Skip to main content
College of Veterinary Medicine

Infectious Diseases

Overview

Graduate work in the Infectious Disease Concentration Area includes research at the molecular and cellular level in bacteriology, parasitology, and virology, as well as investigations of the host immune response to these agents. Programs focus on etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostic development, vaccine development, and antimicrobial therapies. Programs also focus on gene regulation and host-pathogen interactions that influence pathogenesis. Research approaches employ a wide variety of molecular, biochemical, pharmacological, and microscopic techniques, utilizing cell culture and whole organisms. Students selecting Infectious Disease will focus on one or more of these areas.

A highly individualized curriculum of study is designed to meet the needs and interests of the student while satisfying selected requirements by the faculty. These include graduate level cell biology and biochemistry, as well as graduate level courses relating to the specific discipline chosen (bacteriology, parasitology, or virology). Additional courses may be chosen by the student and his/her advisor from a large number of college and university offerings.

Students entering the Ph.D. program having completed courses equivalent to the required courses may, with the consent of their thesis committee, petition the concentration area Graduate Committee to waive these requirements.

COURSES REQUIRED FOR THE INFECTIOUS DISEASES CONCENTRATION

CBS 810 Seminar in Infectious Diseases (1 credit; minimum 3 credits total for doctoral students; minimum 2 credits total for master’s students)

 ELECTIVE COURSES

Elective courses are selected by the student and mentor, and must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. Possible elective course include, but are not limited to, the following:

BIOCHEMISTRY

BCH 701 Macromolecular Structure; Fall (3 credits)

BCH 703 Macromolecular Synthesis and Regulation; Fall (3 credits)

MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY

MB 714 Microbial Metabolic Regulation; Fall (3 credits)

MB 718 Introductory Virology; Fall alternate odd years (3 credits)

MB/IMM 751 Immunology; Spring (3 credits)

IMM/TOX 705 Immunotoxicology; Spring (2 credits)

IMM/CBS 755 Immunoparasitology; Spring alternate years (2 credits)

IMM/PO 757 Comparative Immunology; Spring alternate odd years (3 credits)

IMM/CBS/MB 783 Adv. Immunology; Fall alternate years (3 credits)

IMM/CBS 816 Adv. Topics in Immunology; Fall and Spring (1 credits)

COMPARATIVE BIOMDEICAL SCIENCES

CBS 770 Cell Biology; Spring (3 credits)

CBS 771 Cancer Biology; Fall (4 credits)

CBS 774 Epidemiol. of Inf. Dis. of International Importance; Fall alternate years

MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY

GN 701 Molecular Genetics; Fall (3 credits)

GN 702 Cellular and Developmental Genetics; Spring (3 credits)

GN 750 Developmental Genetics; Spring alternate years (3 credits)

GN/ST 756 Computations Molecular Evolution; Fall alternate years (3 credits)

GN/MB 758 Microbial Genetics & Genomics; Spring (3 credits)

GN/BCH 761 Adv. Molecular Biology of the Cell; Spring alternate years (3 credits)

GN/BCH 768 Nucleic Acids: Structure and Function; Spring alternate years (3 credits)

GN 810-xxx Special Topics in Genetics; Fall and Spring (1-6 credits)

BCH 705 Molecular Biology of the Cell; Spring (3 credits)

STATISTICS

ST 501 Fundamentals of Statistical Inference I; Fall & Summer (3 credits)

ST 701 Statistical Theory I; Fall (3 credits)

TECHNIQUES

BIT 815 Advanced Topics In Biotechnology; Summer (1-6 credits)

Participating Faculty

NameEmailPrimary ConcentrationOther ConcentrationsResearch Emphasis
Adam Birkenheuerajbirken@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesImmunologyGeneral Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease
Amit Sharmaasharm66@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesImmunologyThe central theme of my research program is to study permissive and restrictive virus-host interactions that govern cross-species viral transmission and exploit such interactions for treatment and prevention research.
Barbara Qurollobaquroll@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesDr. Qurollo's research efforts are focused on vector-borne disease in wildlife and companion animals and improved methods of detecting disease across wildlife, pets, domesticated animals and humans.
Ben Callahanbcallah@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesPopulation MedicineMicrobiome methods in health and disease
Casey Theriotcmtherio@ncsu.edu Infectious DiseasesStudy the interactions between the gut microbiota, host, and pathogen C. difficile
Craig Harmscraig_harms@ncsu.edu Infectious DiseasesSpontaneous Animal Disease Models
Ed Breitschwerdtebbreits@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesImmunologyOur transnational research is focused on generating improvements in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of vector borne zoonotic infectious diseases, with a particular focus on the genus Bartonella.
Elisa Crisciecrisci@ncsu.edu Population Health and PathobiologyInfectious DiseaseCrisci lab studies the interactions between respiratory viruses and innate immunity
Frank Schollefscholl@ncsu.edu Infectious DiseaseImmunologyViral Immunology
Glen Almondgwalmond@ncsu.edu Infectious DiseasesPopulation Medicine and Global HealthPorcine production and infectious diseases.
Isabel Gimenoimgimeno@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesPopulation Medicine, ImmunologyTumor viral diseases in poultry and development of the chicken immune system
James Bonnerjcbonner@ncsu.eduCell BiologyToxicologyOur goal is to explore and investigate mechanisms of environmental lung diseases (asthma, fibrosis, cancer) caused by emerging toxicants that pose a threat to human health and the environment.
Jeff Yoderjayoder@ncsu.edu ImmunologyInfectious Disease, Cell BiologyWe study the evolution of immune receptors and PFAS immunotoxicology.
Jody Gookinjgookin@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesCell BiologyHost-pathogen Interactions in the Gut
Juliana Bonin Ferreirajboninf@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesPopulation Medicine
Katarsyna Dembekkdembek@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesEndocrine dysfunctions in foals with septicemia with the long-term goal of identifying potential novel therapeutics for horses and other species.
Lauren Schnabellvschnab@ncsu.edu Cell BiologyImmunology, Infectious DiseaseThe Schnabel Laboratory focuses on the use of regenerative and biologic therapies for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries.
Ricardo Maggirgmaggi@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesPopulation and Global HealthMolecular microbiology of vector borne diseases and intracellular pathogens in animals and humans.
Manuel Kleinermkleine@ncsu.edu Infectious DiseasesWe study interactions between the intestinal microbiota and different dietary components using high-resolution mass spectrometry based approaches.
Matthew Kocimdkoci@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesImmunologyMatt Koci's research program focuses on host-microbe interactions and understanding how the host recognizes, responds to, eliminates, and ultimately develops resistance to pathogens.
Megan Jacobmejacob@ncsu.edu Infectious DiseasesAntimicrobial resistance and public health microbiology
Josh Fletcherjrfletc2@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesThe Fletcher lab uses classic bacterial genetics in combination with multi-omics approaches to analyze in vitro and in vivo models of the bacterial pathogenesis and interactions with the microbiota. We study how nutrient acquisition/utilization and microbial interactions influence bacterial physiology in the context of health and disease.
Michael Rahemrahe@ncsu.eduImmunologyMichael Rahe's research focuses on the pathology and adaptive immune response to viral infections of livestock.
Michael Sikesmike_sikes@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesImmunologyLymphocyte development and differentiation
Petra Bizikovapbiziko@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesImmunologyAutoimmune and allergic skin disease of small animals
Ravi Kulkarnirrkulkar@ncsu.edu Infectious DiseasesImmunologyThe Kulkarni laboratory focuses on studying ‘host-microbe interaction’ with a focus in the areas of immunology, microbiology, Probiotics and vaccines that are crafted into on three major research programs: improving gut health, viral immunology, and Precision Health Technologies.
Rocio Cresporcrespo@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesImmunology, Population MedicineConducting applied research on poultry health and production
Sid Thakursthakur@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesPopulation MedicineAntimicrobial resistance and One Health
Tal Ben-Horintbenhor@ncsu.edu Infectious DiseasesPathology Research in my lab focuses on the ecology and epidemiology of infectious diseases in coastal marine ecosystems. 
Tobias Kaesertekaeser@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesImmunologyThe Kaeser lab studies the adaptive immune response in pigs and uses it as a biomedical animal model for chlamydia infections and food allergy
Xinxia Pengxpeng5@ncsu.eduInfectious DiseasesImmunologysystems analysis of host-microbiome-pathogen interactions