Amy Cernetich Ott, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department: Microbiology & Immunology

Research &
Academics
Background
Media/Publications/
Presentations

Education

PhD - Drexel University College of Medicine (2012)
MS - Johns Hopkins University (2003)
BS - Allegheny College (1998)

Awards & Honors

Mary DeWitt Pettit, MD, Fellowship, Drexel University College of Medicine (2024)

Amy Cernetich Ott, PhD is an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Drexel University College of Medicine.

Dr. Ott is a 2013 graduate of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Drexel University College of Medicine. Dr. Ott's graduate research in the laboratory of Dr. James Burns focused on using a mouse model of malaria, Plasmodium yoelii, to study parasite-encoded proteins that mediate adherence of infected RBCs to host tissues. As a graduate student, Dr. Ott lectured in the virology and parasitology sections of the Molecular Pathogenesis course offered to first year PhD and master’s students. Since graduating, Dr. Ott has continued to lecture in the Microbiology & Immunology Department in both face-to-face and online settings.

Currently, Dr. Ott directs various courses including: Vaccines and Vaccine Development; Introduction to Infectious Disease; and Clinical Correlations in Infectious Disease. Dr. Ott also conducts research in the laboratory of Dr. Jim Burns, with a focus on the development of a multi-stage, multi-antigen vaccine for Plasmodium parasites using both recombinant protein and mRNA platforms. Dr. Ott enjoys interacting with students from diverse backgrounds within the Drexel community and sees these teaching activities as a way to further her own education.

Research Interests

Development and testing of multi-stage, multi-antigen vaccines targeting Plasmodium parasites.

Publications

"Deficiency of different nitric oxide synthase isoforms activates divergent transcriptional programs in cardiac hypertrophy"
Cappola TP, Cope L, Cernetich A, Barouch LA, Minhas K, Irizarry RA, Parmigiani G, Durrani S, Lavoie T, Hoffman EP, Ye SQ, Garcia JG, Hare JM
Physiol Genomics. 2003 Jun 24;14(1):25-34

"Arginase reciprocally regulates nitric oxide synthase activity and contributes to endothelial dysfunction in aging blood vessels"
Berkowitz DE, White R, Li D, Minhas KM, Cernetich A, Kim S, Burke S, Shoukas AA, Nyhan D, Champion HC, Hare JM
Circulation. 2003 Oct 21;108(16):2000-6

"Differential expression of immunoregulatory genes in male and female Norway rats following infection with Seoul virus"
Klein SL, Cernetich A, Hilmer S, Hoffman EP, Scott AL, Glass GE
J Med Virol. 2004 Sep;74(1):180-90

"Perinatal exposure to genistein alters reproductive development and aggressive behavior in male mice"
Wisniewski AB, Cernetich A, Gearhart JP, Klein SL
Physiol Behav. 2005 Feb 15;84(2):327-34

"Alteration in host cell tropism limits the efficacy of immunization with a surface protein of malaria merozoites"
Shi Q, Cernetich A, Daly TM, Galvan G, Vaidya AB, Bergman LW, Burns JM Jr
Infect Immun. 2005 Oct;73(10):6363-71

"Expression, localization and erythrocyte binding activity of Plasmodium yoelii merozoite surface protein-8"
Shi Q, Cernetich-Ott A, Lynch MM, Burns JM Jr
Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2006 Oct;149(2):231-41

"Involvement of gonadal steroids and gamma interferon in sex differences in response to blood-stage malaria infection"
Cernetich A, Garver LS, Jedlicka AE, Klein PW, Kumar N, Scott AL, Klein SL
Infect Immun. 2006 Jun;74(6):3190-203

"Prediction of merozoite surface protein 1 and apical membrane antigen 1 vaccine efficacy against Plasmodium chabaudi malaria based on prechallenge antibody responses"
Lynch MM, Cernetich-Ott A, Weidanz WP, Burns JM Jr
Clin. Vacc. Immunology. 2008 Dec;16(3):293-302

"Remarkable stability in patterns of blood-stage gene expression during episodes of non-lethal Plasmodium yoelii malaria"
Cernetich-Ott A, Daly TM, Vaidya AB, Bergman LW, Burns JM Jr
Malaria Journal, 2012 11:265