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Loyola University Chicago Microbiology and Immunology
Stritch School of Medicine
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News

We're excited to share our science, success, and stories. Below find a chronological listing of noteworthy news in the Department. If you have news you would like to share, please send an email with details included.

2023

  • Congratulations!  Maria del Mar 2nd place winner in MS Graduate Student Oral Presentation competition.
  • InDIRI Retreat:  April 29 at the Hyatt Lodge 
  • Congratulations to Brian Choi of the Wolfe Lab, a recipient of this year's Schmitt Fellowship
  • Congratulations to Dr. Zach Resko for successfully defending his PhD, February 2023!
  • Congratulations to Dr. Courtney Dial for successfully defending her PhD, March 2023!
  • Congratulations to Dr. Madison Stock for successfully defending her PhD, March 2023!
  • Congratulations to Dr. David Glanville for successfully defending his PhD, April 2023!
  • David Glanville of the Ulijasz Lab publishes in PLoS Pathogens - read it here
  • Zach Resko of the Alonzo Lab publishes in Infection and Immunity - read it here
  • Yazmin Cruz-Pulido of the Mounce Lab publishes in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology - read it here
  • Congratulations to Bruna Tatematsu, Winner of the Best Paper Presentation in the Sciences, Loyola Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Symposium
  • Surovi Mohona, Honorable Mention Poster at the Loyola Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Symposium
  • Infectious Disease and Immunology Institute Annual Retreat, Hyatt Lodge Conference Center, April 29, 2023
  • Dr. Fang Wang, Loyola Research Funding Committee Award Recipient, Tertiary lymphoid structures in liver cancer, April 2023
  • Dr. Olga Kalinina, Loyola Research Funding Committee Award Recipient, Cell therapy for GvHD, April 2023
  • Dr. Ed Campbell, Distinguished University Research Professorship, June 2023
  • Dr. Susan Baker, et al., US Patent, Coronaviruses, Vaccines Comprising the Same and Methods for Preventing Disease, July 2023
  • Welcome Dr. Prabhodh Abbineni, PhD, July 2023
  • Welcome MIIM MS Students:  Alejandra Castellanos, Veronica Fuentes, Adrian Ibarra, and Gustavo Serrato, July 2023
  • Welcome MIIM MD/PhD student, Adam Bronson and PhD Student Adam Thota
  • Congratulations goes out to Dr. Sarah Caldwell Fied, who sucessfully defended August 2023!!
  • Microbiology and Immunology Department Annual Retreat, Loyola University Ecology Campus, August 30, 2023
  • Congratulations to Dr. Karen Visick, Council of Graduate School Programs, Graduate Faculty of the Year!
  • Congratulations to Dr. Alexander Nelson for successfully defending his PhD, September 2023
  • Dr. Adam Driks Memorial Lecture, October 20, 2023, Loyola University Auditorium, 2-4 pm; Guest Lecture, Peter Setlow, PhD 
  • Loyola University 43rd Annual St. Albert's Day, Thursday, October 26, 2023
  • Congratulations to Monika Evdokimova, 1st Place PhD Graduate Student Oral Presentation winner at the Loyola University Chicago 43rd Annual St. Albert's Day 2023!
  • Congratulations to Gio Duca of the Campbell lab for successfully defending his MS, September 2023
  • Congratulations to Reem Noufal of the Qiao lab for successfully defending her MS, October 2023
  • Congratulations to Yazmin Cruz-Pulido of the Mounce Lab for successfully defending her PhD, October 2023
  • Winner!!  Congratulations Bruna Tatematsu winner of the 2023 Constance Campbell Memorial Research Award for Outstanding Oral Presentation at the 1st Upper Midwest Summmit for Reproductive Science at Northwestern.

2022

  • Drew Landrowski (Qiao lab) received a research fellowship from the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness to support her work. Congratulations Drew!
  • Congratulations to this year's graduates: Michelle Belmont, Madison Flood, Natalie LoMascolo, and Ellen Yang!
  • Natalie LoMascolo (Mounce lab) published a manuscript in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Congratulations Natalie!
  • Welcome to our first year InDIRI MS Students:  Reynolds Boone, University of Illinois, Chicago; Connor Guzior, Loyola University Chicago, Nikita Kesav, Ohio State University; Luke Lucio, University of Illinois, Urbana; Anne Sullivan, Indiana University; and, Maria del Mar Villanueva-Guzman, Loyola University Chicago
  • Tom Halverson of the Wolfe Lab publishes in International Urogynecology Journal - read it here
  • Dr. Abby Kroken is awarded Graduate Faculty Member of the Year at SSOM's Annual St. Albert's Day
  • Dr. Bryan Mounce is awarded the Junior Scientist of the Year at SSOM's Annual St. Albert's Day
  • Madison Stock of the Alonzo Lab publishes in Infections and Immunity - read it here
  • Dr. Abby Kroken has been awarded an NIH grant titled " Inflammasome-mediated corneal epithelial cell defenses inhibited by pathogenic bacteria"
  • Dr. Yee Ling Wu has been awarded an NIH grant titled "Development of B cell memory in allergic asthma"
  • Dr. Alan Wolfe has been awarded an NIH grant titled "A Microbial Model for the Formation of Calcium Oxalate and Calcium Phosphate Stones"
  • Dr. Makio Iwashima has been awarded an NIH grant titled "Function of Siglec 5 in T cell activation"
  • Dr. Ed Campbell has been awared an NIH grant titled “ Mechanisms and consequences of T cell inflammasome activation in Graft-Versus Host Disease”
  • Prerana Shrestha of the Visick Lab publishes in Journal of Bacteriology - read it here
  • Shuchen Fang of the Baker Lab publishes in Viruses - read it here
  • Congratulations to Dr. Ameera Bukhari of the Knight Lab, who defended her PhD thesis on June 21st
  • Natalie LoMascolo of the Mounce Lab publishes in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy - read it here
  • Congratulations to Dr. Mai Nguyen of the Osipo and Knight Labs, who defended her PhD thesis on June 17th
  • Congratulations to Natalie LoMascolo of the Mounce Lab, who defended her MS thesis on June 10th
  • Congratulations to Dr. Jesus Zamora-Pineda of the Knight Lab, who defended his PhD thesis on June 8th
  • Congratulations to Dr. Omar Abdel-Rahim of the Wolfe Lab, who defended his PhD thesis on June 3rd 
  • Student Drew Landrowski has been awarded a grant from the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindeness titled “Mechanisms of Lactobacillus metabolites reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine in human corneal epithelial cells”
  • Congratulations to Michelle Belmont of the Sojka Lab, who defended her MS thesis on May 26th
  • Sarah Feid of the Wolfe Lab publishes in mBio - read it here
  • Congratulations to Natasha Peterson of the Visick, who defended her MS thesis on May 17th
  • Dr. Enya Qing of the Gallagher Lab publishes in Cell Reports - read it here

News, Publications and Awards

Recent news and awards from the Micro/Immuno Department at Loyola's Health Science Campus: 

  • Vincent Mastrodomenico of the Mounce Lab publishes in mSphere - read it here
  • Mason Firpo of the Mounce Lab publishes in PLOS Pathogens - read it here
  • Tom Kicmal of the Gallagher Lab publishes in STAR Protocols - read it here

Welcome to Our Newest Faculty!

Dr. Prabhodh Abbineni and Dr. Alyson Hockenberry will be joining our department in 2023!

Dr. Alyson Hockenberry will be leading the Quantitative Infection Biology group.  Here, we combine molecular, ecological, and quantitative methods to better predict infection outcomes.  By understanding how the environment shapes diseased outcomes, we will identify novel therapeutic targets to treat infections.

Dr. Abbineni's lab will be focused on dissecting the secretory component of the innate immune response, and will specifically examine molecular regulation of "unconventional" cytoplasmic protein secretion (UCPS). Ultimately, the goal is to establish a molecular model of UCPS, and to gain an understanding of how secretory pathways adapt to respond to diverse pathogenic cues. 

 

We're excited to share our science, success, and stories. Below find a chronological listing of noteworthy news in the Department. If you have news you would like to share, please send an email with details included.

2023

  • Congratulations!  Maria del Mar 2nd place winner in MS Graduate Student Oral Presentation competition.
  • InDIRI Retreat:  April 29 at the Hyatt Lodge 
  • Congratulations to Brian Choi of the Wolfe Lab, a recipient of this year's Schmitt Fellowship
  • Congratulations to Dr. Zach Resko for successfully defending his PhD, February 2023!
  • Congratulations to Dr. Courtney Dial for successfully defending her PhD, March 2023!
  • Congratulations to Dr. Madison Stock for successfully defending her PhD, March 2023!
  • Congratulations to Dr. David Glanville for successfully defending his PhD, April 2023!
  • David Glanville of the Ulijasz Lab publishes in PLoS Pathogens - read it here
  • Zach Resko of the Alonzo Lab publishes in Infection and Immunity - read it here
  • Yazmin Cruz-Pulido of the Mounce Lab publishes in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology - read it here
  • Congratulations to Bruna Tatematsu, Winner of the Best Paper Presentation in the Sciences, Loyola Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Symposium
  • Surovi Mohona, Honorable Mention Poster at the Loyola Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Symposium
  • Infectious Disease and Immunology Institute Annual Retreat, Hyatt Lodge Conference Center, April 29, 2023
  • Dr. Fang Wang, Loyola Research Funding Committee Award Recipient, Tertiary lymphoid structures in liver cancer, April 2023
  • Dr. Olga Kalinina, Loyola Research Funding Committee Award Recipient, Cell therapy for GvHD, April 2023
  • Dr. Ed Campbell, Distinguished University Research Professorship, June 2023
  • Dr. Susan Baker, et al., US Patent, Coronaviruses, Vaccines Comprising the Same and Methods for Preventing Disease, July 2023
  • Welcome Dr. Prabhodh Abbineni, PhD, July 2023
  • Welcome MIIM MS Students:  Alejandra Castellanos, Veronica Fuentes, Adrian Ibarra, and Gustavo Serrato, July 2023
  • Welcome MIIM MD/PhD student, Adam Bronson and PhD Student Adam Thota
  • Congratulations goes out to Dr. Sarah Caldwell Fied, who sucessfully defended August 2023!!
  • Microbiology and Immunology Department Annual Retreat, Loyola University Ecology Campus, August 30, 2023
  • Congratulations to Dr. Karen Visick, Council of Graduate School Programs, Graduate Faculty of the Year!
  • Congratulations to Dr. Alexander Nelson for successfully defending his PhD, September 2023
  • Dr. Adam Driks Memorial Lecture, October 20, 2023, Loyola University Auditorium, 2-4 pm; Guest Lecture, Peter Setlow, PhD 
  • Loyola University 43rd Annual St. Albert's Day, Thursday, October 26, 2023
  • Congratulations to Monika Evdokimova, 1st Place PhD Graduate Student Oral Presentation winner at the Loyola University Chicago 43rd Annual St. Albert's Day 2023!
  • Congratulations to Gio Duca of the Campbell lab for successfully defending his MS, September 2023
  • Congratulations to Reem Noufal of the Qiao lab for successfully defending her MS, October 2023
  • Congratulations to Yazmin Cruz-Pulido of the Mounce Lab for successfully defending her PhD, October 2023
  • Winner!!  Congratulations Bruna Tatematsu winner of the 2023 Constance Campbell Memorial Research Award for Outstanding Oral Presentation at the 1st Upper Midwest Summmit for Reproductive Science at Northwestern.

2022

  • Drew Landrowski (Qiao lab) received a research fellowship from the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness to support her work. Congratulations Drew!
  • Congratulations to this year's graduates: Michelle Belmont, Madison Flood, Natalie LoMascolo, and Ellen Yang!
  • Natalie LoMascolo (Mounce lab) published a manuscript in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Congratulations Natalie!
  • Welcome to our first year InDIRI MS Students:  Reynolds Boone, University of Illinois, Chicago; Connor Guzior, Loyola University Chicago, Nikita Kesav, Ohio State University; Luke Lucio, University of Illinois, Urbana; Anne Sullivan, Indiana University; and, Maria del Mar Villanueva-Guzman, Loyola University Chicago
  • Tom Halverson of the Wolfe Lab publishes in International Urogynecology Journal - read it here
  • Dr. Abby Kroken is awarded Graduate Faculty Member of the Year at SSOM's Annual St. Albert's Day
  • Dr. Bryan Mounce is awarded the Junior Scientist of the Year at SSOM's Annual St. Albert's Day
  • Madison Stock of the Alonzo Lab publishes in Infections and Immunity - read it here
  • Dr. Abby Kroken has been awarded an NIH grant titled " Inflammasome-mediated corneal epithelial cell defenses inhibited by pathogenic bacteria"
  • Dr. Yee Ling Wu has been awarded an NIH grant titled "Development of B cell memory in allergic asthma"
  • Dr. Alan Wolfe has been awarded an NIH grant titled "A Microbial Model for the Formation of Calcium Oxalate and Calcium Phosphate Stones"
  • Dr. Makio Iwashima has been awarded an NIH grant titled "Function of Siglec 5 in T cell activation"
  • Dr. Ed Campbell has been awared an NIH grant titled “ Mechanisms and consequences of T cell inflammasome activation in Graft-Versus Host Disease”
  • Prerana Shrestha of the Visick Lab publishes in Journal of Bacteriology - read it here
  • Shuchen Fang of the Baker Lab publishes in Viruses - read it here
  • Congratulations to Dr. Ameera Bukhari of the Knight Lab, who defended her PhD thesis on June 21st
  • Natalie LoMascolo of the Mounce Lab publishes in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy - read it here
  • Congratulations to Dr. Mai Nguyen of the Osipo and Knight Labs, who defended her PhD thesis on June 17th
  • Congratulations to Natalie LoMascolo of the Mounce Lab, who defended her MS thesis on June 10th
  • Congratulations to Dr. Jesus Zamora-Pineda of the Knight Lab, who defended his PhD thesis on June 8th
  • Congratulations to Dr. Omar Abdel-Rahim of the Wolfe Lab, who defended his PhD thesis on June 3rd 
  • Student Drew Landrowski has been awarded a grant from the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindeness titled “Mechanisms of Lactobacillus metabolites reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine in human corneal epithelial cells”
  • Congratulations to Michelle Belmont of the Sojka Lab, who defended her MS thesis on May 26th
  • Sarah Feid of the Wolfe Lab publishes in mBio - read it here
  • Congratulations to Natasha Peterson of the Visick, who defended her MS thesis on May 17th
  • Dr. Enya Qing of the Gallagher Lab publishes in Cell Reports - read it here

News, Publications and Awards

Recent news and awards from the Micro/Immuno Department at Loyola's Health Science Campus: 

  • Vincent Mastrodomenico of the Mounce Lab publishes in mSphere - read it here
  • Mason Firpo of the Mounce Lab publishes in PLOS Pathogens - read it here
  • Tom Kicmal of the Gallagher Lab publishes in STAR Protocols - read it here

Welcome to Our Newest Faculty!

Dr. Prabhodh Abbineni and Dr. Alyson Hockenberry will be joining our department in 2023!

Dr. Alyson Hockenberry will be leading the Quantitative Infection Biology group.  Here, we combine molecular, ecological, and quantitative methods to better predict infection outcomes.  By understanding how the environment shapes diseased outcomes, we will identify novel therapeutic targets to treat infections.

Dr. Abbineni's lab will be focused on dissecting the secretory component of the innate immune response, and will specifically examine molecular regulation of "unconventional" cytoplasmic protein secretion (UCPS). Ultimately, the goal is to establish a molecular model of UCPS, and to gain an understanding of how secretory pathways adapt to respond to diverse pathogenic cues.