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A gram-negative intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of human Q fever. Inside host cells such as macrophages, this unique pathogen forms an acidic, lysosome-like vacuole that is required for replication.  Our lab is interested in how Coxiella manipulates the host cell lipids and lipid signaling pathways to parasitize the resources needed to form this vacuole.

Latest Lab News
  • New funding! Collaborative R01 with Anders Omsland at Washington State will support our work understanding how Coxiella regulates CCV pH! July 2022
  • Tati's paper showing that the Coxiella sterol modifying enzyme Stmp1 regulates host cholesterol has been accepted! This was a challenging project that started years ago in the Heinzen Lab, and it's great to see it finally out! December 2021
  • More funding news! Rajendra was awarded an AHA postdoctoral fellowship to support his work on membrane contact sites during Coxiella infection. December 2021
  • Congrats to Leo on being awarded a 3 year COBRE grant to establish his own research program! We can't wait to see the cool discoveries made in the Augusto Lab! October 2021
  • The Gilk Lab has doubled in size in the past 6 months! Welcome to Emily (Masters student), Brigg (2nd year PhD student), Laura (Research Technologist) and Maggie (1st year PhD student)! September 2021
 
  • We received a great score on a new collaborative R01 with Anders Omsland at Washington State. July 2021
  • Huge congratulations to Tati, who just received an AHA postdoctoral fellowship for her project on IL-17 signaling during Coxiella infection. April 2021
  • We moved to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha! Fall 2020
  • Stacey was awarded promotion to Associate Professor with tenure. Summer 2020
  • Rochelle defended her Masters thesis and joined the PhD program in Microbiology at Michigan State University. Summer 2020
  • Dhritiman started his tenure track faculty position at Midwestern University in Phoenix. Summer 2020
  • Our latest paper demonstrating that Coxiella blocks host endosomal maturation was published in PLoS Pathogens, Dec 2019
  • Baleigh passed her qualifying exam! Nov 2019
  • Baleigh, Dhritiman, and Rochelle presented posters at the annual Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis meeting in Toledo, September, 2019
  • Stacey attended the AAMC Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar, with the generous support of the IUSM Faculty Affairs office. July 2019
  • Tati received a IUSM postdoctoral travel award to support her oral presentation at the American Society for Microbiology annual meeting in San Francisco, June 2019
  • Tati received a travel award from the American Society of Rickettsiology to support her oral presentation at the annual meeting in Santa Fe, June 2019
  • Welcome to our newest lab member, Piya! May 2019
  • Congratulations to Dhritiman Samanta, who was awarded an AHA postdoctoral fellowship! Nov. 2018​
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