Makedonka Mitreva, PhD, a professor of medicine and of genetics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been elected to the American Academy of Microbiology in recognition of her contributions to the field of microbiology. The academy is an honorific leadership group and think tank within the American Society for Microbiology. Mitreva is one of 65 fellows selected from 11 different countries this year.
Mitreva’s research focuses on neglected tropical diseases that primarily impact low-resource communities globally. Her laboratory uses systems biology approaches and computational genomics to investigate molecular interactions of parasitic infections. This research has provided fundamental microbiological information on host responses to parasitic infections as well as translational research in drug development and resistance diagnosis and surveillance. Mitreva’s area of interest is also the human microbiome, where she utilizes genetic sequencing to understand the changes of the structure and function of microbial communities in various disease states.
Mitreva is also the recipient of the Bailey K. Ashford Medal awarded by the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH) for her distinguished work in tropical medicine. She is an active member of ASTMH’s Scientific Program Committee and the American Society of Parasitology’s Educational Committee. She is deputy editor of PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases and specialty chief editor of Frontiers in Parasitology.
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