Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

Faculty

MM&I Faculty

The faculty conducts research in four, distinct topical areas as noted below.

Human and Animal Virology

Jae U. Jung, Ph. D. 
Professor and Chair
Research Description: Viral mechanisms for escape from host immunity; viral-induced cancers; programmed cell death

Paula Cannon, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Research Description: Novel anti-HIV therapies and molecular analysis of hemorrhagic fever viruses

Pinghui Feng, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Research Description:

Shou-Jiang Gao, Ph. D.
Professor
Research Description:

Michael Lai, M. D., Ph. D. 
Professor Emeritus
Research Description: Molecular virology of hepatitis viruses; viral oncogenesis

Chengyu Liang, M. D., Ph. D. 
Assistant Professor 
Research Description: Autophagic mechanisms in infectious viral disease and cancer

Keigo Machida, Ph. D. 
Assistant Professor
Research Description: Molecular virology of hepatitis C virus infection; molecular oncogenesis

James J.-H. Ou, Ph. D.
Professor 
Research Description: Molecular virology of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses

Bacterial Genetics, Physiology and Structure

R. William DePaolo, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor Research Description: Host-bacterial pathogen interactions; innate and acquired immunity of the gastrointestinal tract

Jie Li, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical
Instruction Description: Medical Microbiology and host responses to human infections; course development

Cellular Mechanisms and Disease

Lucio Comai, Ph. D. 
Professor 
Research Description: Molecular mechanisms of genetic aging diseases

Joseph R. Landolph, Ph. D. 
Associate Professor 
Research Description: Molecular mechanisms of chemical and environmental carcinogens

Axel H. Schonthal, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Research Description: Molecular basis for cancer and anticancer drug development

Stanley M. Tahara, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Research Description: Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression

Ebrahim Zandi, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor
Research Description: Signal transduction; proteomics and cancer cell biology

Hyeongnam (Joseph) Jeong, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Research Description: Signal transduction in prostate cancer

Molecular and Cellular Immunology

Omid Akbari, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Research Description: Adaptive and innate immunity as related to allergic disease and asthma.

Si-Yi Chen, Ph. D.
Professor
Research Description: Regulation of innate and adaptive immunity; development of novel immune and gene therapies for cancer and HIV

Xue Huang, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor
Research Description:Cancer immunotherapy

W. Martin Kast, Ph. D.
Professor
Research Description: Immunotherapy development for human cancers; tumorigenic viruses

Minnie McMillan, D. Sc.
Professor
Research Description: Analysis of major histocompatibility complex in immune disorders and infectious disease.

Weiming Yuan, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor
Research Description: Role of innate immunity and immune effector cells in herpes virus infection



University of Southern California University of Southern California