Associate Professor
Director of Graduate Studies – Veterinary Pathobiology
Interim Director of the Laboratory for Infectious Disease Research
- Ph.D., North Dakota State University
- Visiting Scientist, Iowa State University
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Montana State University
Building Address: 302 Connaway Hall
Phone Number: 573-882-2597
Email: skybergj@missouri.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research is focused on the host response to the gram negative bacterial pathogens Brucella and Escherichia coli.
Immunity and Immunopathology of Brucellosis.
Brucellosis remains one of the most common zoonotic infections world-wide with over 500,000 new human cases each year. In addition, Brucella causes disease and abortion in many agriculturally important livestock resulting in wide-spread economic losses. In humans, brucellosis can cause a chronic, multifocal infection that can lead to lifelong complications. Our lab studies several aspects of the immune response to Brucella that are important to understanding this disease, and which we feel can also serve as a means to learn more about the pathogenesis of infectious diseases in general. In particular, we are interested in determining how Brucella is able to colonize and cause inflammation in diverse tissues within the host, and investigating how Brucella is able to subvert adaptive immunity to cause chronic infection.
Pathogenesis of Bacterial Meningitis.
Neonatal meningitis causing E. coli (NMEC), is a group of E. coli that is the most common cause of meningitis in premature neonates, and the second overall most common agent of neonatal meningitis. Mortality rates from neonatal meningitis range from 10-15% in the developed world to 40-58% in developing countries. Beyond mortality, up to 50% of neonatal meningitis survivors suffer permanent neurological sequelae including deafness, seizures, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, and/or cognitive deficits. My laboratory is currently investigating defects in neonatal immunity that enhance susceptibility to meningitis. In addition, we are investigating immunomodulatory strategies as potential means to enhance resistance to meningitis.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Lacey, C.A., Mitchell, W.J., Dadelahi, A.S., and Skyberg, J.A *. 2018. Caspase-1 and Caspase-11 Mediate Pyroptosis, Inflammation, and Control of Brucella joint infection. Infect. Immun. 86(9): e00361-18 *Corresponding Author ^Manuscript was chosen by Editors of the Journal to be featured as an article of significant interest in the “Spotlight” section of Infection and Immunity
Lacey, C.A., Chambers, C.A., Mitchell, W.J., and Skyberg, J.A *. 2019. IFN-γ dependent Nitric Oxide Suppresses Brucella-induced arthritis by inhibition of inflammasome activation. J. Leuk. Bio. 106(1): 27-34 *Corresponding Author
Dadelahi, A.S., Lacey, C.A., Chambers, C.A., Ponzilacqua-Silva, B. and Skyberg, J.A. * 2020 . B cells Inhibit CD4 + T cell-Mediated Immunity to Brucella Infection in a Major Histocompatibility Complex II-Dependent Manner. Infect. Immun. e00075-20 *Corresponding Author
Dhariwala, M.O., Olson, R.M., Mitchell, W.J., Skyberg, J.A., and Anderson, D.M. 2021. Modification of the Pulmonary MyD88 Inflammatory Response Underlies the role of the Yersinia pestis Pigmentation Locus in Primary Pneumonic Plague. Infect. Immun. e00595-20
Chambers, C.A., Lacey, C. A., Brown, D., Skyberg, J.A.* 2021.Nitric Oxide Inhibits IL-1 Mediated Protection against Escherichia coli K1-Induced Sepsis and Meningitis in a Neonatal Murine Model. Immunol. Cell. Biol. 99(6): 596-610.*Corresponding Author ^Manuscript was chosen by the Editors of the Journal as one of the top 10 papers published in Immunol. Cell. Biol. In 2021.
Lacey, C.A., Ponzilacqua-Silva, B., Chambers, C.A., Dadelahi, A.S., and Skyberg, J.A. * . 2021. MyD88-Dependent Glucose Restriction and Itaconate Production Control Brucella infection. Infect. Immun. e00156-21. * Corresponding Author ^Manuscript was chosen by Editors of the Journal to be featured as an article of significant interest in the “Spotlight” section of Infection and Immunity
Chambers, C.A., Dadelahi, A.S., Moley, C.R., Olson, R.M., Logue, C.M., and Skyberg, J.A. * . 2022. Nucleotide Receptors Mediate Protection Against Neonatal Sepsis and Meningitis Caused by Alpha-Hemolysin-Expressing Escherichia coli K1 in a Macrophage-Dependent Manner. FASEB J. 36(3) e22197 * Corresponding Author
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. (in press). *Corresponding Author