Cell Biology and Immunology of Fungal Infections
Front row: Seher Anjum, Jin Qiu, Yoon-Dong Park, Jessica Hargarten, Nannan Zhang. Back row: Terri Scott, Waleed Elsegeiny, Kenneth Ssebambulidde, Peter Williamson, Guowu Hu
Peter Williamson, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief, Translational Mycology Section
Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center
Education:
M.D., Ph.D., 1987, Boston University, Boston, MA
Dr. Williamson received his M.D./Ph.D. from Boston University in 1987 and completed a residency in internal medicine at Georgetown University before coming to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a fellowship in infectious diseases. In 1995, after serving a short stint as chief medical officer, Lalmba Sudan, Dr. Williamson joined the faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago as an...
Seher H. Anjum, M.D.
Staff Clinician
Specialty(s): Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center
Education:
M.D., 2010, Kasturba Medical College, India
Waleed A. Elsegeiny, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
B.S., Louisiana State University
Languages Spoken: Arabic
Our clinical study focuses on non-HIV individuals that acquire an opportunistic infection of Cryptococcus. Over 30% of patients tested were positive for anti-GMCSF autoantibodies in blood plasma. One function of GM-CSF is the inhibition of autophagy in monocytes/macrophages, which we observed enhances their sensitivity to antigen, cytokine production, and intrinsic fungicidal activity.
Jessica C. Hargarten, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral IRTA Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, 2016, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
B.S., Biological Sciences, 2009, University of California, Davis
Jessica’s research in the TMS focuses on understanding how rare genetic variants (in MTOR, GPR35, and CXCR6) increase the susceptibility of previously healthy people to fungal infections, particularly those caused by the neurotropic pathogen Cryptococcus. Ongoing experiments using mouse models of disease and clinical samples will further determine the role of these genes in immunity and...
Guowu Hu, Ph.D.
Biologist
Languages Spoken: Chinese
My research interests focus on the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of fungal infectious diseases in human.
Yoon-Dong Park, Ph.D.
Education:
Ph.D., Chungnam National University
Languages Spoken: Korean
The aim of my research is the study of molecular mechanisms of virulence in fungal infectious diseases to elucidate novel therapeutic approaches for prevention and treatment. My recent research focus is to find a biomarker of cryptococcal meningitis and use it for therapy by comparing the gene expression of meningitis and pneumonia.
Jin Qiu, M.D., Ph.D.
Biological Scientist; Lab Manager
Education:
M.D., Ph.D., Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi; Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing; Peking Union Medical College, Beijing.
Languages Spoken: Chinese
Focuses on pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and epidemiology of mycoses, particularly cryptococcosis and candidiasis. Try to demonstrate a role for MUC16/CA125 in the initial adhesion events in vascular kidney endothelial cells and a potential role for serum measurements as a marker of outcome in human fungal infections.
Terri L. Scott, MSN, CRNP-F
Nurse Practitioner
Education:
MSN Family Nurse Practitioner, Chamberlain University
Support the Translational Mycology Section by evaluating patients enrolled on our natural history protocol in an outpatient setting. Contribute to research by compiling clinical data for publications.
Kenneth Ssebambulidde, MBChB, M.Sc
Education:
M.Sc., Immunology of Infectious Diseases, 2019, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
MBChB, 2015 Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
Languages Spoken: Luganda
I am a clinician with special interest in immune-mediated etiopathogenesis of diseases including a link between communicable and non-communicable diseases. I am a visiting postdoc fellow under the African Postdoctoral Training Initiative (APTI) program. Currently in Dr Williamson’s lab, I am working on understanding the role of CD151, a cell membrane tetraspanin, in the pathogenesis of...
Malcolm J. Vaughan
Research Support Specialist
Education:
B.S., Biological Sciences
I primarily assist with the various animal studies and colony management within the lab. The other project I work on is testing the efficacy of treatment cochleates in cells and animal studies.
Nannan Zhang, Ph.D.
Biologist
Education:
Ph.D., Biology, Johns Hopkins University
M.S., Biochemistry and molecular biology, Dalian Medical University
B.S., Clinical Medicine, Dalian Medical University
Languages Spoken: Chinese
Working on an RNA biology project related to cryptococcal infection and autoimmune diseases. It involves exploring functions of a RNA helicase, DDX6 in fungal infection and naïve T cell polarization.