Research
Research
Dr. Subba Reddy Palli
Dr. Palli’s research focuses on the critical physiological processes that can result in death of an insect, such as molting, diapause, metamorphosis and apoptosis. Studying these processes at the molecular level will hopefully lead to the identification of targets for pest and disease vector control. Dr. Palli’s laboratory is involved in the surveillance, speciation and diagnostics of disease vectors, including ticks and mosquitoes. He is involved in a collaborative study with UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention looking at the distribution of medically relevant ticks throughout the state of Kentucky. This study is collecting data on where the tick vectors are, their habitat and activity to better control and mitigate them.
Dr. Yosra Helmy
Dr. Helmy’s research focuses on developing novel antibiotics and therapeutics to mitigate infectious pathogens in animals and humans. Her lab is interested in the host-pathogen interactions and the impact on the host microbiome. Dr. Helmy’s laboratory also studies the antimicrobial resistance, epidemiology and genetic diversity of foodborne pathogens such as: E. coli O157, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria monocytogens. She recently was awarded a grant from the American Quarter Horse Association to study natural products in the fight against rodococcus equi infections in young foals.
Dr. Feng Li
Dr. Li, William Robert Mills Endowed Chair in virology in the Gluck Equine Research Center, has been awarded 2023-2024 University Research Professor for excellence in research, scholarship and creative endeavors at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Li gained international renown for his discovery of a new type of influenza virus in bovines as a primary reservoir. He has also made seminal contributions to the development of novel class of HIV-1 maturation inhibitors that have been tested in HIV/AIDS patients. After his recruitment to the University of Kentucky in 2020, his work on equine infectious diseases resulted in the identification of new rotavirus in horses and the development of a genetically engineered vaccine against equine lentivirus.
Dr. Ilhem Messaoudi
Dr. Messaoudi's research interests include whether inflammation is a physiological process that occurs due to the presence of infection or as a result of tissue injury. Throughout one’s life, the immune system is responsible for the identification of pathogens as well as damaged/transformed cells. The ability of the immune system to respond to microbial and cellular insults is influenced by several factors including age and nutrition. While the immune system can eliminate some of the pathogens, several microbes can manipulate the immune system to establish a chronic infection or overwhelm it. The goals of research efforts in the Messaoudi laboratory are to understand how these factors impact the ability of the immune system to function adequately by using a systems biology approach combining next generation sequencing techniques and functional immunology assays. Specifically, research is focused on four areas:
- Impact of advanced age on immune fitness and ability to respond to infection
- Modulation of immunity at the maternal-fetal interface by maternal obesity or substance use disorder
- Impact of chronic ethanol consumption on immune functions
- Pathogenesis of emerging and re-emerging pathogens
