A Message from the Department Chair
Afzal Siddiqui, M.Phil., PhD.
Welcome to the Department of Immunology & Molecular Biology. Our Department has a
rich history of research and discovery in the basic, clinical and translational sciences.
Our goal is to work towards improvement of health worldwide through the pursuit of
excellence in research and training of medical and graduate students in infectious
diseases; cancer immunology and epigenetics; and tropical medicine of public health
importance. We apply the world’s most innovative science to the world’s worst diseases,
with the eventual aim to develop novel diagnostics; and prevention and treatment tools
for important diseases.
The department is currently comprised of 7 full-time faculty, 22 adjunct graduate
faculty and we are actively recruiting new faculty. The Department serves as the host
for The Center for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases and is part of a major
collaborative endeavor for sequencing and genotyping of SARS-CoV-2 variants in West
Texas. The research in the Department is currently funded through major grants from
the National Institutes of Health, Horizon 2020/European Union, the Wellcome Trust,
the CH Foundation, the RIGHT Fund and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Learn More
We invite you to learn more about our outstanding programs in our Department here.
Our faculty contribute to their personal fields of research, working to expand the
understanding of immunology and molecular microbiology. In addition to their individual
research pursuits, they're eager to work with external collaborators. The following
outlines their current interests:
| Sharilyn Almodovar-Camacho, Ph.D. |
Robert Bright, Ph.D. |
- Cellular sources of HIV in chronic pulmonary disease
- Microenvironment in the pulmonary microvasculature: Implications in HIV disease progression
- HIV evolution in the lung in people using recreational drugs
- Refinement of animal models for HIV-associated pulmonary hypertension and other infectious
diseases
- HIV evolution after COVID-19Long COVID in rural areas in Texas
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- Tumor vaccines
- Immune check point/ tumor vaccine combination
- Tumor antigen/ marker discovery & characterization
- Tumor antigen specific T cell epitope characterization
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- Pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during bacteremia in severely injured/infected
patients
- Pyocins as alternative antibacterial to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections
- Influence of blood on the transcriptomes of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens
- Innovative approaches to eradicate bacteria biofilms
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- Genomic data-analyses (genome, transcriptome, methylome, etc.) from raw (FASTQ/BAM)
files.
- Integrative multi-omics analyses, transposable element analyses, and other genomic/bioinformatics
analyses or development.
- Design, develop, and implement new bioinformatics pipelines.
- Method and software comparisons and benchmarking of available tools.
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- Parasitology
- Vaccine discovery, development and testing for human parasite Schistosoma mansoni
- Stronglyloides stercoralis hyperinfection
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- Cause natural killer (NK) cell expansion
- Prime cytotoxic CD8 T cell activation
- Release of type I cytokine mainly IFNγ, TNFα, and IL15
- Developing CARs against parasitic infections
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The Department of Immunology and Molecular Microbiology integrates several different
disciplines (immunology, bacterial pathogenesis, virology, parasitology and molecular
biology) to provide students with a unique educational experience leading to a PhD
degree concentrated in Immunology and Infectious Diseases. This multidisciplinary
concentration is one of six major programs offered by the Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Apply online.
The Department of Immunology and Molecular Microbiology houses the Image Analysis
and Molecular Core Facilities.
The Office of Research and Innovation is pleased to invite you to our “Research Connect”
Lunch and Learn on Tuesday June 25, 2024 at Noon in the Academic Classroom Building
- Room 110.
We welcome faculty, staff and students across all schools to bring your lunch and
hear from our featured center, the Center for Tropical Medicine & Infectious Diseases.
A virtual option is also available for participation from all campuses.
"Research Connect" is an engaging and informative monthly series designed to uncover
the remarkable research initiatives within TTUHSC Centers and Institutes. In each
one-hour presentation, esteemed faculty members will showcase their cutting-edge research
projects and highlight exciting opportunities and needs for collaboration. After the
presentation, time will be given for Q&A and networking discussions with attendees.
Whether you're seeking research partners, expertise, or resources, "Research Connect"
offers a unique forum to foster collaboration and innovation across disciplines! Addition
information and ZOOM link can be found here: https://info.ttuhsc.edu/eventsweb/Research-Connect-featuring-the-Center-for-Tropical-Medicine-Infectious-Diseases/E175089501
