Center for Zoonoses Research at the University of Illinois
Veterinary Student Summer Training Program
2008 Mentor Profile
Joanna Shisler
Assistant Professor,
Microbiology/College of Medicine
Title
Project Description:
Ecology & Epidemiology of an Emerging Disease: The Case of Monkeypox in Africa Mentors: Dr. Thomas Gillespie (Pathobiology / Anthropology) Dr. Joanna Shisler (Microbiology / College of Medicine)
We have three CZR opportunities available for the coming summer:
1) Nucleic acid- and serological-based assays: The mentee will work closely with Drs. Shisler and Gillespie, as well as the staff of the CDC Pox Unit. This project is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Nucleic acid- and serological-based assays will be administered to rodent serum and tissue samples shipped from Uganda to the CDC. All research will be conducted in the BSL 3 Laboratory of the CDC Pox Unit.
2) Monkeypox-related pathology: The mentee will work closely with Drs. Gillespie and Shisler and collaborators from the CDC to collect serum and tissue samples from live-trapped rodents in western Uganda. The mentee will conduct necropsies on suspect monkeypox positive rodents to determine degree and form of pathology in various potential reservoir hosts.
3) Human risk assessment survey: The mentee will work closely with Drs. Gillespie and Shisler and collaborators from the CDC and the Uganda Ministry of Health to develop and implement a public health survey designed to examine risk factors associated with exposure to monkeypox in Western Uganda.