2008-2010

In memory of Dr. G. Philip Manire

Phil Manire was a friend and mentor to many people in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, serving as Chair from 1966 to 1979. The Manire years were marked by a major growth in faculty and international recognition for molecular biology, microbiology, and immunology research at UNC. However, Phil’s most lasting professional contribution was his nurturing leadership style that cemented a spirit of collegiality and family among a department of very diverse interests and personalities. Twenty-one years after his retirement, Phil died in his sleep on November 4, 2010…

Major technical advance in synthetic biology

The milestone achievement involves Dr. Clyde Hutchison, emeritus professor of the department, and a large research team at the J. Craig Venter Institute…

Norma Berryhill Lecturer 2010…Dr. Jenny Ting

The medical school has announced that Dr. Jenny Ting, William Rand Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, will give the prestigious Norma Berryhill Lecture on Nov 3, 2010…

Teaching award for Dr. Marcia Hobbs

Dr. Marcia Hobbs received the Freshman Basic Science Teaching Award for 2010 at the Annual Whitehead Lecture and Awards Ceremony on Wed., Aug 18…

National Academy of Sciences career profile: Dr. Jeff Dangl

The Academy has recently (July 2010) posted a detailed career profile online for our distinguished colleague…

Distinguished Achievement Award 2010, for Mary Estes.

The American Gastroenterology Association gives its Distinguished Achievement Award for 2010 to our former student, Dr Mary Estes…

New England Journal paper (June 17,2010) garners much recognition

UNC’s Dr. Charles van der Horst and faculty of the UNC Division of Infectious Diseases collaborate on the paper entitled “Maternal or Infant Antiretroviral Drugs to Reduce HIV-1 Transmission…”

Former student elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Dr Lewis Lanier, Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California, San Francisco, has joined the National Academy of Sciences…

Pseudomonas needs calcium for motility!

This inference is reported in January 2010 PNAS by Dr. Matt Wolfgang and collaborators, and highlighted in the Spring issue of UNC’s Endeavors magazine…

Kwun Wah Wen is the 2010 Manire Award recipient

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology is pleased to announce that Kwun Wah Wen is the 2010 Manire Award recipient. Kwun Wah is a fourth year MD/Ph.D.student in Blossom Damania’s lab. The selection committee felt that Kwun Wah’s research accomplishments were most impressive…

Lauren Neighbours receives a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship

Lauren Neighbours, a Microbiology and Immunology student in Mark Heise’s Lab, is the recipient of a 2010 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship…

Dr. Ralph Baric elected to American Academy for Microbiology

For more information, please read the article on UNC’s School of Public Health website.

Malaria article in Endeavors

The Winter 2010 of Endeavors magazine includes a malaria article written by M&I graduate student Beth Mole; HIV articles featuring the work of M&I faculty members Ron Swanstrom, David Margolis, and Victor Garcia-Martinez; and a story on M&I faculty member Jon Serody’s work on graft-versus-host disease.

Dr. Barb Vilen is featured on Science Magazine’s “Careers” website.

The article “Translating Lupus Research,” features Dr. Vilen and graduate students Shannon Jones and Amanda Wisz…

Dr. Jenny Ting appointed to top NIAID advisory committee

Jenny Ting will soon begin a four-year term on NIAID’s National Advisory Council, which approves new initiatives for NIAID and performs administrative review of grant applications. The Council is the chief advisory committee for NIAID, which funds most of the grants in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at UNC…

UNC awarded $2.5 million from NIH to establish collaborative research center

The Dept of Microbiology and Immunology is participating in the new Southeastern STI Cooperative Research Center…

Phillip & Ruth Hettleman Prize

Assistant Professor, Blossom Damania, is the 2008 winner of the Phillip & Ruth Hettleman Prize for artistic and scholarly achievement by a young faculty member…

Dr. Goldman discusses histoplasmosis

Dr. Bill Goldman discusses his lab’s research on histoplasmosis in an Endeavors article written by former M&I graduate student Jessica McCann…

“Nova Science Now”

Jack Griffith (Virology) and his research on salt deposits that formed 250 million years ago was featured on PBS’s “Nova Science Now” on July 28th…

Two Papers by Dr. Jack Griffith named “JBC Centennial Classics”

Two papers by Professor Jack Griffith have been named by editors at The Journal of Biological Chemistry as “JBC Centennial Classics.” The Classics collection includes articles by many of the legends in biological chemistry…

Science Signaling and Science

Dr. Blossom Damania and Dr. Dirk Dittmer recently had an article selected as an Editor’s Choice in the July 21, 2009 issues of Science Signaling and Science…

Bird Flu in Endeavors Magazine

Dr. Ray Pickles and graduate student Meg Scull discuss bird flu in the Spring 2009 issue of Endeavors…

Johnston Award for Excellence in Teaching

Congratulations to Dr. Lorraine Cramer for receiving the 2009 Johnston Award for Excellence in Teaching. The Awards Committee found “abundant evidence” for Dr. Cramer’s outstanding contributions to undergraduate teaching on campus…

American Academy of Microbiology

Nancy Raab-Traub, a Kenan Distinguished Professor, was elected in February 2009 to the Fellowship in the American Academic of Microbiology…

UNC Professor Elected to American Academy of Microbiology Board

Peter H. Gilligan, Ph.D., a professor in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, was elected to the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Microbiology…