Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine @pittdeptofmed.bsky.social · 1d

From CMU grad to global immunology leader 🦠

Congrats to @slg1717.bsky.social, winner of the 2025 @cmu.edu Alumni Achievement Award for her trailblazing research on IL-17 and immune defense! 🧫

Her groundbreaking IL-17 research has transformed the field of immunology and improved lives worldwide.

2 7

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Dr. Amanda Poholek @poholeklab.bsky.social · 2d

Thrilled to share my promotion to Associate Professor with tenure at @pitt-immunology.bsky.social! Huge thanks to my incredible lab, collaborators, department, colleagues, family & friends. Science is a team effort, and I'm so proud of our work & excited for what's next! Stay tuned!

Pitt Department of Immunology @pitt-immunology.bsky.social · 2d

Congratulations to Dr. Amanda Poholek @poholeklab.bsky.social for her promotion to Associate Professor with tenure! Learn more about Dr. Poholek and her research: buff.ly/q14wey8

4 3 21

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 5d

Today!

University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine @pittdeptofmed.bsky.social · 5d

Don't forget to attend today's HS Ascending Star Award Lecture with one of this year's awardees, Dr. Alison Kohan from the Div. of Endocrinology and Metabolism!

"No Guts, No Glory: Intestinal Lipid Absorption and Its Role in Disease"

🗓️Friday, Oct. 3
🕞3:30 p.m.
📍Alan Magee Scaife Hall, Room 3785

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Nanami Kubota @nanamikubota.bsky.social · 6d

Published in Current Biology! P. aeruginosa can use its filamentous phage to inhibit competitors but high phage production is susceptible to cheater miniphage invasion. Subsequent phage tragedy of the commons can lower bacteria and phage fitness. Link: authors.elsevier.com/c/1lt5I3QW8S...

Nanami Kubota @nanamikubota.bsky.social · Apr 2

Preprint out! Bacteria w/ hyper-replicative filamentous phage lead to overnight emergence of cheater phages. Bacteria w/ both phages can outcompete wildtype, then rapidly lose phage via a phage Tragedy of the Commons
@shellyscrib.bsky.social @vscooper.micropopbio.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Filamentous cheater phages drive bacterial and phage populations to lower fitness

Many bacteria carry phage genome(s) in their chromosome (i.e., prophage), and this intertwines the fitness of the bacterium and the phage. Most Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains carry filamentous phages ...

www.biorxiv.org

6 18 36

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Pitt Department of Immunology @pitt-immunology.bsky.social · 7d

Catch Dr. Robert Binder's talk tomorrow at the Cell Stress Society International @stresscell.bsky.social symposium in Syracuse, NY. He'll be discussing his research on the importance of heat shock proteins for #cancer #immunosurveillance

Graphic announcing Dr. Robert Binder's presentation at the Cell Stress Society international symposium

1 3

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 8d

Check out PMI talks tomorrow at the SOM Grad Student Symposium:
@catmphelps.bsky.social (in @meisellab.bsky.social ), Daria Jelic (Doug Reed lab), Kelsey Ertwine (Abby Overacre lab), @febrigunawan48.bsky.social (in Renfeng Li lab), and @dariavantyne.bsky.social !

Pitt BGSA @pittbgsa.bsky.social · 8d

Tomorrow from 8am-6pm, The Assembly transforms into a celebration of graduate research, innovation, and sustainability at the 30th School of Medicine Graduate Student Research Symposium.

See you tomorrow—bring your energy, your ideas, and join a scientific experience that is setting new standards!

6 7

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Pitt Department of Immunology @pitt-immunology.bsky.social · 9d

Congratulations to Dr. Alok Joglekar for receiving the inaugural Common Mechanisms of Autoimmunity Insight Award to investigate a potential new treatment for autoimmune diseases such as #lupus #type1diabetes and #multiplesclerosis buff.ly/D1yctIl

1 2 6

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Pitt BGSA @pittbgsa.bsky.social · 9d

Two days left for the 2025 GSR Symposium!!
GSRS 2025 Biomedical Image of the Year 3rd Place: Daria Jelic (PMI)

Ferret Cerebellum Sialic Acid Histochemistry

#sciencenerds #imaging #biomedicalresearch #bgsa #studentorg

1

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 14d

PMI faculty members Drs. Thomas Hooven @pittpediatrics.bsky.social and Jishnu Das @pitt-immunology.bsky.social were finalists!

3

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 14d

Congratulations to PMI and @pittdeptofmed.bsky.social professor @dariavantyne.bsky.social for receiving the 22nd annual Distinguished Mentor of the Year at the University Pittsburgh School of Medicine for her outstanding mentorship of PhD students & junior scientists!

1 2 10

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 14d

Congratulations to PMI student Hye Mi Kim, who was a runner up for this year’s Most Well Rounded Student award for a Pitt School of Medicine graduate student who is an excellent student and contributes to the greater community!

2

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 14d

Catherine is in @meisellab.bsky.social and her paper was published in Cell and is entitled “Exercise-induced microbiota metabolite enhances CD8 T cell antitumor immunity promoting immunotherapy efficacy”

2

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 14d

Congratulations to PMI student @catmphelps.bsky.social who is the recipient of the 23rd Stephen L. Phillips Scientific Achievement award for a Pitt School of Medicine graduate student who authored the best peer-review scientific journal author this year!

1 3 8

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Pitt BGSA @pittbgsa.bsky.social · 14d

🎉 Only 7 days left until the 30th GSRS! 🎉
Get ready for Pitt’s biggest student-led research showcase. Hear a special message from our directors and join us in celebrating a milestone of discovery, collaboration, and innovation.
#GSRS30 #PittMed #GradSymposium #Countdown #StudentResearch #ScienceComm

1 1

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 15d

Congratulations to Paul Zdinak from the @alokjoglekar.bsky.social lab, who will be defending his thesis next Tuesday!

Paul Zdinak will defend his thesis on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 1pm. The title is "Class II MHC signaling and antigen-presenting bifunctional receptors (SABRs) for CD4+ T cell antigen discovery and regulatory T cell engineering."

1 4

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 15d

Congratulations to Sean Roberts from Dr. Mark Shlomchik's lab who will defend his thesis on Monday! 🎉

Sean Roberts will defend his thesis on September 29, 2025 at 12:30pm. The title is "The neuro-abundant proteins BASP1, RET and NPY1R regulate the development and function of germinal center B cells."

1 1

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · 21d

Congratulations to @pitt-pmi.bsky.social PI Dr. Tullia Bruno for her new award from the V Foundation to further her work unlocking the potential of B cells to treat ovarian cancer.

Congratulations to Tullia Bruno for her V Foundation Award for Unleashing the anti-tumor potential of B cells and tertiary lymphoid structures for women with ovarian cancer

2

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Pitt BGSA @pittbgsa.bsky.social · 23d

The BGSA Community Outreach Committee and Greater Hazelwood Neighborhood Commitment at Pitt are collaborating to bring a new student-driven lecture series to Hazel Grove Brewing this fall: Sip of Science.

1 1 3

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Pitt BGSA @pittbgsa.bsky.social · 23d

This series will provide graduate students with the opportunity to engage with residents of the Hazelwood neighborhood and communicate what scientists do and how their research contributes to improving human health in a concise, informal talk tailored for a non-scientific audience.

1 1 1

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute @starzlinstitute.bsky.social · 29d

Dr. Ananda Goldrath (Allen Institute for Immunology) will present "Thinking about the immune system in tissues across space & time" at our next #Eberly Distinguished Lectureship in #Immunology!! @pitt-pmi.bsky.social

See you Thurs., Oct. 16th at noon in the Assembly Building Auditorium or Zoom!

Dr. Ananda Goldrath is a brunette woman with a curly bob, wearing a dark purple v-neck long sleeve shirt and gold hoop earrings. She is standing in front of a blurred background, smiling at the camera.

1

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Zandrea Ambrose, Ph.D. @zandrea.bsky.social · 26d

So proud of my friend and colleague @mccarthy-kr.bsky.social on giving an outstanding lecture on his research in the Senior Vice Chancellor's Research Seminar Series today! 👏

Dr. Kevin McCarthy looking down with reflection on an ad for the Pitt Senior Vice Chancellor's Research Seminar

Dr. Kevin McCarthy on Zoom is wearing a fun monkey shirt and is explaining that flu vaccines do not last long due to viral evolution and also because of the way vaccines are made.

1 3

Reposted by Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology

Josh Mattila @joshmattila.bsky.social · 27d

Open tenure track assistant- or associate-level faculty position in the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Vaccine Research. Great science, great facilities, great colleagues - come work with us!

jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/674888/f...

Faculty, Center for Vaccine Research - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania job with University of Pittsburgh | 674888

University of Pittsburgh Faculty Position Center for Vaccine Research The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Center for Vaccine Resear...

jobs.sciencecareers.org

17 13

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · Sep 4

Congratuations to PMI student Jessica Medrano co-mentored by Drs. Philana Ling Lin and @zandrea.bsky.social ! Woo hoo 🎉 !

PhD dissertation defense for PMI student Jessica Medrano entitled "The continuum of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: understanding factors of protection and susceptibility during clinical latency and HIV co-infection" on September 8, 2025 at 2pm in BST S123.

1 1 3

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · Aug 27

Congratulations to PMI student Luzmariel Medina Sanchez from @rh-lab.bsky.social who will defend her PhD thesis tomorrow morning! 🎉

PhD Defense notice for Luzmariel Medina Sanchez entitled "Unlocking the secrets of T. arnold: A commensal protist that restrains virus-mediated loss of oral tolerance to dietary antigens."

1 6

Pitt Program in Microbiology & Immunology @pitt-pmi.bsky.social · Aug 21

Welcome to the incoming Program in Microbiology and Immunology PhD students! We are so excited to see you in Pittsburgh and we can’t wait to see all the incredible science you’ll do here! 🧪 🎉

The incoming PhD and MSTP students in the University of Pittsburgh Program in Microbiology and Immunology are shown on stairs in The Assembly.

1 2 8