Our Leaders
More about our people in the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity
Akkaya, Billur
Bagaitkar, Juhi
Bailey, Michael
Ballinger, Megan
Boyaka, Prosper
Ebrahimi Nik, Hakimeh
Freud, Aharon
Funderburg, Nicholas T.
Gowdy, Kymberly
Kerur, Nagaraj
Li, Zihai
Liu, Shan-Lu
Meares, Gordon
Mebratu, Yohannes
Mora, Ana
Mundy, Bethany
Pancholi, Vijay
Rojas, Mauricio
Schenk, Austin
Segal, Benjamin
Tridandapani, Susheela
Wang, Ruoning
Wang, Shu-Hua
Wieland, Andreas
Wu, Joyce
Whitacre, Caroline
Zhu, Jian
Research Scientists and Post Doctoral Researchers
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Gene Oltz
Contact information:
770 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-685-0192
ankita.saini@osumc.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Gene Oltz
Contact information:
770 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-685-0192
ankita.saini@osumc.edu
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Amal Amer
Contact information:
750 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-9854
badr.6@osu.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Amal Amer
Contact information:
750 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-9854
badr.6@osu.edu
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Jerry Lio
Contact information:
740 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-366-9335
heng-yi.chen@osumc.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Jerry Lio
Contact information:
740 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-366-9335
heng-yi.chen@osumc.edu
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Haitao Wen
Contact information:
736 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-6072
Hong.Dong@osumc.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Haitao Wen
Contact information:
736 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-6072
Hong.Dong@osumc.edu
Research Interests
The cross talk between energy metabolism and immune signaling is a fascinating field. Dr. Dong’s primary research interest is the understanding of the function and mechanism for glucose metabolism in host antiviral immunity. He mainly focuses on the O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase (OGT)-mediated glucose metabolism and it’s antiviral function. OGT mediates the protein O-GlcNAcylation (the transfer of UDP-GlcNAc to serine or threonine residues of target proteins), which plays important roles in cellular processes, including several host immune responses. Virus infections increase and reprogram host glucose metabolic pathways. This activation not only meet the increased biomolecules and energy demand for activated immune responses but also initiate restorative stress responses.
Dr. Dong currently uses biochemical, genetic and animal modeling strategies to investigate the multiple mechanisms of OGT-mediated glucose metabolism in antiviral response during various virus infections.
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Purnima Dubey
Contact information:
750 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-1045
jesse.hall@osumc.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Purnima Dubey
Contact information:
750 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-1045
jesse.hall@osumc.edu
Research Interests
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Raj Deora
Contact information:
750 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-1045
jessica.gutierrez-ferman@osumc.edu
View publications
Laboratory of Dr. Raj Deora
Contact information:
750 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-1045
jessica.gutierrez-ferman@osumc.edu
Research Interests
Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, continues resurging worldwide. The asymptomatic carrier stage plays an important role in the infectious cycle of the disease. How B. pertussis establishes persistent infections is poorly understood. My research focuses on understanding 1) how biofilm formation of B. pertussis contributes to persistence in the human respiratory tract, and evasion of the host innate immune responses, and 2) B. pertussis transmission by using a neonatal murine model of infection.View publications
Research Scientist, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Dan Wozniak
Contact information:
760 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-688-1619
danis-wlodarczyk.1@osu.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Dan Wozniak
Contact information:
760 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-688-1619
danis-wlodarczyk.1@osu.edu
Research Scientist, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Dan Wozniak
Contact information:
760 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-688-1619
sahil.mahajan@osumc.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Dan Wozniak
Contact information:
760 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-688-1619
sahil.mahajan@osumc.edu
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Murugesan Rajaram
Contact information:
736 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-7720
sameerul.salam@osumc.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Murugesan Rajaram
Contact information:
736 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-7720
sameerul.salam@osumc.edu
Research Interests
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Ken Oestreich
Contact information:
740 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-685-3549
srijana.pokhrel@osumc.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Ken Oestreich
Contact information:
740 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-685-3549
srijana.pokhrel@osumc.edu
Research Interests
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Jacob Yount
Contact information:
760 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-1054
steve.leumiyatchoukeu@osumc.edu
Looking ahead, I aspire to extend this knowledge and apply it to the examination of cardiac complications arising from SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. By leveraging my expertise, I aim to contribute to the understanding of cardiac manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Laboratory of Dr. Jacob Yount
Contact information:
760 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-1054
steve.leumiyatchoukeu@osumc.edu
Research Interests
I am a Post Doctoral Scholar in the Yount Lab, focusing on investigating the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying the dual impact of viral Influenza infection on pulmonary and cardiac health. My primary research objective revolves around unraveling the genetic signatures of the influenza virus responsible for its dissemination to the heart. Additionally, I am investigating host factors that facilitate the propagation of influenza beyond its traditionally recognized target, the lungs. Another crucial aspect of my work involves assessing the severity of cardiac damage subsequent to an influenza infection.Looking ahead, I aspire to extend this knowledge and apply it to the examination of cardiac complications arising from SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. By leveraging my expertise, I aim to contribute to the understanding of cardiac manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Haitao Wen
Contact information:
736 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-6072
yajun.sun@osumc.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Haitao Wen
Contact information:
736 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-6072
yajun.sun@osumc.edu
Research Interests
Yajun is a Postdoc in the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity. She received her Ph.D. degree from Northwest A&F University, China, where she studied the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and phenotypic heterogeneity in microbes. After graduating, she started working in the MI&I under Prof. Haitao Wen. She is interested in the host-microbial interactions. Now she is focusing on revealing how the glucose metabolism modulate host antibacterial immunity and the role of the intratumoral microbes in tumor development.
Post Doctoral Scholar, Microbial Infection and Immunity
Laboratory of Dr. Haitao Wen
Contact information:
736 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-6072
zhiwei.liao@osumc.edu
Laboratory of Dr. Haitao Wen
Contact information:
736 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: 614-293-6072
zhiwei.liao@osumc.edu
Research Interests
Staff
Office Administrative Associate
793B Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-685-0485
Fax: 614-292-9616
Email: bonnie.cooper@osumc.edu
793B Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-685-0485
Fax: 614-292-9616
Email: bonnie.cooper@osumc.edu
Assistant to the Chair
776 Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-292-0918
Fax: 614-292-9616
Email: amy.kennedy@osumc.edu
776 Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-292-0918
Fax: 614-292-9616
Email: amy.kennedy@osumc.edu
Director of Research Operations
795 Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-292-8684
Fax: 614-292-9616
Email: stacy.logan@osumc.edu
795 Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-292-8684
Fax: 614-292-9616
Email: stacy.logan@osumc.edu
Department Administrator
705 Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-247-1564
Fax: 614-292-9616
Email: lisa.margeson@osumc.edu
705 Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-247-1564
Fax: 614-292-9616
Email: lisa.margeson@osumc.edu
Administrative Assistant
776B Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-292-0918
Email: michelle.tan@osumc.edu
776B Biomedical Research Tower
460 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Telephone: 614-292-0918
Email: michelle.tan@osumc.edu