Brenda Beerntsen
Charles R. Brown
Dr. Beerntsen will join the faculty in September, 2000. She completed her graduate studies in Parasitology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1995 under the direction of Dr. Bruce Christensen. She then pursued postdoctoral studies with Dr. A.A. James at the University of California-Irvine. Dr. Beerntsens major focus of research is investigations of the interactions of malaria sporozoites with their mosquito or vertebrate host tissues at the molecular, biochemical and cellular level.The following is a description of Brenda's research interests:
Mosquito-Plasmodium interactions, mosquito-borne diseases, medical entomology, parasitology
Dr. Beerntsens research focuses on the investigation of gene expression in malaria sporozoites in order to identify novel molecules that may be used to develop new disease control strategies. Malaria is a mosquito- borne disease caused by Plasmodium spp. that affects 300-500 million people and is responsible for killing an estimated 2-3 million people annually. Efforts aimed at preventing, controlling, or eliminating this disease in endemic areas have been compromised, in part, by the emergence of multiple drug-resistant Plasmodium strains, mosquito insecticide resistance and environmental concern over insecticide application. Therefore, it has become necessary to develop innovative strategies to supplement or replace now ineffective malaria control measures. These strategies include developing an effective malaria vaccine, discovering new parasite drug targets and developing novel mosquito control methods.
Within the mosquito, the malaria parasite develops into sporozoites that initially invade the salivary glands and then subsequently infect the vertebrate host when the mosquito ingests a blood meal. Because of this dual infectivity, the sporozoite stage is an excellent target for disease intervention efforts. In the Beerntsen laboratory, sporozoite gene expression is being assessed using molecular techniques, and novel genes have been identified. Characterization of these novel genes and their gene products includes sequence determination, cellular localization studies and the determination of transcriptional and translational profiles. The role of the novel gene products in infectivity for mosquito salivary glands and the vertebrate host tissue will be determined using in vivo blocking assays. Those molecules that are involved in invading mosquito or vertebrate tissues are potential vaccine candidates and/or molecules that could be used to genetically manipulate the mosquito vector to prevent di sease transmission.
Charles R. Brown Veterinary PathoBiology
Dr. Brown joined the faculty in May, 2000. He completed his graduate studies in Immunology at the University of Chicago in 1993 and continued at that institution for postdoctoral studies under the tutelage of Dr. Steven L. Reiner. Funding from the NIH supports his studies of the host immune response to the bacterial pathogen that causes Lyme disease. The following is a description of Charles' research interests:
Immunology Polymorphism in Experimental Lyme Arthritis
Despite numerous studies, there is a limited understanding of many aspects of the pathogenesis of Lyme disease. A detailed description of the interplay between the spirochetes and host is lacking and so it is unknown how spirochetes induce inflammation in tissue. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of tissue destruction in Lyme arthritis, Dr. Brown is investigating the role of: (1) monocytes in resistance and susceptibility to arthritis development; (2) neutrophil protection from arthritis development in resistant animals and its failure to protect susceptible animals; and (3) determining the genetic basis for resistance and susceptibility to disease. In order to accomplish these objectives, it will be necessary to construct bone marrow chimeras to determine whether control of resistance to experimental Lyme disease is under hematopoietic control.