The program awards up to three one-year fellowships to eligible students in the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program. The awards provide comprehensive support including the student’s stipend, individual health insurance, and $5,000 to cover travel and expenses for awardees to present their work at a national or international conference, or to attend an extramural course/workshop.
Oluwagbenro Adesunloro
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
“The Antimicrobial Role of Amyloid-Beta Against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli”
Mentor: Allyson Shea, Ph.D.
Adeyeye Haastrup
Department of Pharmacology
“Targeting Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Dysregulation in Sepsis: Nicotinamide Riboside and Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Induced Transcript Isoform Switching”
Mentor: Ray Langley, Ph.D.
Shovon Lal Sarkar
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
“Characterization of Amblyomma maculatum saliva microRNAs and their role in Rickettsia transmission”
Mentor: Kevin Macaluso, Ph.D.
Adesunloro is investigating the antimicrobial role of Amyloid-β (Aβ) against uropathogenic Escherichia coli, the primary cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs). The rising threat of antibiotic resistance has made it critical to explore alternative antimicrobial strategies while enhancing the effectiveness of conventional therapies.
Traditionally linked to Alzheimer’s disease, Aβ has been recognized as an antimicrobial peptide with activity against a variety of bacteria, fungi and viruses. However, Adesunloro said, its role in UTIs remains poorly understood.
“Ultimately, my findings will establish Aβ as a key component of host defense in UTIs and create novel therapeutic avenues to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens,” he said.
Haastrup’s research focuses on sepsis, which is responsible for approximately 11 million deaths globally each year. A major challenge in its pathology, he said, is the metabolic collapse driven by NAD⁺-dependent bioenergetic dysregulation.
“My research, utilizing a preclinical murine model of sepsis, aims to generate translational evidence addressing NAD⁺ insufficiency in septic conditions,” Haastrup said. “Additionally, this work also investigates transcript isoform switching — shaped by host-pathogen interactions — and its correlation with metabolic changes to better illuminate mechanisms of sepsis-associated bioenergetic failure.”
Sarkar is studying the role of the Gulf Coast tick's saliva microRNAs (miRNAs) in Rickettsia transmission. Tick saliva contains molecules that modulate the host immune response and enable blood acquisition and pathogen transmission. Bacterial pathogens alter the salivary gland and ovary transcriptome of ticks, emphasizing the intricate relationship between pathogens and their vectors.
“Guided by previous findings, we propose a comparative study of ticks infected with pathogenic Rickettsia parkeri, non-pathogenic Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae, and uninfected ticks,” Sarkar said. “We anticipate discovering a distinct catalog of miRNAs in tick saliva, highlighting unique expression patterns that could enhance our understanding of host-vector-pathogen interactions related to tick transmission of pathogens.”
The fellowship award recipients expressed their gratitude to their mentors, labs, departments, and the Office of the Associate Dean of Research for their guidance and support.
Learn more about the Dean's Predoctoral Fellowship Award Program.
