December 2017
Vol. 14 | No. 4


’17 New Faces in the Classroom and Laboratory

2017 brought a whopping 54 new residents and graduate students to the hallowed halls of MIP buildings.  We pulled the following info off of Santa’s list to let you know who they are.  We’ll let you decide if they have been naughty or nice……..

Mac Harris hails from the Nutmeg (a key ingredient to make holiday egg nog palatable) State and is very interested in infectious disease.   He enjoys to hike, travel, run and bike – as well as spending time with his friends, family and canine comrades.

Devin von Stade is from Portland, Maine (which is about as close to the North Pole as you can get in the Continental US) and is interested in novel microscopy and diagnostic tech development. He enjoys hiking, camping, snowboarding, sailing, playing guitar, art and ceramics.

Adam Harris is from the Tar Heel State, hopefully roots for the ‘right’ local college basketball team, and is interested in vaccine development or immunotherapies. He enjoys hiking, biking, and spending time with his dogs.

Alexa Personett is from Morton, IL and does not sound like the voice on the Amazon device that you might find under your Xmas tree. She is interested in the microbiome but is excited to explore new areas. She enjoys volleyball, reading, knitting, traveling, binge-watching Netflix, and spending time with friends, family and her cat.

Whitney McGee is from Wisconsin (a state with over 1,100 Christmas tree farms) and is interested in clinical lab animal medicine. She enjoys hiking, camping, traveling, and ballroom or salsa dancing. 

Molly Jean Carpenter is from Glenview, IL (where Patrick Stump, the lead singer of Fall Out Boy went to school). She is interested in zoonotic disease, arthropod vector borne diseases and surveillance. She enjoys running, writing, hiking, and hanging out with her pets.


2017 Graduate Students

Lindsey Gray received her B.S. in Biology from Carnegie Mellon University (where the prison break scene in the Dark Knight Rises was filmed outside of the Chemistry Bldg) and is interested in disease ecology, arboviral disease transmission, and disease epidemiology. She enjoys hiking and snuggling with her two dogs.

Jasmine Donkoh received her B.S. in the best Microbiology program on the entire CSU campus.  She is interested in viruses and likes to read, hike and watch Netflix.

Joanie Ryan received her B.S. in biology from William Woods University (whose mascot, by the way, is Screech the Owl) and is interested in infectious disease (especially tuberculosis) and extracellular vesicles. She enjoys riding her horse, reading, scuba diving, hiking, training her dog and skiing.

Dylan Ammons received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Neuroscience from Ursinus College (and, as all of you Latin Scholars guessed, their mascot is the bear). He is interested in immunology/pathology and enjoys hiking, rock climbing, music, mountain biking and disc golf.

Evan Conaway received his degree from Boston University.  The Boston University bridge, in case you were wondering, is the only spot in America where a plane can fly over a car driving over a train traveling over a boat. He is interested in Next Gen Sequencing applications and enjoys listening to music and disc golf.

Jennifer Cao received her B.S in Physiology from the University of Washington. She is interested in immunology and oncology and enjoys cosplay (so don’t be too surprised if you happen to see an elf running around the Dept this holiday season…) and Kung Fu.

Rebekah McMinn received her B.S. in Molecular Biology from UC Santa Claus, I mean Cruz. She is interested in viral ecology and enjoys climbing, backpacking, volleyball, pottery, archery and playing with dogs.

Amy Fox received her B.S. in Bioengineering from Rice University (where there is a wall that makes frog noises if you run your fingers over it). She is interested in vector biology, and enjoys sailing, reading, playing water polo, hanging out with friends, swimming and nature.

Laura St. Clair (no relation to St. Nick….) received her B.S. in Biology from Metro State University. She is interested in virology, computational microbiology, and reservoir hosts and their interactions with human pathogens. She enjoys training her German Shepard, comedy shows, concerts and jewelry making.

Savannah Rocha received her B.S. in Microbiology from (little drummer boy – a drum roll please…..)  CSU. She is interested in prion pathogenesis and enjoys hiking, fishing, wakeboarding, going to the gym, community outreach and teaching other students about science.

Fabiola Silva Angulo received her DVM from the University of Concepcion, Chile (where it’s now summer time…..). She is interested in Immunology, vaccines, and mycobacteria.  She enjoys running and hiking.

Ashley Janich received her B.S in Biology from CSU – but saw the light and moved over a building for her PhD studies. She is interested in vector biology and genetics. She enjoys hiking, yoga, binge-watching TV shows on Netflix, snowboarding, camping, football, cooking and playing with dogs.

Kridakorn (Keeda) Vongtongsalee received her DVM from Kasetsart University in Thailand (which has no official holiday on December 25th). She is interested in tuberculosis and enjoys reading, cooking, swimming and would love to try a winter sport as well.


2017 MS-B Students

35 hard-working and excited MS-B graduate students on their first day of class back in August


2017: Ramesh Akkina Recognized as Part of the ‘Countdown to a Cure’ for AIDS Initiative.

Counting down the end of 2017 pales in comparison to counting down the days for an ultimate cure for AIDS.  As part of the effort to develop the scientific foundations for a cure by 2020, this year the American Federation of AIDS Research highlighted cutting edge studies on humanized mice performed in the Akinna lab.  Check out the feature here.


2017: The Year that Ian Orme Officially Became a ‘Pillar of Immunology”

Another major recognition achieved by MIPers this year was when Ian Orme's 1987 article defining the nature of T cells that respond to M. tuberculosis infections was featured as a Journal of Immunology’s ‘Pillars of Immunology’ series.

Congratulations Ian!  

Read the not-to-be-missed commentary here.


A ‘Major Award’ for Laurie Baeten in 2017 (hint:  it’s not a Leg Lamp)

The Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor given by the Wildlife Disease Association. It’s purpose is to honor a WDA member of long standing who, by his/her outstanding accomplishments in research, teaching and other activities has made a noteworthy contribution furthering the aims of the Wildlife Disease Association. We are thrilled to congratulate Laurie Baeten (former Microbiology Resident and current Fellow in the Bowen Lab) for receiving the Edward Addison Distinguished Service Award from the Wildlife Disease Association at their annual meeting that was held in San Cristabal de las Casas, Mexico.

Congratulations Laurie!


2017 Brought Good Citations from the CSU Police to One Happy MIPer

MIP’s own Bob Ellis received the Citizen Appreciation Award from the CSU Police Department in May. Bob received the award for his ‘exceptional acts of service to the Colorado State University Police Department and the community’.
Now there’s one MIPer that’s sure to be on Santa’s nice list!

Congratulations Bob!


2017 ACVP Awardees

Congratulations to the following MIPers who took home coveted awards at this year’s American College of Veterinary Pathologist’s Conference:

Dana Hill (DVM student) = Inskeep Scholarship

Teresa Garcia (DVM student) = Pathology Externship Scholarship

Elizabeth Goldsmith (DVM student) = Pathology Externship Scholarship

Emily Rout (Resident/PhD) = Charles Louis Davis Foundation Scholarship

Kendra Andrie (Resident/PhD) = Travel Award

Michael Betley (Resident) = Travel Award

Laura Hoon-Hanks (Resident/PhD) = Travel Award

Travis Meuten (Resident/PhD) = Young Investigator Award, 1st place in the Experimental Disease category

Lauren Harris (Resident/PhD) = Young Investigator Award 3rd place in the Natural Disease category


2017 CVMBS Associate Professor Awards

The college began a new program to recognize faculty – with the focus this year on faculty at the associate professor level. 

Brian Geiss (Research)

Alan Schenkel (Advising)

Congratulations on your Nominations!


2017 Rocky Mountain ASM Branch Meeting Award

Congratulations to Stephanie Morphet who won second place for her talk, "Phenolic glycolipid as a potential diagnostic biomarker of zoonotic tuberculosis" at the regional ASM meeting at DU in November.


Think Snow-Boarding is Challenging try ‘Path-boarding’

Congratulations to Jennifer Malmburg, Craig Miller, Laura Hoon-Hanks and Allison Vilander who passed the anatomic pathology boards in 2017


MIP Publications for 2017

According to a PubMed search using the Department as the search terms, MIP researchers authored an impressive 222 papers in 2017.  For a complete list of the search, click here. Happy perusing!!


 


2017: The Year of the Great American Eclipse

MIPers captured the ‘totality’ of the Eclipse this year in a variety of great photos.  Here’s a sampling:

It’s a ‘sceintific’ fact:  you need special glasses to safely watch an eclipse…..

Jenny Harding (who left MIP this year after 23 years of service) took these great shots while viewing the sun in Nebraska.

Things (and people) in MIP were sure looking up that afternoon…..

Capturing the su-Spence of the eclipse…..

A mosaic of eclipse photos, compliments of Mike Scherman

“Forget Microbial Genetics and all those mutations.  We’re studying the moon-tation today……


2017 Meeting Highlight: Many Hosts of Mycobacteria VII: Bringing Science to Community

One of the meeting highlights on campus this year was this mycobacteria meeting hosted by NIH and the CSU One Health Institute (thanks Bruno!).  About 100 people attended to hear the latest updates on mycobacterial diseases affecting humans and animals.  Attendees also enjoyed a 5K run around the CSU campus organized by John Spencer and Patrick Brennan, visited the bison herd in Soapstone Prairie near the Wyoming border, enjoyed food and drink at the Gilded Goat and Coopersmiths, and, last but not least, a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park led by Mary Jackson.

MHM7 5K Meeting

Photos from the 5K fun run, the Soapstone Prairie bison visit, and the Rocky Mountain National Park hike.


2017: the 50th Anniversary of the Discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease – celebrated ‘Zabel-Style’

In association with the 50th anniversary of the discovery of CWD, the Zabel lab had: 

  1. The cover of an MMBR issue
  2. Their MMBR article highlighted in an editor’s choice review article.  Read it here.
  3. A NY Times article. Read it here.
  4. And a feature on Denver 7 news that aired August 21st.

Also check out some great videos of the lab's recent field work in RMNP on their FB page here.


Stephanie Morphet, aka "The Flying Brain", Performs Some Amazing Aerials at the ARISE Music Festival

Attention Graduate Students:  if you think passing prelims is hard, try doing some of these feats!

Stephanie also won first place at the Rocky Mountain Aerial Arts Festival competition in Denver!


2017: Meetings = Great Science (and Great Times)

Numerous MIPers from the MRL attended the Gordon Research Conference on TB drug development in Barga, Italy this past July. As tradition dictates, the group had their 'sit down' dinner the last day.


2017: MIP Graduate Students Reach New Heights!

The GSO sponsored a hike up Arthur's Rock for the new MIP graduate students this summer.


2017: The New Stadium Wasn’t the Only Place You could Find ‘Kickoff’Parties

The Department welcomed new and returning undergraduates in August with a Fall Kickoff party.  The event also served as a great way for faculty mentors to connect with mentees and establish effective communication with this new generation of budding scientists.


Microbiology Student Association Makes 2017 the ‘Year of the Shirt’

Tie Dye

The semester got off to a colorful start for these MSA members

See more photos here.

New T-Shirts

MSA showing off their new T-shirts at their September meeting.


2017 Outreach: Teaching Gram Stains to High Schoolers

This Fall the MSA took time out their busy schedules to teach the basics of Gram Staining to student from Platte Valley High School.  Special thanks to Kirty Krieger, Dillon Donaghy, Max Drummond, and Jessica Gaveret for their efforts on this project.


The Great Escape of 2017

The Perera lab basks in the glory of successfully escaping from the ConTRAPtions Escape Room earlier this year.  Rumor has it that Rushika is now thinking of redesigning her lab over winter break so that students will have a challenging time figuring out how to leave their experiments and escape home …..


The Scary Side of 2017: The MIP Halloween Party

See the rest of the photos here.


 

See more photos here.


New addition:
Lillian Annice McGrew ("Lilli")
6lbs, 8oz; 19"
Born December 15th, 2017 to Aaron and Ashley


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


"One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.”

 - CHINUA ACHEBE


Choose your Caption

Some friendly ‘sibling rivalry’ in the halls of the Microbiology Dept

Alternative Captions

1.I know two people who are on Santa’s naughty list this year…….
2.While most MIPnews humor is of the ‘tongue-in-cheek’ variety, there’s always an exception….
3.Next time either Pete or Lisa say ‘its on the tip of my tongue', remember this photo….
4.Submit your own

2017: More Out of This World Photos

Mike Scherman used his 180 mm Maksutov Cassegrain scope to capture many solar system goodies this season. We are thrilled and honored that he’s shared many pictures with us throughout the year.  Please note that Mike dedicates these pictures to Rusty Gruppo who passed away unexpectedly this year.

See the rest here.


2017 Doppelganger of the Year

Does anyone besides us think that our own Pete Justice looks hauntingly like Tobe Hooper (the Director of Poltergeist and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? 


Grant Award Overview

According to statistics maintained by the Office of Sponsored Programs, MIP investigators brought in an impressive $23,014,674.81 in grants during the 2017 fiscal year.  This included 16 R01 and 9 R21 awards from NIH.  Congratulations to all of the hard working researchers in the Dept on another very successful year in funding!


New Sample NIH Grant Applications Now Available from NIAID

Want to see what a great SBIR, STTR, K01 or K08 application looks like?  Check out a set of recently released high-scoring grants that were recently posted by NIAID at https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/nine-new-sample-niaid-grant-applications

NIAID Interim Paylines

Check them out at https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/niaid-paylines.   Remember that these paylines are conservative and may change as the federal budget picture for the current fiscal year becomes clearer.

NIH Stresses the need to publish in reputable journals

Although this may be common sense, given the plethora of new open access journals with questionable editorial policies it never hurts to remind folks.  Checkout the recent NIH Notice at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-18-011.html

A Possible ‘Second’ Chance on Funding with NIH’s new OnPAR Initiative.

If you receive a grant score at or below the 30th percentile, you may want to check this out:  https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/get-board-onpar


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Do you have NEWS or PICTURES you would like to share?

Send In your ideas or newsworthy items. Contributions make the Newsletter better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

MIP Newsletter Volume 14, Issue 4, December 2017
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