Students

Johanna Sierra

Major: Bacteriology
Joined program in Fall of 2005
Mentor: Ashok Chopra, C.Sc., Ph.D.
Awards/Grants: Poster of Distinction Digestive Diseases Week, Chicago, IL (2005)
First place Samuel Kaplan Award, Poster presentation at The Texas Branch American Society of Microbiology (2006)
McLaughlin Fellow (2007)

Publications/Experience:
1. Sierra JC, Suarez G, Sha J, Foltz SM., Popov VL., Galindo CL., Garner HR. and Chopra AK. Biological characterization of a new type III secretion system effector from a clinical isolate of Aeromonas hydrophila—Part II. Microb Pathog 43 (2007) 147–160
2. Sha, J, Wang, S.F, Suarez, G, Sierra, J.C., Fadl, A.A, Erova, T.E, Foltz, S.M, Khajanchi, B.K, Silver, A.C, Graf, J, Schein, C.H, Chopra, A.K. Further characterization of a type III secretion system (T3SS) and of a new effector protein from a clinical isolate of Aeromonas hydrophila—Part I. Microb Pathog 43 (2007) 127–146
3. Beswick, EJ, Pinchuk, IV, Suarez, G, Sierra, J, Reyes, VE. Helicobacter pylori-dependent macrophage migratory inhibitory factor produced by gastric epithelial cells binds to CD74 and stimulates procarcinogenic events. J Immunol. 176(11):6794-801.
4. Das, S, Suarez, G, Beswick, E, Sierra, JC, Graham. DY, Reyes, VE. Expressión of B7-H1 on gastric epithelial cells: its potencial role in regulating T cells during Helicobacter pylori infection. J Immunol 2006 Mar 1;176(5):3000-9.
5. Das, S, Sierra, JC, Suarez, G, Kizhake, S, Luxon, B, Reyes, V. Differential protein expresión profiles of gastric ephithelial cells following Helicobacter pylori infection using protein chips. The Journal of Proteome Research 2005 May-June;4(3):920-30.

Research Description:
Identification of new type III secretion system effectors in Aeromonas hydrophila and the characterization of the biological effects in host cells.

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Education: Javeriana University
Contact: jcsierra@utmb.edu

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