Ian Cleary
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COURSES TAUGHT
BMS 212 - Introductory Microbiology
BMS 213 - Microbiology Lab
EDUCATION
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas at San Antonio, 2006-2012
Ph.D. Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Alberta, 2006
B.Sc. Molecular Genetics, University of Alberta, 2000
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research focuses on the regulation of cell shape and stress responses in Candida albicans. This fungus is part of the normal human-associated microbial population, but it is also an opportunistic pathogen and remains the main causative agent of invasive fungal infections. Invasive candidiasis is now the fourth most frequent hospital acquired infection in the U.S. and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. C. albicans lives in varied environments from the skin to the GI tract, and must be able to respond appropriately to these different conditions. Changes in cell morphology and accompanying alterations in surface protein components are important virulence traits and are key factors for the complex interaction between the fungal cells and the host immune system. We are particularly interested in understanding the contributions of different genes to the control of the yeast to hypha morphological transition. Current projects examine different components of this mechanism from adhesion and sensor proteins on the cell surface, to internal signaling proteins, to transcriptional regulators.