Microbiology & Immunology Postdoctoral Fellows

  Research | Publications | Awards | Posters & Presentations

Chris Marez Bergman lab - STRF: 275.1 G-L Tel: (210) 562-4173 Fax: (210) 562-4191 Email: Chris

Education

Ph.D. from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 2010

Research

Research interests:

Three gram-negative bacteria within the genus Yersinia are capable of causing debilitating and occasionally fatal infections in humans. Pathogenic Yersinia utilize secreted virulence proteins (Yops) to manipulate and subvert the host response to infection. In particular, it has been demonstrated that Yersinia use the YopJ/P protein to block both intracellular signaling pathways and the induction of pro-survival signals that subsequently results in apoptosis of the infected host macrophage. The goal of our research is to examine how modulation of apoptosis influences the outcome of infection with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

Publications

• Ojeda S.S., Mares C.A., Alvarez J.I., Li Q. Orihuela C.J., Teale J.M. Virulence factors involved in passage of Francieslla novicida through an air-blood barrier model. Journal of Bioterrorism & Biodefense, S3:003, 2011.
• Sharma J., Mares C.A., Li Q., Morris E.G., Teale J.M. Features of sepsis caused by pulmonary infection with Francisella tularensis Type A strain. Microbial Pathogenesis, 51(1-2):39-47, 2011.
• Fu J., Mares C., Lizcano, A., Liu Y., Wickes B.L. Insertional mutagenesis combined with an inducible filamentation phenotype reveals a conserved STE50 homolog in Cryptococcus neoformans that is required for monokaryotic fruiting and mating. Molecular Microbiology, 79(4):990-1007, 2011.
• Mares C.A., Sharma J., Ojeda S.S., Campos J.A.*, Li Q., Morris E.G., Coalson J.J., Teale J.M. Aged mice display an attenuated pulmonary host response to Francisella novicida. PLoS ONE, 5(11):e14088, 2010.
• Mares C.A., Sharma J., Li Q., Rangel E.*, Esquivel M.*, Morris E.G., Teale J.M. Defect in efferocytosis leads to alternative activation of macrophages in Francisella infections. Immunology and Cell Biology, 89(2):167-172, 2010.
• Mares C.A., Ojeda S.S., Li Q., Morris E.G., Coalson J.J., Teale J.M. Aged mice display an altered pulmonary host response to Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) infections. Experimental Gerontology 45(2): 91-96, 2010.
• Ojeda S.S., Wang Z.J., Mares C.A., Chang T.A., Li Q., Morris E.G., Jerabek P.A., Teale J.M. Rapid dissemination of Francisella tularensis and the effect of route of infection. BMC Microbiology 8(1): 215, 2008.
• Mares C.A., Ojeda S.S., Morris E.G., Li Q., Teale J.M. Initial delay in the immune response to Francisella tularensis is followed by hypercytokinemia characteristic of severe sepsis and correlating with upregulation and release of damage-associated molecular patterns. Infection and Immunity. 76(7):3001-3010, 2008.

Awards

Training Grants

2011-present - Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Research Council of The National Academies; Mares-PI, Sponsors: Dr. Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti and Dr. Molly Bergman. Completed support (as a graduate student)

2008-2010 - National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging Dissertation Award (R36 AG033400); Mares-PI

2005-2006 - Microbial Pathogenesis Training Grant (T32 AI7271), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UTHSCSA Sponsor: Dr. Judy M. Teale

Posters and Presentations

• Mares C.A., Albataineh M., Lugo F., Isberg R.R., Bergman M.A. YopJ suppresses virulence of Yersinia by inducing macrophage apoptosis. 4th Annual Mikiten Graduate Student Research Forum, San Antonio, TX, May 2012 (Poster).
   
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