{"id":1585,"date":"2017-06-13T21:25:26","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T21:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.uthscsa.edu\/mimg\/?page_id=1585"},"modified":"2026-06-23T11:08:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:08:43","slug":"about-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lsom.uthscsa.edu\/mimg\/about-2\/","title":{"rendered":"About the Department of Microbiology, Immunology &#038; Molecular Genetics"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row el_class=&#8221;far&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>MIMG Research Areas<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Research in the MIMG department focuses on bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral pathogens, as well as on immunology in health and disease. Research interests are grouped into three main areas of focus.\u00a0 Refer to individual faculty pages for additional information.<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;] \n        <a class=\"panel no-equilizer panel-mobile text-center colorized\" href=\"https:\/\/lsom.uthscsa.edu\/mimg\/faculty-list\/\" title=\"Faculty Collaborations\" target=\"\">\n            <span class=\"circle close2x mid-icon\"><span><i class=\"fa fa-users\"><\/i><\/span><\/span><br>\n            <h3 >Meet our Faculty<\/h3>\n            <p><\/p>\n        <\/a>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=&#8221;far match-panel-grid&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221; el_class=&#8221;panel outline&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>Microbial Pathogenesis and Host-Pathogen Interactions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">This research area explores both fundamental and applied aspects of microbiology and the immune response to infection.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Key topics include:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li>Mechanisms of fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogenesis<\/li>\n<li>Immune responses in the oropharyngeal, respiratory, gut, brain and reproductive tissues<\/li>\n<li>Omics of the microbiome<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>Faculty:<\/strong> Bunnik, Ge, Kadosh, Kannan, Salamango, Tumanov, Wickes, Xiang, Zadeh, Zhang and Zhong<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221; el_class=&#8221;panel outline&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Immunobiology of Vaccines<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This research focuses on uncovering the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive effective immune responses against pathogens, informing vaccine development.<\/p>\n<p>Key topics include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Generation of memory T and B cells, plasma cells and protective antibodies<\/li>\n<li>Vaccine development for sexually-transmitted diseases and malaria<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Faculty<\/strong>: Bunnik, Casali, Leadbetter and Zhong[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221; el_class=&#8221;panel outline&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>Basic Immunology and Autoimmunity<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">This area investigates fundamental systemic and tissue-specific immunology, the molecular basis of autoimmune disorders, and tumor immunology.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Key topics include:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li>Biology of T, B, NKT, and innate lymphoid cells<\/li>\n<li>Lupus and other autoimmune diseases<\/li>\n<li>Immune system development and antibody production<\/li>\n<li>Epigenetic and metabolic regulation of immune responses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>Faculty<\/strong>: Ge, Casali, Griffith, Morel, Tumanov, Xiong, Xu, Zadeh and Zhang<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; el_class=&#8221;bleed roomy&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"emulate-h1\" style=\"text-align: center\">What we do<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;2769&#8243; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Events &amp; Seminars<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Our department hosts a weekly seminar series in which nationally acclaimed experts in the fields of microbiology and immunology are invited to speak. In addition to our departmental seminar program, many other high quality seminars are hosted by various basic science and clinical departments from around the Long School of Medicine, allowing our students and fellows to receive robust and broad exposure to the biomedical and translational sciences.<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;3866&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221; el_class=&#8221;loose-list&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>Centers<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"loose-list\">\n<li><a class=\"carat-double\" href=\"https:\/\/wp.uthscsa.edu\/flow-cytometry\/\" target=\"resource\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Flow Cytometry Core Facility (FACS Facility)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"carat-double\" href=\"http:\/\/www.sacmm.org\/index.html\" target=\"resource\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Antonio Center for Medical Mycology<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"carat-double\" href=\"https:\/\/vdcosa.org\/\" target=\"resource\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=&#8221;roomy&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Institutional Research Cores<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The University of Texas at San Antonio UT San Antonio Core Facilities offer a broad range of cutting-edge research services and provide educational training opportunities that achieve a vital function of our university\u2019s mission. The core facilities, led by internationally recognized faculty advisors and expert technical staff, are available to students, faculty and staff across the university and biomedical research community.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button carat-double\" href=\"http:\/\/www.uthscsa.edu\/vpr\/facilities\/institutional-cores\">View a list of our Institutional Research Cores<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;873&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row el_class=&#8221;far&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] MIMG Research Areas Research in the MIMG department focuses on bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral pathogens, as well as on immunology in health and disease. Research interests are grouped into three main areas of focus.\u00a0 Refer to individual faculty pages for additional information. 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