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New M&I Chief

Effective September 1, Ryan O’Connell became the Division Chief of the Microbiology and Immunology Division in the Department of Pathology. 

Dr. O’Connell, who joined our faculty in 2011, is recognized nationally for his contributions and expertise in identifying the roles of microRNAs in regulating both physiological and pathological immune cell functions. He shepherded the formation and success of the institutional 3i initiative, serving as the inaugural Director and then Co-Director of a program that has engaged more than 150 faculty members from 33 departments and 8 schools/colleges with research interests related to immunology, infectious disease, and inflammation. Most recently, Ryan has worked with Daniel Leung and June Round to establish the MAGIC (Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Immunology Consortium) Center as an offshoot of the 3i initiative. Ryan will step down from his role as Co-Director of MAGIC to focus on leadership of the M&I Division.

New 3i Faculty Co-Director

We are pleased to announce our new 3i Faculty Co-Director, Jackie Winter. Jackie will work in partnership with Daniel Leung.

Jackie Winter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. She earned her Ph.D. in Marine Natural Product Biosynthesis from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and completed postdoctoral training at the Hans Knöll Institute in Germany and at UCLA.  Her interdisciplinary research centers on discovering and developing new therapeutic agents from halophilic microorganisms isolated from Great Salt Lake, studying how human pathogens acquire antibiotic resistance genes from natural reservoirs, and investigating how microbial communities have evolved mechanisms to survive and thrive in heavy metal-rich environments.

Congratulations to the following investigators who were recently received their NOAs on the following grants: 

Antibody targeting of the virome  - PIs: June Round and Zac Round

A mobile health tool to improve antibiotic stewardship among village doctors in Bangladesh - PIs: Daniel Leung, Ashraful Khan and Eric Nelson

The role of Infiltrating Macrophages in Seizure Generation Following CNS Infection - PI: Ana Beatriz De Paula E Silva

Immunoregulatory roles for exosomes in the gastrointestinal tract - PIs Ryan O'Connell and June Round

Below is a selection of MAGIC-Related Funding Opportunities: 

Enhancing Mechanistic Research on Precision Probiotic Therapies (R33 Clinical Trial Optional) Due 10/1 then 6/2/2025

Mechanistic Investigations into ADRD Multiple Etiology Dementias (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Due 10/4

Modular R01s in Cancer Control and Population Sciences (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) Due 10/5

Understanding the Intersection of Social Inequities to Optimize Health and Reduce Health Disparities: The Axes Initiative (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) Due 2/14

UKRI/BBSRC- NSF/BIO Lead Agency Opportunity in Biological Informatics, Systems Understanding of Host-Microbe Interactions, Synthetic Cells and Cellular Systems, and Synthetic Microbial Communities Due 10/31

Congratulations to the following investigators who have recently published articles:  

Stochasticity, determinism, and contingency shape genome evolution of endosymbiotic bacteria  - Colin Dale (Nature Communications)

Rodents consuming the same toxic diet harbor a unique functional core microbiome -  Denise Dearing (Animal Microbiome)

Mucosal-associated invariant T cells modulate innate immune cells and inhibit colon cancer growth - Daniel Leung (Scandinavian Journal of Immunology)

MAGIC Interest Group Seminar Series

September 26th, 2024 at 12:00 PM

Speakers: June Round and Gianna Hammer

HSEB Rm 4100B

M&I Seminar Series

September 27th, 2024  at 12:00 PM

Speaker: Fengyi Wan

Talk Title: "Breastfeeding, gut microbiota, and infant health - a perspective from the bench"

EHSEB 1750

MoWMA Seed Grants Submission Deadline

September 27th, 2024 at 11:59 PM

Applications for the 2024 seed grants are due by 11:59 PM via InfoReady.