The Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Emory is a dynamic research department of the Emory University School of Medicine. Our state-of-the-art research studies seek to discover fundamental aspects of the microbial world and how our immune systems protect us from bacterial and viral pathogens. We participate in medical school education and are responsible for teaching basic and advanced microbiology, immunology, and virology courses to PhD graduate students. Our faculty is fully committed to training the next generation of scholars, scientists, and physicians. Our faculty belong to four distinct graduate programs and are currently training approximately 30 students and 50 postdoctoral fellows.
Welcome from our Chair
The Department of Microbiology & Immunology (M&I) is a leader in biomedical research aimed at discovering the basic principles of how microorganisms (viruses and bacteria) function and how immune systems fight to keep these organisms at bay. Our faculty and research teams have strong expertise in exploring the mechanisms of viral pathogenesis for simian and human immunodeficiency viruses, herpesviruses, and influenza. We explore the ways in which sexually transmitted and other bacteria escape antibiotic treatment, how bacteria mobilize and colonize surfaces within the host, and how bacteria develop and differentiate as mechanisms for their survival. Using these and other systems, we also examine how immune systems can successfully protect hosts from infection and develop long-term memory that is useful for vaccine and therapeutic design to treat infection, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.
Department News and Announcements
Dean's Distinguished Faculty Lecture and Award
Dr. Jeremy M. Boss, Professor and Chair of Microbiology and Immunology, was selected for the 2025 Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Lecture and Award. The Dean's Distinguished Faculty Lecture and Award is among the most prestigious and celebratory honors that the School of Medicine bestows on its faculty members. It carries not only the honor and title but also a financial award for the honoree. Faculty from throughout the school come together to honor the recipient and express appreciation for his or her contributions.
Dr. Boss gave his honorary lecture on "Transcriptional and Epigenetic Regulation of Immunity," April 16th.
New Faculty Member
Microbiology and Immunology welcomed Ammar Zafar, PhD, who joined the department as Associate Professor on February 1, 2025.
Dr. M. Ammar Zafar, formerly of Wake Forest School of Medicine, joined Emory University School of Medicine as an Associate Professor in February 2025. His PhD (University of Maryland Baltimore County) and postdoctoral training (Princeton University) focused on bacterial stress responses. He later shifted his emphasis to bacterial pathogenesis and completed his research training at NYU School of Medicine. There, his studies concentrated on the strategies that Streptococcus pneumoniae, a pathogen responsible for infections primarily in young and older adults, employs to colonize and transmit between hosts. His work at NYU led to the development of an animal model for studying pneumococcal colonization and transmission, as well as the identification of specific factors S. pneumoniae requires for its transmission.
As an independent investigator, Dr. Zafar's research group focuses on two medically significant bacterial pathogens: Klebsiella pneumoniae with a continued interest in Streptococcus pneumoniae. He has also developed a murine model to study the colonization and transmission of K. pneumoniae. Dr. Zafar has published extensively on bacterial factors that modulate host responses to promote mucosal colonization and facilitate host-to-host transmission. Furthermore, his recent work has focused on how pathogens overcome microbiota-mediated colonization resistance. Dr. Zafar currently serves as an editorial board member for the American Society for Microbiology Journal Infection & Immunity, and on the scientific committee for the Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting. His research employs a variety of methods, including bacterial genetics, small animal models, and molecular, biochemical, and genome-wide approaches.
Dr. Zafar was recently added as an editorial board member for Infection andImmunity (IAI) for a term appointment from January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2027.
Dr. Seema Lakdawala Discusses Bird Flu on Mayim Bialik's podcast, “Breakdown”
Seema Lakdawala, PhD, was interviewed by Mayim Bialik on her podcast, “Breakdown,” discussing the H5N1 virus is and how it spreads, if the bird flu will become a pandemic, the difference between avian influenza and the seasonal flu, the bird flu symptoms in humans, how bird flu is affecting chickens, ducks and cows, how infections in wild birds are causing the spread of the virus, and how you can best protect yourself from infection.
Rafi Ahmed Named AACR Fellow
Rafi Ahmed, PhD, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, was named a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy, one of the highest honors in cancer research.
The mission of the Fellows of the AACR Academy is to recognize and honor extraordinary scientists whose ground breaking contributions have driven significant innovation and progress against cancer. Fellows of the AACR Academy constitute a global brain trust of leading experts in cancer science and medicine, working to advance the AACR’s mission.
Faculty Promotions 2025
Shonna McBride, Jake Kohlmeier, and Cheryl Day are being promoted to Professors of Microbiology and Immunology with Tenure, effective September 1, 2025.
Congratulations, everyone!
Day Lab
Cheryl Day, PhD, was elected as a member of the ACTG Executive Committee and elected as an immunologist on the ACTG Tuberculosis Transformative Science Group.