Terry D. Connell PhD
Terry D. Connell
PhD
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Adjunct Professor of Oral Biology
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Allergy and Immunology; Bacterial Pathogenesis; Gene Expression; Genomics and proteomics; Immunology; Infectious Disease; Medical Microbiology; Microbial Pathogenesis; Microbiology; Molecular and Cellular Biology; Molecular Basis of Disease; Molecular genetics; Protein Function and Structure; Signal Transduction
Professional Summary:
Research efforts in my laboratory are focused in the fields of immunology and bacterial pathogenesis, two diverse fields of biomedical research for which I have two separate research groups. Projects in both fields are performed by undergraduates, doctoral and master’s degree students, postdoctoral fellows and senior research associates.
One major focus of my laboratory is studying the regulation of mucosal immune responses. We investigate the cellular and molecular events by which Type II heat-labile enterotoxins (HLTs), produced by certain strains of Escherichia coli, modulate immune responses. We have demonstrated that LT-Ilia, LT-IIb and LT-IIc, when co-administered with an antigen, have the capacity to enhance antibody and cellular immune responses to that antigen. Using a variety of immunological and cellular technologies, including flow cytometry, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) detection, cytokine multiplex analysis, mutagenesis, quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) and a variety of transgenic mice, we are investigating the mechanisms by which these immunomodulators productively interact with various immunocompetent cells (T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages) to induce or suppress cytokine production, costimulatory ligand expression and cellular proliferation. A practical outgrowth of these experiments is the potential to engineer novel recombinant vaccines by genetically fusing antigens from different pathogens to the enterotoxins. Recent experiments have shown that these HLT are lethal for triple-negative breast cancer cells, which has opened a new area of oncological research for the lab.
A second focus of my laboratory is to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) induce, exacerbate or prolong the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn’s disease, two acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the human gut. In vitro, AIEC strains invade into the cytoplasm of several epithelial cell lines. Using recombinant screening methods and RNA-Seq technologies, we are identifying the genes of AIEC that are required to attach and to invade gut cells.
Education and Training:
- PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1989)
- MS, University of Alabama (1981)
- BS, University of Alabama (1977)
Employment:
- Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo (2007-present)
- Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo (1999–2007)
- Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo (1993–1999)
- Research Associate, Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (1992–1993)
- Instructor, Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (1991–1992)
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (1989–1992)
- Laboratory Instructor, Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina (1984–1985)
- Research Technician, Biological Sciences, University of Utah (1981–1983)
- Teaching Assistant, Biological Sciences, University of Utah (1980)
- Laboratory Instructor, Biological Sciences, University of Alabama (1977–1979)
- Technical Collaborator, Biological Sciences, University of Alabama (1976–1977)
Awards and Honors:
- Dean‘s Award, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2012)
- Individual Development Award, United University Professions (2008)
- Nat'l Inst. of Dental & Craniofacial Research, Independent Scientist Award (2006)
- Inventor of the Year, Life Sciences (2006)
- Individual Development Award, United University Professions (2005)
- University at Buffalo, Recognition as a UB Top 100 Federal Grantee (2005)
- Certificate of Recognition for Dedication to Students, University at Buffalo (2005)
- University at Buffalo, Recognition as a UB Top 100 Federal Grantee (2002)
- Individual Development Award, United University Professions (1999)
- Term Faculty Development Award, NY State/United University Professions (1995)
- National Research Service Award Traineeship (1989)
- Graduate Council Fellowship, University of Alabama (1978)
Research Expertise:
- Bacterial genetics: Molecular biology underlying the capacity of AIEC strain of Escherichia coli to induce Crohn's Disease and inflammation in the intestinal tract.
- Bacterial pathogenesis: Pathogenesis of the bacterial heat-labile enterotoxins.
- Immunobiology: Cellular and molecular biology of immunomodulation modulated by dendritic cells, T cells, B cells, neutrophils, and other immune cells.
- Molecular and cellular immunology
- Mucosal immunology: Cellular and molecular events which modulate mucosal immune responses
- Vaccine development: Use of bacterial heat-labile enterotoxins as adjuvants in the design of new and improved vaccines against pathogens, toxins, and other biological agents.
Grants and Sponsored Research:
- January 2010–August 2013
Development of a chimeric protein as a novel multivalent delivery vehicle for inducing protective immune responses to pathogens on mucosal surfaces
The Oishei Foundation
Role: Principal Investigator
$195,120 - August 2006–July 2011
Type II enterotoxins as mucosal immunomodulators
National Institutes of Health
Role: Principal Investigator
$1,150,000 - January 2004–December 2008
Antigens of Streptococcus mutans in caries immunity
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
$936,812 - July 2005–November 2007
Interactions of the E. coli Type II heat-labile enterotoxins with dentritic cells
Buswell Foundation
Role: Contributor
$135,000 - December 2001–March 2007
Type II enterotoxins as immunomodulators
National Institute for Dental & Craniofacial Research
Role: Principal Investigator
$487,051 - April 2001–March 2006
Type II enterotoxins as mucosal immunomodulators
National Institute for Dental & Craniofacial Research
Role: Principal Investigator
$789,000 - January 1999–December 2003
Antigens of Streptococcus mutans in caries
NICDR
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
$900,000 - June 1996–May 2002
Extra-cellular secretion in Vibrio cholerae
NIAID
Role: Principal Investigator
$350,000 - January 2000–January 2001
Crystallographic investigation of the Vibrio cholerae chitinase: Structural resolution of a bacterial extracellular transport signal
State University of New York at Buffalo
Role: Principal Investigator
$20,000 - January 1994–January 1999
Lucille P. Markey Trust
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, CDC
Role: Contributor
$1,000,000 - January 1995–January 1997
A Recombinant Porphyromonas gingivalis vaccine
National Institute for Dental & Craniofacial Research
Role: Principal Investigator
$50,000 - January 1991–January 1996
Training Program in Periodontal Disease , NIDR
National Institute for Dental & Craniofacial Research
Role: Contributor
$1,165,033
Patents:
- Chimeric antigen-enterotoxin mucosal immunogen A method for inducing immune respnses by recombinant antigen-enterotoxin chimeric mucosal immunogens that contain the A2/B subunits of cholera toxin or the type II heat-labile enterotoxins. These chimeras differentially enhance antibody secretion, cytokine production, and B7-co-stimulation of T cells and CD40L expression of CD4+ T cells. (2005)
Journal Articles:
- El-Kassas S, Faraj R, Martin K, Hajishengallis G, Connell TD, Nashar T. Cell clustering and delay/arrest in T-cell division implicate a novel mechanism of immune modulation by E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin B-subunits. Cell Immunol. 2015; 295(2).
- Hu JC, Mathias-Santos C, Greene CJ, King-Lyons ND, Rodrigues JF, Hajishengallis G, Ferreira LC, Connell TD. Intradermal administration of the Type II heat-labile enterotoxins LT-IIb and LT-IIc of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli enhances humoral and CD8+ T cell immunity to a co-administered antigen. PLoS One. 2014; 9(12).
- Gopal R, Rangel-Moreno J, Fallert Junecko BA, Mallon DJ, Chen K, Pociask DA, Connell TD, Reinhart TA, Alcorn JF, Ross TM, Kolls JK, Khader SA. Mucosal pre-exposure to Th17-inducing adjuvants exacerbates pathology after influenza infection. Am J Pathol. 2014; 184(1).
- Greene CJ, Chadwick CM, Mandell LM, Hu JC, O'Hara JM, Brey RN, Mantis NJ, Connell TD. LT-IIb(T13I), a non-toxic type II heat-labile enterotoxin, augments the capacity of a ricin toxin subunit vaccine to evoke neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity. PLoS One. 2013; 8(8).
- Hajishengallis, G. and T. D. Connell.. Type II heat-labile enterotoxins: structure, function, and immunomodulatory properties.. Veterinary Immunol & Immunopathol. 2013; 152.
- Greene, C, C Chadwick, LM Mandell, JC Hu, JM O’Hara, RN Brey III, NJ Mantis and TD Connell. A novel recombinant type II heat-labile enterotoxin administered intradermally augments immunogenicity of a candidate biodefense subunit vaccine.. pLOS1. 2013.
- Liang S, KB Hosur, CH Lee, TD Connell and G Hajishentallis. Induction of helper T cell subset differentiation by the B pentameric subunit of Type IIb enterotoxin (LT-IIb-B5).. Vaccine. 2013.
- Berenson CS, Nawar HF, Kruzel RL, Mandell LM, Connell TD. Ganglioside-binding specificities of E. coli enterotoxin LT-IIc: Importance of long-chain fatty acyl ceramide. Glycobiology. 2013; 23(1).
- Gopal R, Rangel-Moreno J, Slight S, Lin Y, Nawar HF, Fallert Junecko BA, Reinhart TA, Kolls J, Randall TD, Connell TD, Khader SA. Interleukin-17-dependent CXCL13 mediates mucosal vaccine-induced immunity against tuberculosis. Mucosal Immunol. 2013.
- Amarasinghe JJ, Connell TD, Scannapieco FA, Haase EM. Novel iron-regulated and Fur-regulated small regulatory RNAs in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Mol Oral Microbiol. 2012; 27(5).
- Casey, T.A., T.D. Connell, R.K. Holmes, and S.C. Whipp.. Evaluation of heat-labile enterotoxins Type IIa and type IIb in the pathogenicity of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli for neonatal pigs.. Veterinary Microbiology. 2012; 159(1-2).
- V. Cody, J. Pace, H. F. Nawar, N. King-Lyons, S. Liang, T. D. Connell and G. Hajishengallis. Structure-activity correlations of variant forms of the B pentamer of Escherichia coli type II heat-labile enterotoxin LT-IIb with Toll-like receptor 2 binding.. Acta Cryst. 2012; D68.
- Lee CH, Masso-Welch P, Hajishengallis G, Connell TD, Masso-Welch PA. TLR2-dependent modulation of dendritic cells by LT-IIa-B5, a novel mucosal adjuvant derived from a type II heat-labile enterotoxin. J Leukoc Biol. 2011.
- Myneni SR, Settem RP, Connell TD, Keegan AD, Gaffen SL, Sharma A. TLR2 signaling and Th2 responses drive Tannerella forsythia-induced periodontal bone loss. J Immunol. 2011; 187(1).
- Nawar HF, Greene CJ, Lee CH, Mandell LM, Hajishengallis G, Connell TD. LT-IIc, a new member of the type II heat-labile enterotoxin family, exhibits potent immunomodulatory properties that are different from those induced by LT-IIa or LT-IIb. Vaccine. 2011; 29(4).
- Nawar HF, Greene CJ, Lee CH, Mandell LM, Hajishengallis G, Connell TD. Distinctive immunomodulatory and inflammatory properties of the Escherichia coli type II heat-labile enterotoxin LT-IIa and its B pentamer following intradermal administration.. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. 2011; 18.
- Nawar HF, King-Lyons ND, Hu JC, Pasek RC, Connell TD. LT-IIc, a new member of the type II heat-labile enterotoxin family encoded by an Escherichia coli strain obtained from a nonmammalian host. Infect Immun. 2010; 78(11).
- Nawar HF, Berenson CS, Hajishengallis G, Takematsu H, Mandell L, Clare RL, Connell TD. Binding to gangliosides containing N-acetylneuraminic acid is sufficient to mediate the immunomodulatory properties of the nontoxic mucosal adjuvant LT-IIb(T13I). Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2010; 17(6).
- Lee CH, Nawar HF, Mandell L, Liang S, Hajishengallis G, Connell TD. Enhanced antigen uptake by dendritic cells induced by the B pentamer of the type II heat-labile enterotoxin LT-IIa requires engagement of TLR2. Vaccine. 2010; 28(21).
- Burgos JM, King-Lyons ND, Connell TD. Expression of BfrH, a putative siderophore receptor of Bordetella bronchiseptica, is regulated by iron, Fur1, and the extracellular function sigma factor EcfI. Infect Immun. 2010; 78(3).
- Berenson CS, Nawar HF, Yohe HC, Castle SA, Ashline DJ, Reinhold VN, Hajishengallis G, Connell TD. Mammalian cell ganglioside-binding specificities of E. coli enterotoxins LT-IIb and variant LT-IIb(T13I). Glycobiology. 2010; 20(1).
- Liang S, Hosur KB, Nawar HF, Russell MW, Connell TD, Hajishengallis G. In vivo and in vitro adjuvant activities of the B subunit of Type IIb heat-labile enterotoxin (LT-IIb-B5) from Escherichia coli. Vaccine. 2009; 27(32).
- Taube S, Perry JW, Yetming K, Patel SP, Auble H, Shu L, Nawar HF, Lee CH, Connell TD, Shayman JA, Wobus CE. Ganglioside-linked terminal sialic acid moieties on murine macrophages function as attachment receptors for murine noroviruses. J Virol. 2009; 83(9).
- Connell TD. Cholera toxin, LT-I, LT-IIa and LT-IIb: the critical role of ganglioside binding in immunomodulation by type I and type II heat-labile enterotoxins. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2007; 6(5).
- Mocny JC, Olson JS, Connell TD. Passively released heme from hemoglobin and myoglobin is a potential source of nutrient iron for Bordetella bronchiseptica. Infect Immun. 2007; 75(10).
- King-Lyons ND, Smith KF, Connell TD. Expression of hurP, a gene encoding a prospective site 2 protease, is essential for heme-dependent induction of bhuR in Bordetella bronchiseptica. J Bacteriol. 2007; 189(17).
- Liang S, Wang M, Triantafilou K, Triantafilou M, Nawar HF, Russell MW, Connell TD, Hajishengallis G. The A subunit of type IIb enterotoxin (LT-IIb) suppresses the proinflammatory potential of the B subunit and its ability to recruit and interact with TLR2. J Immunol. 2007; 178(8).
- Liang S, Wang M, Tapping RI, Stepensky V, Nawar HF, Triantafilou M, Triantafilou K, Connell TD, Hajishengallis G. Ganglioside GD1a is an essential coreceptor for Toll-like receptor 2 signaling in response to the B subunit of type IIb enterotoxin. J Biol Chem. 2007; 282(10).
- Arce S, Nawar HF, Muehlinghaus G, Russell MW, Connell TD. In vitro induction of immunoglobulin A (IgA)- and IgM-secreting plasma blasts by cholera toxin depends on T-cell help and is mediated by CD154 up-regulation and inhibition of gamma interferon synthesis. Infect Immun. 2007; 75(3).
- Nawar HF, Arce S, Russell MW, Connell TD. Mutants of type II heat-labile enterotoxin LT-IIa with altered ganglioside-binding activities and diminished toxicity are potent mucosal adjuvants. Infect Immun. 2007; 75(2).
- Hajishengallis G, Arce S, Gockel CM, Connell TD, Russell MW. Immunomodulation with enterotoxins for the generation of secretory immunity or tolerance: applications for oral infections. J Dent Res. 2005; 84(12).
- van Ginkel FW, Jackson RJ, Yoshino N, Hagiwara Y, Metzger DJ, Connell TD, Vu HL, Martin M, Fujihashi K, McGhee JR. Enterotoxin-based mucosal adjuvants alter antigen trafficking and induce inflammatory responses in the nasal tract. Infect Immun. 2005; 73(10).
- Arce S, Nawar HF, Russell MW, Connell TD. Differential binding of Escherichia coli enterotoxins LT-IIa and LT-IIb and of cholera toxin elicits differences in apoptosis, proliferation, and activation of lymphoid cells. Infect Immun. 2005; 73(5).
- King ND, Kirby AE, Connell TD. Transcriptional control of the rhuIR-bhuRSTUV heme acquisition locus in Bordetella avium. Infect Immun. 2005; 73(3).
- Hajishengallis G, Tapping RI, Martin MH, Nawar H, Lyle EA, Russell MW, Connell TD. Toll-like receptor 2 mediates cellular activation by the B subunits of type II heat-labile enterotoxins. Infect Immun. 2005; 73(3).
- Nawar HF, Arce S, Russell MW, Connell TD. Mucosal adjuvant properties of mutant LT-IIa and LT-IIb enterotoxins that exhibit altered ganglioside-binding activities. Infect Immun. 2005; 73(3).
- Hajishengallis G, Nawar H, Tapping RI, Russell MW, Connell TD. The Type II heat-labile enterotoxins LT-IIa and LT-IIb and their respective B pentamers differentially induce and regulate cytokine production in human monocytic cells. Infect Immun. 2004; 72(11).
- Kirby AE, King ND, Connell TD. RhuR, an extracytoplasmic function sigma factor activator, is essential for heme-dependent expression of the outer membrane heme and hemoprotein receptor of Bordetella avium. Infect Immun. 2004; 72(2).
- Murphy ER, Sacco RE, Dickenson A, Metzger DJ, Hu Y, Orndorff PE, Connell TD. BhuR, a virulence-associated outer membrane protein of Bordetella avium, is required for the acquisition of iron from heme and hemoproteins.. Infect Immun. 2002; 70(10).
- Folster JP, Connell TD. The extracellular transport signal of the Vibrio cholerae endochitinase (ChiA) is a structural motif located between amino acids 75 and 555.. J Bacteriol. 2002; 184(8).
- Drahushuk K, Connell TD, Higgins D. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide and vasoactive intestinal peptide inhibit dendritic growth in cultured sympathetic neurons.. J Neurosci. 2002; 22.
- Kirby AE, Metzger DJ, Murphy ER, Connell TD. Heme utilization in Bordetella avium is regulated by RhuI, a heme-responsive extracytoplasmic function sigma factor. Infect Immun. 2001; 69(11).
- Martin M, Metzger DJ, Michalek SM, Terry Connell, 0F70L4CU7W. Distinct cytokine regulation by cholera toxin and type II heat-labile toxins involves differential regulation of CD40 ligand on CD4(+) t cells.. Infect Immun. 2001; 69(7).
- Martin M, Hajishengallis G, Metzger DJ, Michalek SM, Connell TD, Russell MW. Recombinant antigen-enterotoxin A2/B chimeric mucosal immunogens differentially enhance antibody responses and B7-dependent costimulation of CD4(+) T cells. Infect Immun. 2001; 69(1).
- Ali A, Johnson JA, Franco AA, Metzger DJ, Terry Connell, Morris JG, Sozhamannan S. Mutations in the extracellular protein secretion pathway genes (eps) interfere with rugose polysaccharide production in and motility of Vibrio cholerae.. Infect Immun. 2000; 68(4).
- Martin M, Metzger DJ, Michalek SM, Terry Connell, Russell MW. Comparative analysis of the mucosal adjuvanticity of the type II heat-labile enterotoxins LT-IIa and LT-IIb.. Infect Immun. 2000; 68(1).
- Murphy ER, Dickenson A, Militello KT, Terry Connell. Genetic characterization of wild-type and mutant fur genes of Bordetella avium.. Infect Immun. 1999; 67(6).
- Terry Connell, Metzger DJ, Lynch J, Folster JP. Endochitinase is transported to the extracellular milieu by the eps-encoded general secretory pathway of Vibrio cholerae.. J Bacteriol. 1998; 180(21).
- Terry Connell, Dickenson A, Martone AJ, Militello KT, Filiatraut MJ, Hayman ML, Pitula J. Iron starvation of Bordetella avium stimulates expression of five outer membrane proteins and regulates a gene involved in acquiring iron from serum.. Infect Immun. 1998; 66(8).
- Terry Connell, Metzger D, Sfintescu C, Evans RT. Immunostimulatory activity of LT-IIa, a type II heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli.. Immunol Lett. 1998; 62(2).
- van den Akker F, Sarfaty S, Twiddy EM, Terry Connell, Holmes RK, Hol WG. Crystal structure of a new heat-labile enterotoxin, LT-IIb.. Structure. 1996; 4(6).
- Terry Connell, Metzger DJ, Wang M, Jobling MG, Holmes RK. Initial studies of the structural signal for extracellular transport of cholera toxin and other proteins recognized by Vibrio cholerae.. Infect Immun. 1995; 63(10).
- Terry Connell, Holmes RK. Mutational analysis of the ganglioside-binding activity of the type II Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin LT-IIb.. Mol Microbiol. 1995; 16(1).
- Terry Connell, Martone AJ, Holmes RK. A new mobilizable cosmid vector for use in Vibrio cholerae and other gram-negative bacteria.. Gene. 1995; 153(1).
- Connell TD, Holmes RK. Characterization of hybrid toxins produced in Escherichia coli by assembly of A and B polypeptides from type I and type II heat-labile enterotoxins.. Infect Immun. 1992; 60(4).
- Connell TD, Holmes RK. Molecular genetic analysis of ganglioside GD1b-binding activity of Escherichia coli type IIa heat-labile enterotoxin by use of random and site-directed mutagenesis.. Infect Immun. 1992; 60(1).
- Connell TD, Shaffer D, Cannon JG. Characterization of the repertoire of hypervariable regions in the Protein II (opa) gene family of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.. Mol Microbiol. 1990; 4(3).
- Murphy GL, Connell TD, Barritt DS, Koomey M, Cannon JG. Phase variation of gonococcal protein II: regulation of gene expression by slipped-strand mispairing of a repetitive DNA sequence.. Cell. 1989; 56(4).
- Connell TD, Black WJ, Kawula TH, Barritt DS, Dempsey JA, Kverneland K, Stephenson A, Schepart BS, Murphy GL, Cannon JG. Recombination among protein II genes of Neisseria gonorrhoeae generates new coding sequences and increases structural variability in the protein II family.. Mol Microbiol. 1988; 2(2).
- Woods JP, Black JR, Barritt DS, Connell TD, Cannon JG. Resistance to meningococcemia apparently conferred by anti-H.8 monoclonal antibody is due to contaminating endotoxin and not to specific immunoprotection.. Infect Immun. 1987; 55(8).
- Woods JP, Aho EL, Barritt DS, Black JR, Connell TD, Kawula TH, Spinola SM, Cannon JG. The H8 antigen of pathogenic Neisseriae.. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1987; 53(6).
- Connell TD and Scheiring JF. The demography of the shore fly Scatella picea(Walker)(Diptera:Ephydridae).. Environmental Entomology. 1982; 11.
- Terry Connell. A new technique for the surface sterilization of insect eggs.. J. Kansas Entomology Society. 1981; 54.
- Terry Connell. The feeding ecology of the shore fly Scatella picea (Walker)(Diptera:Ephydridae). Canadian J. Zoology. 1981; 59.
- Scheiring, J.F., Terry Connell. A description of the egg of Zeros flavipes (Cresson). J. Kansas Entomology Society. 1979; 52.
Books and Book Chapters:
- Holmes, RK, MJ Jobling and TD Connell. Cholera toxin and related heat-labile enterotoxins of Gram-negative bacteria.. 1995; 8.
Abstracts:
- Martin, M., Hajishengallis, G., Michael Russell, Metzger, D., Terry Connell, Michalek, S.M.. Purification of the recombinant protein SBR-LT-IIa2/B. J. Dent. Res.. 1998; 77(A).
Professional Memberships:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (1996–present)
- American Society for Microbiology (1996–present)
- Center for Advanced Molecular Biology and Immunology (1996–present)
- Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology (1996–present)
- Buffalo Collegium of Immunology (1996–present)
- UB Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Group (1996–present)
- Oral Immunology/Microbiology Graduate Group (1996–present)
- Society for Mucosal Immunology (1996–present)
- American Association of Immunologists
- International Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Technology
Presentations:
- "Heme acquisition: a heme-regulated virulence determinant of the Bordetellae" Invited seminar, Georgia State University, Georgia State University, Department of Biology (2003)
- "The role of Type II enterotoxins in mucosal adjuvant stimulation" Invited seminar, GlaxoSmithKline (Belgium), Vaccine group, GlaxoSmithKline, vaccine group (2003)
- "A comparative analysis of the adjuvant activities of CT and the Escherichia coli Type II enterotoxins (LT-IIa, LT-IIb); a role for ganglioside-binding specificity in immunomodulation" American Society for Microbiology, 102nd General Meeting, American Society for Microbiology (2002)
- "Inducible expression of heme/hemoglobin uptake by Bordetella spp" Dept. of Biological Sciences and The Howard Hughes Undergraduate Program, The University of Alabama (2001)
- "Genetic regulation of heme uptake by the bacterial pathogen Bordetella avium" Department of Oral Biology, SUNYAB (2001)
- "Regulation of heme uptake by Bordetella spp" Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Oral Immunology/Microbiology Research Group (2001)
- "Utilization of heme by the respiratory pathogen Bordetella pertussis and B. avium is regulated by an ECR sigma factor" Center for Advanced Molecular Biology and Immunology, Faculty Research Exchange Day, SUNYAB (2000)
- "Heme, hemoglobin, and iron: genetic analyses of an iron uptake system in the upper respiratory pathogens Bordetella avium and Bordetella pertussis" The University of Houston, Department of Biology and Biochemistry (2000)
- "Bordetella sp. utilize heme as a source of iron for growth: a genetic analysis of the Fe-regulated frg locus" Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Group, SUNYAB (1999)
- "Bordetella sp. utilize heme as a source of iron for growth: a genetic analysis of the Fe-regulatef frg locus" University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Microbiology and Immunology (1999)
- "Fe-regulation in the respiratory pathogen Bordetella avium" University of Alabama, Dept. of Microbiology (1999)
- "Secretion of cholera toxin and chitinase by Vibrio cholerae" University of Maryland, Division of Hospital Epidemiology (1998)
- "The role of Fe in virulence of Bordetella avium" Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration (1998)
- "The genetics of iron-uptake by the respiratory pathogen Bordetella avium" Department of Biophysical Pharmacology, SUNYAB (1998)
- "The genetics of iron-uptake by the respiratory pathogen Bordetella avium" Department of Biology, SUNYAB (1998)
- "Initial studies on iron uptake by the pathogen Bordetella avium" Department of BiochemistrySUNYAB (1997)
- "Acquisition of iron by Bordetella avium" Center for Microbial Pathogenesis Monthly Seminar Series, SUNYAB (1996)
- "Extracellular secretion by Vibrio cholerae and Ganglioside-binding of LT-II heat liable enterotoxins" Research Colloquium, Division of Infectious Disease (1996)
- "Initial Studies of the structural signal for extracellular transport of cholera toxin and other proteins by Vibrio cholerae" 31st US/Japan Joint Conference on Cholera and related Diarrrheal Diseases (1995)
- "A recombinant Porphyromonas gingivalis vaccine" Fifth Annual Meeting of the Oral Immunology/Microbiology Research Group (1995)
- "Extracellular secretion of cholera toxin by Vibrio cholerae" Infectious Diseases Research Conference (1994)
- "Genetics of receptor binding by Type II heat-labile enterotoxins" Microbial Pathogenesis Fall Research Forum of the SUNYAB Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Group (1993)
- "Genetic analysis of the ganglioside-binding activity of the Type II heat-labile enterotoxins of Escherichia coli" 27th US/Japan Joint Conference on Cholera and Related Diarrheal Diseases (1991)
Service Activities:
- Microbiology; Reviewer (ad hoc); Ad Hoc Reviewer (2003–present)
- Microbiology; Reviewer (ad hoc); Ad Hoc Reviewer (2003–present)
- President, WNYASM; Western New York Branch of the American Society of Microbiology; President (2002–2003)
- Immunological Investigations; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2000)
- Journal of Bacteriology; Ad Hoc Reviewer (1999–2000)
- BioTechniques; Ad Hoc Reviewer (1999)
- Gene; Ad Hoc Reviewer (1997)
- Newsletter Editor, WNYASM; Ad Hoc Reviewer (1994–1996)
- Infection and Immunity, Editorial Board; Reviewer (1994–present)
- Microbial Pathogenesis; Ad Hoc Reviewer (1992)