Mostafa F.N. Ateya Abushahba, BVSc, MVSc, PhD

Assistant Research Professor

  • PhD. 2015, Purdue University, USA and Assiut University, Egypt. Mutual supervision (Channel PhD program). Specialty: Molecular targeting of intracellular pathogens
  • MVSc. 2011, Assiut University, Egypt
  • BVSc. 2006, Assiut University, Egypt
  • Postdoctoral Associate, Washington University in St. Louis, MO
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
Mostafa F.N.A. Abushahba, BVSc, MVSc, PhD

Building Address: 209C Connaway Hall
Email: mostafaa@missouri.edu

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr. Abushahba’s long-term research goal is to develop novel vaccines and antimicrobials targeting intracellular and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. During his graduate studies at Purdue University, Dr. Abushahba successfully targeted the rpoA gene in Listeria monocytogenes and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using peptide nucleic acids. This innovative work has sparked his interest in genome-wide approaches to understanding gene function—particularly how specific genes influence phenotypes within complex systems such as host-pathogen interactions— and how these insights can drive the discovery of new drug and vaccine targets.

Dr. Abushahba’s ongoing research centers on two main areas. The first investigates the roles of previously uncharacterized genes in the pathogenesis of both human and avian extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC). This work integrates comparative and functional genomics, targeted mutagenesis, in silico prediction tools, and both in vitro and in vivo infection models to functionally characterize these genes. The second project focuses on brucellosis and employs transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-Seq), and mouse models of infection to investigate both how antibodies mediate protection against brucellosis and how Brucella subverts humoral immunity.

TEACHING

Instructor in “MICROB 8404: Foundations in Bacterial Pathogenesis”

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Abushahba, M.F.N., Mohammad, H., and Seleem, M.N. (2016). Targeting Multidrug-resistant Staphylococci with an anti-rpoA Peptide Nucleic Acid Conjugated to the HIV-1 TAT Cell Penetrating Peptide. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 5, e339. https://doi.org/10.1038/mtna.2016.53.

Abushahba, M.F.N., Mohammad, H., Thangamani, S., Hussein, A.A.A., and Seleem, M.N. (2016). Impact of different cell penetrating peptides on the efficacy of antisense therapeutics for targeting intracellular pathogens. Sci Rep 6, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep20832.

Abushahba*, M.F.N., Abdelbaset, A.E., Rawy, M.S., and Ahmed, S.O. (2017). Cross-sectional study for determining the prevalence of Q fever in small ruminants and humans at El Minya Governorate, Egypt. BMC Res Notes 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/S13104-017-2868-2. (* Corresponding author).

Sayed, A.S.M., Malek, S.S., and Abushahba*, M.F.N. (2020). Seroprevalence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus in dromedaries and their traders in upper Egypt. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 14, 191–198. https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.10862. (* Corresponding author).

Abushahba*, M.F.N., Dadelahi, A.S., Lemoine, E.L., Skyberg, J.A., Vyas, S., Dhoble, S., Ghodake, V., Patravale, V.B., and Adamovicz, J.J. (2023). Safe Subunit Green Vaccines Confer Robust Immunity and Protection against Mucosal Brucella Infection in Mice. Vaccines 2023, 11(3): 546. https://doi.org/10.3390/VACCINES11030546. (* Corresponding author).

Dadelahi, A.S., Abushahba, M.F.N., Ponzilacqua-Silva, B., Chambers, C.A., Moley, C.R., Lacey, C.A., Dent, A.L., and Skyberg, J. (2023). Interactions between B cells and T follicular regulatory cells enhance susceptibility to Brucella infection independent of the anti-Brucella humoral response. PLoS Pathogens 19, e1011672. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PPAT.1011672.

Moley, C.R., Chambers, C.A., Dadelahi, A.S., Ponzilacqua-Silva, B., Abushahba, M.F.N., Lacey, C.A., Franklin, C.L., and Skyberg, J.A. (2023). Innate Lymphoid Cells and Interferons Limit Neurologic and Articular Complications of Brucellosis. Am J Pathol 193, 1170–1184. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AJPATH.2023.05.006.

Abushahba, M.F.N., Dadelahi, A.S., Ponzilacqua-Silva, B., Moley, C.R., and Skyberg, J.A. (2024). Contrasting roles for IgM and B-cell MHCII expression in Brucella abortus S19 vaccine-mediated efficacy against B. melitensis infection. mSphere 9. https://doi.org/10.1128/MSPHERE.00750-23/SUPPL_FILE/MSPHERE.00750-23-S0006.XLSX.

Ponzilacqua-Silva, B., Dadelahi, A.S., Abushahba, M.F.N., Moley, C.R., and Skyberg, J.A. (2024). Vaccine-Elicited Antibodies Restrict Glucose Availability to Control Brucella Infection. J Infect Dis 230, e818. https://doi.org/10.1093/INFDIS/JIAE172.

Ponzilacqua-Silva, B., Dadelahi, A.S., Moley, C.R., Abushahba, M.F.N., and Skyberg, J.A. (2025). Metabolomic analysis of murine tissues infected with Brucella melitensis. PLoS One 20, e0314672. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0314672.

Google scholar link for publication: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=QEOI3v4AAAAJ&hl=en