors and oxidative stress studies in zebrafish models. He leads TÜBİTAK projects on CDH9 and SNCA gene SNPs , and serves in administrative roles including Deputy Head of Vocational Health School and Head of Department of Medical Services and Techniques. Dr. Karasakal advises graduate students in neurogenetics and computational biology while managing laboratory operations and research groups.
Linus Sandegren is a Professor at Uppsala University , affiliated with the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology and the Uppsala Antibiotic Center . His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, particularly the evolution and dissemination of resistance plasmids in pathogenic bacteria. Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology Uppsala Antibiotic Center His work spans antibiotic resistance , molecular evolution , and bacterial genetics , with a strong emphasis on plasmid stability, mobility, and fitness costs. Recent publications highlight his contributions to CRISPR-based resistance prevention , optical DNA mapping , and nano-biosensor development for rapid resistance gene detection. Key article trends include: Antibiotic resistance gene transfer Plasmid-mediated resistance mechanisms Novel diagnostic technologies Biofilm evolution and virulence adaptation Environmental reservoirs of resistance Antibiotic combination efficacy He actively collaborates on antibiotic resistance research and has contributed to policy discussions through publications in Science of the Total Environment and Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences . No formal students are listed in the provided materials.
Jianguo (Jeff) Xia is a Full Professor at McGill University , specializing in molecular biology and systems biology. His research focuses on host-parasite-gut microbiota interactions, bioinformatics, metabolomics, metagenomics, and network biology. He actively develops next-generation bioinformatics tools to address big data challenges in life sciences, with an emphasis on applied statistics, machine learning algorithms, data visualization, and web-based technologies. His recent publications highlight advancements in metabolomics and multi-omics integration. He has contributed to web-based platforms like MicrobiomeNet and ImpLiMet for microbial association analysis and data imputation. His work spans environmental health (e-waste exposure), disease modeling (type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s), and toxicogenomics (EcoToxChip). As a leader in computational biology, Xia’s research bridges gut health, microbiome dynamics, and exposome-scale investigations. He currently supervises graduate students and collaborates across disciplines to develop tools like OmicsNet and MetaboAnalyst for metabolomics and systems biology applications.
Kuberan Balagurunathan is a Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Utah, affiliated with the Biological Chemistry Program. His research focuses on glycosaminoglycan (GAG) biosynthesis and proteoglycan biology, developing chemical tools to understand heparan sulfate interactions. Education: B.S. from St. Joseph's College, India; Ph.D. from University of Iowa Research interests center on GAG biosynthetic pathways , heparan sulfate structural analysis , and click-xyloside applications . Key work includes the GAGOSOME model for dynamic biosynthesis regulation and enzymatic synthesis of defined GAG structures. Recent publications highlight microbial production of heparosan, bioinformatics tools for RNA analysis, and nanosensor development for pharmaceutical contaminants. These works span molecular engineering, structural glycobiology, and biomedical informatics.
Daniel Leung is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Utah . He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia and an M.D. from Wake Forest University School of Medicine . His research focuses on Mucosal-Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells in infections like cholera , sepsis , and diarrheal diseases , with emphasis on their immune regulatory roles and vaccine implications. Education: B.Sc., University of British Columbia M.Sc., University of British Columbia M.D., Wake Forest University School of Medicine Leung's work examines how MAIT cells contribute to B cell help , antibody production , and mucosal immunity . His team investigates these cells in human tonsil germinal centers and mouse models , particularly in cholera vaccine development using MAIT-activating ligands . Recent publications highlight his efforts in serosurveillance for cholera and SARS-CoV-2 , integrating statistical and machine learning approaches to estimate disease incidence from cross-sectional data. He also develops electronic clinical decision support tools (eCDST) for diarrhea management in low- and high-resource settings , aiming to reduce antibiotic misuse and improve patient outcomes. Key collaborations include the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) , GHESKIO (Haiti) , and institutions like Johns Hopkins and University of Florida . His research is funded by NIH (R01AI130378, R01AI135114, R01AI135115) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1198876).
Prof. Dr. Kristian Müller is a faculty member at the Faculty of Engineering , Bielefeld University , where he leads research in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology . His work focuses on viral vector engineering, particularly adeno-associated virus (AAV) systems, with expertise in proteomics, synthetic biology, and bioengineering approaches. Email: Kristian.Mueller@uni-bielefeld.de Phone: +49 521 106-6323 Office: UHG E2-143 His research interests include: Adeno-Associated Virus Engineering for gene therapy applications. Proteomic Analysis of viral production systems in HEK-293 cells. Synthetic Biology approaches to capsid protein assembly. Biotechnological Methods for linear DNA fragment generation. Nanopore Sequencing applied to viral genomes. Recent publications emphasize optimizing ITR stability in E. coli, non-viral gene delivery using lipid nanoparticles, and proteomic profiling of nuclear fractions during rAAV production. He serves in multiple academic committees including the Habilitation Committee , Faculty Conference , and Examination Boards for Molecular Biotechnology programs.
Scott Williams, PhD , is a Professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences and the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine . He is also a Faculty member at the Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology . Dr. Williams is an internationally recognized population geneticist specializing in genetic susceptibility to complex diseases , host-pathogen co-evolution , and health disparities in global populations. PhD, Washington University (1981) BA, University of Chicago (1976) His research focuses on gene-environment interactions , epistasis , and statistical genetics to understand disease risk in diverse populations. He has directed PhD programs at Vanderbilt , Dartmouth , and now leads the Epidemiology and Biostatistics PhD program at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Williams has published 265 papers with 9,708 citations (H-index: 47) and serves as Section Editor for PLOS Genetics and Current Genetics Medicine Reports . Scientific Awards : Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2012) Professional leadership includes Founding Member and Executive Committee of the African Society of Human Genetics, Chair of the Preterm Birth International Collaborative, and Organizing Committee member of the North American Branch International Congress of Human Genetics.
Unni Vik is an Associate Professor affiliated with the University of Oslo, specializing in microbial and fungal ecology. Their research explores plant-fungal interactions, symbiosis, and biogeography across Arctic, alpine, and urban ecosystems. Academic Rank: Associate Professor Institution: University of Oslo Vik's work spans diverse ecological contexts, from carbon capture biotechnology to climate change experiments. They have contributed to understanding microbial community structuring, mycorrhizal symbiosis, and environmental DNA sequencing methodologies. Recent publications focus on fungal diversity patterns, root-associated microbiomes, and ecological adaptation in extreme environments. Collaborative projects include the Centre for Integrative Microbial Evolution (CIME) and climate change observational studies. Key research areas include mycorrhizal networks, microbial ecology, and urban environmental education. Their methodological work in bioinformatics has improved fungal ITS sequence analysis for environmental datasets.
Dr. John Hays is an Associate Professor at Erasmus MC within the Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases department. His research focuses on antimicrobial resistance, plasmid biology, and diagnostic innovation in infectious diseases. Active in antimicrobial resistance and genomics research Developed bioinformatics tools like WeFaceNano and BenchAMRking Recipient of the 1992 John Adams Memorial Prize for serological surveys His recent work addresses AMR gene prediction challenges and multi-parametric diagnostic models . Publications span whole genome sequencing , metagenomics , and clinical ethics in antibiotic use. Scientific Awards John Adams Memorial Prize (1992) Advisory roles include Scientific Advisor RAND Europe (2019-2022) and Vitamica (2018-2019). He has organized events like the 32nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (2022) and served as American Society for Microbiology - Country Ambassador for the Netherlands (2018-2022).
Sarah Bagby is an Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University researching how environmental variables drive microbial and viral evolutionary innovations that reshape Earth's biogeochemical systems. Her primary research domains include: Microbiology Environmental Science Evolutionary Biology Bioinformatics Biogeochemistry Molecular Biology Her lab employs integrated methodologies including fieldwork to characterize in situ microbial communities, experimental ecology/microbiology to identify molecular innovations (e.g., cyanobacterial microcompartments, phage pigment pathways), and ecoinformatics to model ecosystem impacts. This work examines how pressure, temperature, irradiance, and fluid dynamics influence microbial membrane structures, energy harvesting, and genetic diversification mechanisms across temporal and spatial scales. Contact details: Office in Millis 109, phone 216-368-3213, email sarah.bagby@case.edu , and lab website bagby-lab.github.io .
Poonam Sharma is a Research Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the Diagnostic Assay Validation Network (DAVN) at Oklahoma State University's Institute for Biosecurity and Microbial Forensics (IBMF). She holds a PhD in Human Pathology from Aix Marseille University, France, and completed a USDA-ARS postdoc at the National Poultry Research Center. Her work focuses on diagnostic assay development, specifically Next-Gen sequencing for poultry viruses and antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens. She leads the National Diagnostic Assay Laboratory Network (DALN), coordinating plant disease diagnostic standards and assay validation protocols. Education : PhD in Human Pathology (Infectious Disease), Aix Marseille University, France Postdoc, USDA-ARS National Poultry Research Center, GA Research Interests : Diagnostic assay validation frameworks for plant pathogens Next-Gen sequencing applications in microbial forensics Antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens Plant disease diagnostic network coordination Grant Funding : USDA-NIFA grant ($1M) for DAVN (2022-2026) Labs/Teams : Leads IBMF's efforts in the DALN and collaborates with USDA-ARS units on poultry virology and bacterial epidemiology. Active in developing standardized protocols for diagnostic assays in agriculture and food safety.
Jannell Bazurto is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of Minnesota, College of Biological Sciences. Her research focuses on microbial physiology, particularly formaldehyde metabolism, metabolic pathways, and bacterial stress responses. She investigates mechanisms governing formaldehyde homeostasis in methylotrophic bacteria and their adaptation to environmental stressors such as osmotic and metabolic toxins. Her work integrates molecular genetics, biochemistry, and systems biology approaches. Her research interests span formaldehyde tolerance, methylotrophy transitions, and metabolic network plasticity. Key contributions include elucidating the role of proteins like EfgA in formaldehyde sensing and bacterial stress responses, as well as studying glycine betaine metabolism and its role in osmotic protection. Recent articles highlight her team's discoveries in formaldehyde homeostasis strategies, glycine betaine catabolism, and global transcriptional responses to stress. These findings advance understanding of microbial survival mechanisms under toxic conditions and metabolic challenges. Bazurto’s grants include projects on methylotrophic bacteria physiology and metabolic engineering. She leads a research lab exploring microbial adaptation strategies, with collaborative networks in microbial ecology and systems biology.
