Amal Amer
Dr. Amer is currently an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University. She is a faculty in the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity and the Department of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Division. Dr. Amer is also a member in the Center for Microbial Interface Biology. Her MD and PhD training allowed her to contribute with her knowledge in several developing countries. She trained several undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral candidates and medical fellows from different parts of the world. Dr. Amer’s work is focused on the innate immune response to pulmonary pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila and Burkholderia cenocepacia. Legionella targets the elderly and immuno-compromised while Burkholderia targets patients with cystic fibrosis. Dr. Amer was among the first to establish the ligands for several NOD-like receptors and their role in inflammation. Dr. Amer also explored the role of autophagy as an innate immune response to Legionella and Burkholderia. Her recent work with Burkholderia offers new drug targets for the control of infection with Burkholderia which is resistant to most antibiotics. Dr. Amer’s long standing studies on the role of caspases during intracellular infection allowed the discovery of novel non-apoptotic functions of caspases.