Member News

American Academy of Microbiology inducts fellows

ASBMB Today Staff
March 29, 2021

The American Academy of Microbiology has elected 65 new fellows into its class of 2021. The academy, an honorific leadership group of the American Society for Microbiology, elects microbiologists annually through peer review. Five of this year’s AAM fellows are American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology members.

Pictured, from left to right are Julie Maupin–Furlow, Kenneth Marians, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Mario Feldman and Sarah Gaffen.

Julie Maupin–Furlow is a professor of microbiology and cell science of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. She is known for her lab’s biochemical and proteomic characterization of archaeal protein turnover through the proteasome–ubiquitin system. The work, which uses extremophiles from environments like the hyper-saline Dead Sea, is relevant to bioenergetic research, aiming to generate renewable fuels, as well as to astrobiological research. Maupin–Furlow is a member of the Archaeal Proteome Project, has organized Gordon Research Conferences, and received her university's UF Research Foundation award in 2010.

Kenneth Marians is a professor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and a leader in the field of DNA replication. He served as chair of the molecular biology program for 25 years and was the founding dean of the Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He is now back in the lab full time.

Mitzi Nagarkatti is Carolina distinguished professor and SmartState endowed chair of the Cancer Drug Discovery SmartState Center as well as chair of the department of pathology, microbiology and immunology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Her lab pursues broad-based research on inflammatory diseases, including studying the contribution of epigenetic modifications and other regulatory genes in inflammation, and seeking small molecule treatments for several types of cancers and cancer immunotherapy. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences and has received numerous research awards.

Mario Feldman is a professor of molecular microbiology at Washington University in St Louis, where he studies pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, some of which frequently cause hospital-acquired infections. Feldman's lab works to develop new antimicrobials by better understanding bacterial secretion systems, virulence factors and outer membrane vesicles. Feldman also cofounded a biotechnology startup called VaxNewMo in 2016 and serves as chief scientific officer; the company aims to use glycoengineering to produce vaccines that more closely resemble true bacterial antigens.

Sarah Gaffen is the Gerald P. Rodnan endowed professor of rheumatology and clinical immunology at the University of Pittsburgh and the director of her university's center of excellence in rheumatology and autoimmunity. Her lab was among the first to study interleukin 17 and continues to study the role of this cytokine, and the T cells that produce it, in host defense from fungal infection and also, when unchecked, autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
ASBMB Today Staff

This article was written by a member or members of the ASBMB Today staff.

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in People

People highlights or most popular articles

Meet Lan Huang
Interview

Meet Lan Huang

May 19, 2025

Molecular & Cellular Proteomics associate editor uses crosslinking mass spec to study protein–protein interactions to find novel therapeutics.

Meet Shannon Reilly
Profile

Meet Shannon Reilly

May 12, 2025

The JLR junior associate editor discusses the role of adipocytes in obesity at Weill Cornell Medical School.

Meet Donita Brady
Interview

Meet Donita Brady

May 8, 2025

Donita Brady is an associate professor of cancer biology and an associate editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, who studies metalloallostery in cancer.

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease
Interview

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease

May 7, 2025

Meet the co-chairs of the 2025 ASBMB meeting on O-GlcNAcylation to be held July 10–13, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. Learn about the latest in the field and meet families affected by diseases associated with this pathway.

ASBMB recognizes 2025 outstanding student chapter
Student Chapters

ASBMB recognizes 2025 outstanding student chapter

May 6, 2025

The Purdue group, led by Orla Hart, developed STEM outreach initiatives for low-income and minority students in Lafayette, Indiana.

ASBMB inducts 2025 honor society members
Student Chapters

ASBMB inducts 2025 honor society members

May 5, 2025

Chi Omega Lambda, which recognizes exceptional juniors and seniors pursuing degrees in the molecular life sciences, has 16 new inductees in 2025.