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Faculty and Staff

University of Wisconsin – La Crosse

Michael A. Hoffman, Ph.D., Department of Microbiology

Dr. Hoffman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Director of the Clinical Microbiology Master’s Program. His research focuses primarily on the gene expression and assembly of human parainfluenza virus type 3, a respiratory tract pathogen.

Recent Publications:

Hoffman, M.A, L.M Thorson, J.E. Vickman, J.S. Anderson, N.A. May and M.N. Schweitzer. 2006. Roles of human parainfluenza virus type 3 bases 13 to 78 in replication and transcription: Identification of an additional replication promoter element and evidence for internal transcription initiation. J. of Virology. 80:5388-96.

Malur A.G., M.A.Hoffman and A.K. Banerjee.  The human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV 3) C protein inhibits viral transcription. 2004. Virus Res. 99(2):199-204.

Marc Rott, Ph.D., Department of Microbiology

Dr. Rott is a Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology. His research focuses on the identification and development of novel antimicrobial compounds.

Recent Publications:

Schwan, W.R., Monte, A.P., Rott, M.A., Defoe, L., Anti-infective agents and methods of use. United States Patent, Applied for on Oct 18, 2005.

Witthuhn, V.C.Jr, J. Gao, S. Hong, S. Halls, M.A. Rott, C.A. Wraight, A.R. Crofts, and T.J. Donohue. 1997. Reactions of isocytochrome c2 in the photosynthetic electron transfer chain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Biochemistry. 36:903-11.

William Schwan, Ph.D., Department of Microbiology

Dr. Schwan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology. His research focuses on the regulation of type 1 pilus expression in uropathogenic Escherichia coli, the role of proline transport in Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis and molecular epidemiology of community-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Recent Publications:

Schwan WR.Flagella allow uropathogenic Escherichia coli ascension into murine kidneys.Int J Med Microbiol. 2007 Sep 19; [Epub ahead of print]

Schwan WR, Shibata S, Aizawa S, Wolfe AJ. The Two-Component Response Regulator RcsB Regulates Type 1 Piliation in Escherichia coli.J Bacteriol. 2007 Oct;189(19):7159-63.

Schwan, W.R., L. Lehmann and J. McCormick. 2006. Transcriptional activation of the Staphylococcus aureus putP gene by low-proline-high osmotic conditions and during infection of murine and human tissues. Infect. Immun. 74:399-409.

Bernadette Taylor, Ph.D., Department of Microbiology

Dr. Taylor-Winfrey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology. Her research focus is the investigation of the human antibody and T cell response to low-dose intradermal influenza vaccination. She is also engaged in a collaborative project that may uncover new immunosuppressive, or cancer inhibiting drugs in compounds
present in fungi found in Wisconsin.

Recent Publication:

Taylor B.C., R.M. Brotheridge, D.A. Jessup, and J.L. Stott. 2002. Measurement of serum immunoglobulin concentration in killer whales and sea otters by radial immunodiffusion. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 89:187-95.

Tom Volk, Ph.D., Department of Biology

Dr. Volk is a Professor in the Department of Biology. His research focuses on just about anything that has to do with fungi, including medical mycology. Some recent student projects have included work on Blasotmyces, Penicilium morneffei, and Candida albicans. See TomVolkfungi.net for more information.

Recent Publication:

Burgess JW, Schwan WR, Volk TJ. 2006. PCR-based detection of DNA from the human pathogen Blastomyces dermatitidis from natural soil samples. Med Mycol. Dec;44(8):741-8.

Todd Weaver, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry

Dr. Weaver is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry. His research lab is focused in two main areas. The first area of research aims to describe the activation of bacterial toxins for membrane insertion. The second area of research involves mechanistic studies of enzymes.

Recent Publications:

Bailey L, Agger S, Peterson L, Thompson J, Weaver T. 2005. Crystallization of truncated hemolysin A from Proteus mirabilis. Acta Crystallograph Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun. 2005 Apr 1;61(Pt 4):448-50.

Weaver T. 2005. Structure of free fumarase C from Escherichia coli. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. Oct;61(Pt 10):1395-401.

Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center

The Gundersen Lutheran Research Page

William A. Agger, M.D., Section of Infectious Diseases

Dr. Agger is the Director of Research and Chairman of the Section of Infectious Diseases at Gundersen Lutheran. His research interests include antimicrobial resistance and tick-borne infectious diseases.

Recent publications:

Agger, W.A. and R.M. Naik. 2006. How should we approach adolescent and adult pertussis? WMJ. 2006 105:47-51.

Agger, W.A. 2002. Antibiotic resistance: unnatural selection in the office and on the farm. Wisconsin Med. J. 101:12-13.

Steven M. Callister, Ph.D., Section of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Research

Dr. Callister is a senior research scientist in the Microbiology Research Laboratory. Dr. Callister’s research focuses on pathogenesis and immune responses during infections with spirochetal bacteria.

Recent publications:

Lovrich SD, La Fleur RL, Jobe DA, Johnson JC, Asp KE, Schell RF, Callister SM.
Borreliacidal OspC antibody response of canines with Lyme disease differs significantly from that of humans with Lyme disease.Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2007 May;14(5):635-7.

Munson, E.L., D.T. Nardelli, K.H. Luk, M.C. Remmington, S.M. Callister, and R.F. Schell. 2006. Interleukin-6 promotes anti-OspA borreliacidal antibody production in vitro. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 13:19-25.

Dean A. Jobe, M.S., RM(AAM), Microbiology Research Laboratory

Dean is the supervisor of the Microbiology Research Laboratory. His research focuses on antibody responses during bacterial infections and development of diagnostic tests.

Recent publications:

Jobe, D.A., S.D. Lovrich, J.A. Nelson, T.C. Velat, C. Anchor, T. Koeune, and S.A. Martin, Jr. 2006. Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes scapularis ticks, Chicago area. Emerg Infect Dis. 12:1039-41.

Lovrich, S.D., D.A. Jobe, R.F. Schell and S.M. Callister.  2005. Borreliacidal OspC antibodies specific for a highly conserved epitope are immunodominant in human lyme disease and do not occur in mice or hamsters. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 12:746-51.

Steven D. Lovrich, Ph.D., Microbiology Research Laboratory

Dr. Lovrich is a molecular biologist in the Microbiology Research Laboratory. His research focuses on identification, purification, and characterization of bacterial protein vaccine candidates.

Recent publications:

Lovrich, S.D., D.A. Jobe, R.F. Schell and S.M. Callister.  2005. Borreliacidal OspC antibodies specific for a highly conserved epitope are immunodominant in human lyme disease and do not occur in mice or hamsters. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 12:746-51.

Jackson, C.A., S.D. Lovrich, W.A. Agger, and S.M. Callister. 2002. Reassessment of a midwestern Lyme disease focus for Borrelia burgdorferi and the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40:2070-2073.

Jeffrey S. Sartin, M.D., Section of Infectious Diseases

Dr. Sartin is an internal medicine physician in the Section of Infectious Diseases. His research interests include studies evaluating the historical perspective of infectious diseases.

Recent publications:

Sartin, J.S. and K.R. Oettel. 2006. A morphealike skin condition caused by Borrelia burgdorferi in an immunocompromised patient. Mayo Clin Proc. 81:1259-60.

Schlicht M.J., Lovrich S.D., Sartin J.S., Karpinsky P., Callister S.M., Agger W.A. High prevalence of genital mycoplasmas among sexually active young adults with urethritis or cervicitis symptoms in La Crosse, Wisconsin. J. Clin. Microbiol. 2004 Oct;42(10):4636-40.

Marshfield Clinic / St. Joseph’s Hospital

All of the Marshfield faculty are part of the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation

Mark Borchardt, Ph.D, National Farm Medicine Center

Dr. Borchardt's research focuses on assesing the human health threat of microorganisms in the environment, with an emphasis on viruses found in drinking water.

Recent publications:

Borchardt MA, Bradbury KR, Gotkowitz MB, Cherry JA, Parker BL. Human enteric viruses in groundwater from a confined bedrock aquifer. Environ Sci Technol 2007;41:6606-6612.

Hoffman RM, Wolk DM, Spencer SK, Borchardt MA. Development of a method for the detection of waterborne microsporidia. J Microbial Methods 2007;70:312-318.

Borchardt M.A., Haas N.L., Hunt R.J. Vulnerability of drinking-water wells in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to enteric-virus contamination from surface water contributions. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. Oct;70(10):5937-46.

Seven Foley, Ph.D., National Farm Medicine Center

Dr. Foley's research interests focus on understanding the distribution of enteric pathogens, and their virulence and antimicrobial resistance factors, through the human food chain, and on the development of pre-harvest interventions to reduce the spread of pathogenic microorganisms from food animals to humans.

Recent Publications:

Lynne AM, Skyberg JA, Logue CM, Doetkott C, Foley SL, Nolan LK. Characterization of a series of transconjugant mutants of an avian pathogenic Escherichia coli isolate for resistance to serum complement. Avian Dis 2007;51:771-776.

Foley SL, Zhao S, Walker RD. Comparison of molecular typing methods for the differentiation of salmonella foodborne pathogens. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2007;4:253-276.

Jennifer Meece, Ph.D., Clinical Research

Dr. Meece is a vector biologist in the Clinical Research Center at Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation. Her research interests include the genetics of infectious disease transmission in mosquitoes and the ecology of infectious diseases.

Recent publications:

Meece JK, Reynolds CE, Stockwell PJ, Jenson TA, Christensen JE, Reed KD. 2005 Identification of mosquito bloodmeal source by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism profile analysis of the cytochrome B gene. J Med Entomol. Jul;42(4):657-67.

Meece, J.K., J.S. Henkel, L. Glaser, and K.D. Reed. 2003. Mosquito surveillance for West Nile virus in southeastern Wisconsin - 2002. Clin. Med. Res. 1:37-42.

Sanjay Shukla, Ph.D., Clinical Research

Dr. Shukla is a research scientist at the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation. His research interests include the genetics and epidemiology of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, determination of infectious etiology of chronic diseases, and discovery, characterization and phylogenetic analysis of novel pathogens.

Recent publications:

Shukla SK. 2005. Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and its emerging virulence. Clin Med Res. May;3(2):57-60.

Christensen JE, Reynolds CE, Shukla SK, Reed KD. 2004. Rapid molecular diagnosis of lactobacillus bacteremia by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the 16S rRNA gene.Clin Med Res. Feb;2(1):37-45.

Mary Stemper, M.S., Clinical Microbiology and Clinical Research

Mary is a molecular epidemiologist at Marshfield Clinic. Her research interests include the epidemiology of nosocomial pathogens, particularly investigations of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and the detection of clinical pathogens based on the analysis of the 16S rRNA gene.

Recent Publications:

Brady JM, Stemper ME, Weigel A, Chyou P, Reed KD, Shukla SK. Sporadic 'Transitional-like' Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains from the United States. J Clin Microbiol 2007;45:2654-2661.

Morgan W, Caldwell MD, Brady JM, Stemper ME, Reed KD, Shukla SK. Necrotizing fasciitis due to a methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus harboring an enterotoxin gene cluster. J Clin Microbiol 2007;45:668-671.

Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene

Pete Shult, Ph.D., Communicable Disease Division

Dr. Schult is Director of the Communicable Diseases Division and Emergency Laboratory Response. He also serves as statewide coordinator for laboratory response to bioterrorism and pandemic influenza planning.

Recent publications:

Gern JE, Brooks GD, Meyer P, Chang A, Shen K, Evans MD, Tisler C, Dasilva D, Roberg KA, Mikus LD, Rosenthal LA, Kirk CJ, Shult PA, Bhattacharya A, Li Z, Gangnon R, Lemanske RF Jr. 2006. Bidirectional interactions between viral respiratory illnesses and cytokine responses in the first year of life. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Jan;117(1):72-8.

Shult PA, Kirk C. 2003. Laboratory-based surveillance for influenza: role of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. WMJ. 102(6):26-30.

Dave Warshauer, Ph.D., Communicable Disease Division

Dr. Warshauer is Chief Bacteriologist for the Communicable Diseases Division and coordinates molecular and other diagnostic test development for agents of public health importance including bioterrorism.

Recent publications:

Feltus DC, Giddings CW, Schneck BL, Monson T, Warshauer D, McEvoy JM. 2006. Evidence supporting zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium in Wisconsin. J Clin Microbiol. 2006 Sep 27; [Epub ahead of print]

Okwumabua O, O'Connor M, Shull E, Strelow K, Hamacher M, Kurzynski T, Warshauer D. 2005. Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from food animal clinical cases: PFGE pattern similarity to strains from human listeriosis cases. FEMS Microbiol Lett. Aug 15;249(2):275-81.

Bob Garrison, D.V.M., M.S., Communicable Disease Division

Dr. Garrison directs Division Operations, the laboratory’s zoonotic diseases program. In addition, he assists the Director of the Communicable Disease Division in emergency laboratory response and planning.

Other affiliated faculty

Sylvia A. Firary, M.D., Infectious Diseases, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center

Carol Kirk, B.S., Respiratory Diseases, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene

Kathy Leske, B.S., MT(ASCP), Microbiology, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center

Jennifer A. Marks, B.S., Microbiology Research, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center

Jim McCormick, B.S., MT(ASCP), Microbiology, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center

Tim Monson, M.S., Food and Water-Borne Diseases, Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene

Kathy Mruz, B.A., MT(ASCP), Virology, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center

Thomas Novicki, Ph.D., Microbiology, Marshfield Clinic

Eric Reisdorf B.S., Molecular Diagnostics and Virology

Phil Wand, M.S., Mycobacteriology, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 1725 State Street La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601 (608) 785-8000
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Marshfield Clinic Gundersen Lutheran University of Wisconsin - La Crosse WISCONSIN STATE LABORATORY OF HYGIENE