Perceptions of Lyme Disease Testing Survey
The College of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology & Immunology is seeking adults, age 18 and older, for a research study about the perceptions of Lyme disease testing. Please participate by taking a quick, anonymous survey here.
Promoting Innovation Through Collaboration
Research and training focused on diagnosis, treatment, prevention and clinical management of infectious disease, cancer, and metabolic and genetic disorders.
The Drexel University College of Medicine Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease is a collaborative inter-campus enterprise focused on research, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and clinical management of infectious disease, cancer, and metabolic and genetic disorders.
The institute guides the development of collaborative research programs that will be competitive for extramural research and training support. The institute also provides an organized framework to guide the development of inter-campus, inter-college and inter-unit research initiatives across the College.
Upcoming and Past Events
ILADS and PA Lyme Resource Network Scientific Meeting
June 7-8, 2025: The Complexity of Lyme: Diagnosing and Treating Tick-Borne and Related Diseases, being held in the Geary Auditoriums of DUCoM’s New College Building – Ken Liegner, MD Keynote Speaker. Learn more.
3rd Mark Shirtliff Memorial Biofilm Meeting
June 13, 2025: The “3rd Mark Shirtliff Memorial Biofilm Meeting” being held in the Geary Auditoriums of DUCoM’s New College Building: Steve Goodman, PhD Keynote Speaker, The Ohio State University. Learn more.
23rd International Symposium on Recent Advances in Otitis Media
June 15-18, 2025: The “23rd International Symposium on Recent Advances in Otitis Media” being held at CHOP with Susan Emmett, MD MPH, Keynote Speaker. Learn more.
Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease Seminars
The current semester's research seminar schedule is now available. Learn more.
News and Announcements
RFK Jr.'s insistence that the government ignores chronic disease is misguided
Garth Ehrlich, PhD, a professor in the College of Medicine, was quoted in a February 1, 2025 NBC News article debunking claims that the federal government prioritizes funding research in infectious diseases more than it does for chronic diseases. The article was also published by yahoo! News. Read more.
LymeX Diagnostics Phase 3 Prize Awarded
With an estimated 476,000 cases in America annually, the U.S. has an urgent need for new Lyme Disease diagnostics. That’s why Drexel University is thrilled to be a Phase 3 winner in the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation’s $10+ million LymeX Diagnostics Prize. Through Phase 3, the Drexel University College of Medicine team led by MaryAnn Comunale, had access to webinar modules, mentorship, and networking opportunities as we planned a clinical performance study to validate our proposed solution. Industry supporters Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics provided non-financial in-kind support, helping our team deepen our understanding of the diagnostics industry, how clinical laboratories operate, and how to work with commercial laboratories. Learn more.
Drexel University and Thomas Jefferson University are longtime allies in the fight against cancer. That partnership was formalized in 2013 as the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Consortium, a relationship that was reinvigorated in 2021, in preparation for the center’s application to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Read more. (Pulse Spring 2024)
Alumni News
Congratulations to MS in Biomedicine and Business alumna Hilary Schultz, for being featured in the Top 100 Innovators & Entrepreneurs magazine as their cover story.
An educational game designed by a team from the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease at Drexel University College of Medicine recently took home a silver medal from the International Serious Play Awards competition in Toronto, Canada. Read more.
ILADEF Neil Spector Award
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society presented the Neil Spector Award to PhD candidate Ben Haslund-Gourley at the 2023 ILADS scientific conference. This award is given to the best scientific presentation of the conference. Ben presented two talks: Immunoglobulin N-Glycans Role in Diagnosing Lyme Disease and Immunoglobulins N-glycans Impair Host Response to Lyme Disease. Ben’s win is the second consecutive win for a Drexel Microbiology & Immunology program. Graduate student Kayla Socarras was awarded the honor in 2022. Prior to the past two years, awardees have been senior investigators with international reputations. Ben is mentored by Dr. Mary Ann Comunale in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology.
VOA Burmese Profile
Michiko Thwe, biomedical engineering PhD candidate, was interviewed about their research in Alzheimer's Disease by VOA Burmese. Watch video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhmS3HYFoCE&t=14s (အယ်လ်ဇိုင်းမားရောဂါ သုသေသနပြုစုနေသူ).
Van Duuren Fulbright Travel Grant
Keziah Adjei, Molecular Medicine program student, was awarded a Van Duuren Fulbright travel grant to attend America Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) conference in Chicago from October 18 to 22, 2023. Adjei was one of only four recipients this year of this award which provides funds for travel‐related educational expenses to select Fulbrighters studying in the fields of sciences and public health. The America Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), draws tropical medicine and global health professionals representing academia, foundations, government, not-for-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, the military and private practice. The meeting is designed for researchers, professors, government and public health officials, military personnel, travel clinic physicians, practicing physicians in tropical medicine, students and all health care providers working in the fields of tropical medicine, hygiene and global health.
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