The research staff of the Molecular Defenses Section (MDS) includes Howard E. Boudreau, Agnes Donko and Agnieszka Korzeniowska. The MDS explores various aspects of NADPH oxidase (NOX/DUOX) function in the contexts of infectious and inflammatory diseases and cancer progression.
Thomas Leto, Ph.D. (He/Him/His)
Chief, Molecular Defenses Section
Education:
Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Virginia
Dr. Leto received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Virginia for studies on mechanisms of cell membrane assembly. He followed this work with postdoctoral studies at Yale University on membrane cytoskeleton interactions. Dr. Leto joined NIAID in 1988 and became a senior investigator in the Laboratory of Host Defenses in 1996.

Agnes P. Donko, Ph.D. (She/Her/Hers)
Research Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., School of Molecular Medical Sciences, Semmelweis University
M.Sc., Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Languages Spoken: Hungarian
Agnes Donko obtained her master’s degree in bioengineering from Budapest University of Technology and Economics and her Ph.D. in biology at the Cellular and Molecular Physiology Program at Semmelweis University.

Agnieszka Korzeniowska, M.S. (She/Her/Hers)
Research Associate
Education:
M.S., Nicolaus Copernicus University
Languages Spoken: Polish
Agnieszka Korzeniowska obtained her M.S. degree in water microbiology and biotechnology.

Former Research Group Members
Balazs Rada, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Georgia
Ryuichi Sugamata, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Teikyo University
Devin J. Burke, M.D., Assistant Professor, State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center
Benjamin W. Casterline, M.D., Resident, University of Chicago
Omar Escobedo, B.S., Medical Student, University of California, Davis
Jaime E. Brito, B.S., Medical Student, University Southern California
Jawara Allen, B.S., MSTP, Johns Hopkins University
Jonathan J. Park, Ph.D., MSTP, Yale University
Stanislas Morand, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Senior Scientist, L’Oreal
Jaeyul Kwon, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Chungnan National University
Meghan Jendrysik, Ph.D., Managing Editor, Elsevier
Takehiko Ueyama, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Kobe University
Miklos Geiszt, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Semmelweis University
Raya Dana, Ph.D., Director, Scientific Writing, AstraZeneca
Isabelle de Mendez, Ph.D., Director, Global Project Management, AstraZeneca