Professional Activities
Teaching: University of Georgia
1995, 1996 Graduate Teaching Assistant. Nutrition 100. Introduction to Human Nutrition
Teaching: University of Pittsburgh
2002 – 2007 Administrator for a Journal Club focusing on Immunological aspects of autoimmune diabetes
2003 – 2007 INTBP2005 “Foundations of Biomedical Science Conference”
2004 Chemistry 1710 “Undergraduate Research”
2005 – 2007 IMM 3240 “Immunology Grant Writing Course”
2005 – 2007 MSCMP2740 “Molecular Pathobiology”
Teaching: University of Florida
2008-Present ANG6532/ANT4531 “Molecular Genetics of Disease”
2008-Present GMS5905 “Immunology & Microbiology Grant Writing” Course Director
2008-Present GMS 6140 “Principles of Immunology”
2009 GMS 6006 “Fundamentals of Immunology & Microbiology”
2009-Present Co-Director of the Immunology and Microbiology Concentration, University of Florida Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences
2012 GMS6382 “Advanced Cellular & Molecular Immunology” Course Director
Graduate Student Committees:
2002 – 2004 Thesis Committee, Grace Olshansky, Program of Immunology
MS Conferred January of 2004, University of Pittsburgh
2003 – 2006 Dissertation Committee, Maria Soledad Santos, Program of Molecular Pharmacology
Ph. D. Conferred February of 2006, University of Pittsburgh
2006 – 2010 Dissertation Committee, Terri Thayer, Program of Immunology
Committee Chair. Ph. D. Conferred October, 2010, University of Pittsburgh
2008 – 2012 Dissertation Committee, Yaima Luzardo, Program of Immunology and Microbiology,
Committee Chair, Ph. D. Conferred May, 2012, University of Florida
2008 – 2012 Dissertation Committee, Alex Cuenca, Program of Immunology and Microbiology,
Committee Chair, Ph. D. Conferred May, 2012, University of Florida
2008 – 2011 Dissertation Committee, Daniel Perry, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
Ph. D. Conferred June, 2011, University of Florida
2008 – 2012 Dissertation Committee, Dana Catalfamo, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
Ph. D. Conferred July 2012, University of Florida
2009 – Present Dissertation Committee, Sindhu Arivazhagan, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
2009 – Present Dissertation Committee, Allison Sang, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
2009 – Present Dissertation Committee, Benjamin Looney, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
2009-Present Dissertation Committee, Young Mee Yoon, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
2010 – Present Dissertation Committee, Chao Liu, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
Committee Chair
2010 – Present Dissertation Committee, Sofia Appleberg, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
2010 – Present Dissertation Committee, Yiming Yin, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
2011-Present Dissertation Committee, Ramya Sivakumar, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
2011-Present Dissertation Committee, Robert Whitener, Program of Immunology and Microbiology
2012-Present Dissertation Committee, Brittney Newby, UF MD/PhD Program, Committee Chair
Mentorship of Students/Fellows:
2012-Present Brittney Newby, MD/PhD Scholar. University of Florida College of Medicine
Project Title:
2010 – Present Chao Liu. Graduate Student. University of Florida College of Medicine.
Project Title: Role of Free Radicals in Diabetogenic Immune Activation
2003 – 2008 Aaron M. Gusdon. Undergraduate Student, University of Florida. Project Title:
2008 – 2012 Yaima Luzardo. Graduate Student. University of Florida College of Medicine.
Project Title: Transformed human beta cells as targets of autoimmune effectors
2008-2010 Lisa Gallo. Fellow in Pediatric Endocrinology.
Research Fellow of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society
Project Title: Role of adhesion molecules in pathogenesis of T1D
2006 – 2010 Terri Thayer. Graduate Student. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Project Title: Identification of Susp and the role of Susp in T1D-Resistance
2005 – 2007 Jing Chen. Post-Doctoral Fellow. University of Pittsburgh. Project Title: Generation of and Study of Cybrid Cell Lines to Define the Mechanism of T1D Resistance Imparted by a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in mt-Nd2.
2004 – 2007 Diego Ize-Ludlow. Fellow in Pediatric Endocrinology.
Project 1: Role of solute carrier family 7, member 2 in arginine-induced insulin secretion.
Project 2: Accelerator hypothesis and T1D development of the NOD mouse.
2003 – 2008 Aaron M. Gusdon. Undergraduate Student, University of Pittsburgh. Project Title: Contributions of the mt-Nd2 alleles to Type 1 Diabetes Susceptibility/Resistance
2003 Aaron Gusdon. Senior Thesis (Seneca Valley High School). Project Title: Use of Pyrosequencing to Precisely Determine Levels of Mitochondrial Heteroplasmy
1999 Brian D. Dunn. The Jackson Laboratory Undergraduate Summer Program. Project Title: Genetic Similarities of Free Radical Dissipation and IDDM Resistance in ALR/Lt Mice.
1998 Jason W. Caldwell. Burroughs Wellcome Medical Student Research Fellowship. Project title: Reducing Potential And Peripheral Glucose Uptake. Mechanisms Of Free Radical Induced Glucose Intolerance.