About Us

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DR. KAREN SCANLON
President
Dr. Karen Scanlon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. She is also the President of the International Bordetella Society. Her research seeks to define and therapeutically target age-related host factors that promote severe manifestations of pertussis in early life.
DR. MARCELA PASETTI 
Treasurer
Dr. Marcela Pasetti is a Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Her laboratory researches vaccines and immunology to understand how protective immunity can be induced in animal models and in humans following infection and vaccination, and the mechanisms involved.
DR. SEEMA MATTOO 

Dr. Seema Mattoo is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences (primary) and Biochemistry (by courtesy) at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Her laboratory investigates the role of post-translational modifications catalyzed by Fic (filamentation induced by cAMP) proteins in regulating diverse signal transduction pathways, including bacterial pathogenesis, protein folding, neurodegeneration, diabetes, protein translation, and cellular trafficking.
DR. ERIC HARVILL 

Dr. Eric Harvill is the Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Infectious Disease in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA. His laboratory examines and considers the evolution and ecology of different Bordetella species to guide studies of their complex interactions with their hosts.
DR. MONICA CARTELLE GESTAL 

Dr. Monica Cartelle Gestal is an Assistant Professor in the Department Microbiology and Immunology and the Gratis Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at LSU health, Shreveport, LA. Her laboratory focusses on two main questions: 1) to understand how bacteria manipulate host immune responses to increase colonization and persistence and 2) to investigate the role of eosinophils during clearance of bacterial infection and the generation of protective immunity.

DR. PETER SEBO 

Dr. Peter Sebo is a Professor and Founder of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Bacterial Pathogens at the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Prague. He is also the Founding Director of the Institute of Biotechnology of the CAS, designer of the BIOCEV research center in Vestec, and Professor of Microbiology at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague. His research focuses molecular and cellular mechanisms of action of bacterial toxins, such as the adenylate cyclase toxin action and on Bordetella pertussis biology and virulence mechanisms. His laboratory is also involved in therapeutic and prophylactic vaccine development.
DR. RACHEL FERNANDEZ 

Dr. Rachel Fernandez is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Associate Vice President, Research & Innovation at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Fernandez’ research focuses on how bacterial surfaces are assembled, vaccines and the bacterium causing pertussis (whooping cough).
DR. TOD MERKEL

Dr. Tod Merkel is a Principal Investigator with the US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD. He is also the former President of the International Bordetella Society. Dr. Merkel’s laboratory focuses on developing and evaluating animal models for studying the safety and efficacy of vaccines against Pertussis, Anthrax, and Staphylococcal infections.

JUNIOR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

DR. BREEZE CAVELL 
Junior Executive Committee
Dr. Breeze Cavell is a Senior Project Team Lead in Pathogen Immunology with the UK Health Security Agency, UK.
DR. IAIN MACARTHUR 
Secretary
Dr. Iain MacArthur is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Sciences at Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK. Dr. MacArthur serves as the IBS Secretary.
KATELYN PARRISH 
Assistant Secretary
Katelyn Parrish is a Graduate Student at Louisianna State University, and serves as the IBS Assistant Secretary.

STAFF


CASSANDRA (CASSY) HOBBS 
Program Manager
Cassandra (Cassy) Hobbs, Program Manager. Cassy is a Program Specialist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

PAST EXECUTIVE COMITTEE MEMBERS

FOUNDING MEMBERS

DR. ERIK HEWLETT
Professor Emeritus, UVA
DR. HEATH DEMRON
WVU-HSC
DR. MARIETTE BARBIER
WVU-HSC
DR. ERIC HARVILL
UGA
DR. PETER SEBO
CAS, Prague
DR. KATHRYN EDWARDS
Vanderbilt U.
DR. KINGSTON MILLS
Trinity College, Dublin
DR. FLORENS VERSTEEGH
DR. SEEMA MATTOO
Purdue U.
DR. JENNIFER MAYNARD
U. of Texas
DR. LINDA EATONDR. JUSTIN BEVERE
WVU
DR. NICOLA KLEINDR. PURNIMA DUBEY
OSU