After earning my MD in medical biochemistry, I was fortunate to discover the fascinating world of rickettsial diseases during my Ph.D., D.Sc., and postdoctoral work. This initial spark led to the privilege of working in government and academic laboratories in Russia, France, and the USA—first learning from renowned experts, and later conducting independent research.  My expertise spans development and characterization of the Rickettsia prowazekii vaccine, analyses of Rickettsia surface protein antigens, molecular epidemiology, identification of emerging species, outbreak investigations, diagnostic assay development, and complete genome sequencing.

Since joining the American Society for Rickettsiology (ASR) in 1994, I have attended and presented at nearly every meeting for three decades. My work has been featured at ASM, ASTMH, and APHA conferences, helping ensure that rickettsial diseases remain visible and relevant across disciplines. I have also organized and led rickettsiology training workshops in China, Guatemala, Tunisia, and India. Currently, I serve as Professor, Laboratory Director, IBC Member, and University Safety Officer at Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. I mentor undergraduate researchers and apply next-generation sequencing to molecular epidemiology and public health response.  My scholarly output includes 120+ peer-reviewed publications, 28 book chapters, and 16 proceedings publications. I also serve on editorial boards and grant review panels (NIH, DOD MIDRP), and have held leadership roles in the Southeastern Branch of ASM.

As ASR Vice President, I would support new international collaborations, strengthen One Health ties, and advocate for reviving proceedings publications. I am deeply committed to advancing ASR’s mission through academic leadership, global engagement, and mentoring the next generation of rickettsiologists.

Dr Ismail is a Tenured Professor of Pathology at the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), and Medical Director of the Clinical Microbiology and Immunology Laboratories at the University of Illinois Health System. She is a Clinician-Scientist double board-certified by the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology (ABMLI) and the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM). She obtained her MD degree from Tanta University, Egypt, and her PhD degree from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. In 2002. She completed a CPEP-accredited clinical microbiology fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas, and Post doctoral training in Dr. David Walker Laboratory at UTMB. Since then, she has overseen diagnostic microbiology and immunology laboratories while maintaining her NIH-funded research at different institutions including  UTMB, Pittsburgh Medical Center, and currently at UIC.

Dr. Ismail’s fundamental research program focuses on host-microbial interactions investigating the basic mechanisms of protective and pathogenic responses against rickettsial pathogens such as Ehrlichia that cause acute liver injury, sepsis, and multi-organ failure. Work from her group has characterized, for the first time, cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate tissue damage during fatal Ehrlichia infection, such as the generation of pathogenic neutrophils, NK cells, cytotoxic CD8 T cells that cause liver immunopathology. Dr. Ismail's research group has defined several paradigm-shifting molecular signaling pathways triggered by cytosolic and surface pattern recognition receptors that contribute to immunopathology of Ehrlichia-induced sepsis, such as inflammasome pathways, MYD88 signaling, type I IFN response, mTORC1 activation, autophagy, and oxidative stress. She developed significant expertise in crosstalk among liver cells, which remains the primary focus of her research. The goal of here research program is to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic countermeasures against infectious agents including rickettsial pathogens.

I have been an active member of the American Society for Rickettsiology (ASR) since beginning my graduate studies in 2009. I am currently an Associate Professor at the University of Iowa, where I lead an interdisciplinary research program focused on understanding how obligate intracellular pathogens, such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Orientia tsutsugamushi, use secreted effector proteins to hijack host cell organelles, acquire nutrients, and evade immune defenses.

ASR has played a formative role in my scientific development, and I am committed to giving back to this outstanding community. It would be a privilege to serve on the executive committee and contribute to the continued success of our society. I am organized, collaborative, and enthusiastic about supporting ASR’s mission. If elected, I would be eager to assist with meeting planning, fundraising, and society outreach, and to work closely with the executive team to advance ASR’s impact and support its growing membership.

My name is Isaura Simões, and I am an Associate Professor at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. I first joined the ASR community in 2011 at the annual meeting in Crete, Greece, and over the past 14 years, I have gained immensely from being part of this fantastic Society! Through ASR, I have established meaningful collaborations, received Travel Awards that supported both my own participation and that of my mentees, and had the honor of serving on the Scientific Committees for the 30th through 34th annual meetings. Most importantly, I have had the joy of connecting with exceptional colleagues and making many, many dear friends along the way! The support and opportunities offered by the ASR have been invaluable to me, and I am deeply committed to giving back.

This past year, I had the privilege of serving as Councilor-at-Large, which was a truly rewarding experience and gave me the opportunity to contribute to the Society’s success and the planning of the upcoming meeting. I would now be honored to continue my service as Secretary/Treasurer. I am eager to build on this experience and remain actively engaged in ASR’s mission. In this role, I will continue to foster the collaborative and inclusive spirit that defines the ASR and ensure my efforts contribute to its continued growth and success.  It would be a true honor to continue giving back to a community that has given me so much!

Dr. Thomas Burke is an Assistant Prof. in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. He has studied Rickettsia pathogenesis and host response for +10 years and intracellular bacterial pathogens for +17 years. He has made several contributions to the field, including describing interactions of Rickettsia parkeri with innate immunity and antibacterial autophagy, developing animal models to study infection, and characterizing mechanisms of how Rickettsia parasitize host metabolites. Dr. Burke has attended 6 annual ASR meetings and presented numerous times as a selected seminar speaker. He has been awarded ASR travel grants and has contributed to the meetings by reviewing abstracts. He is a regular attendee of the ASR virtual seminar series and has participated as a presenter. Regarding service to the scientific community, Dr. Burke has served three times as a session convener for the American Society of Microbiology (ASM). Dr. Burke actively promotes inclusive excellence in his lab and the scientific community, including with his campus minority science program.

I received my BA in Environmental Biology at the University of California (UCSB-1968), graduating at the height of the military draft for Vietnam. I delayed enlisting until I was confirmed for the next USAF medical technology training class. Following completion of this training I spent a 2-year tour in the clinical laboratory at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, while taking coursework at the University of Hawaii Medical School in Honolulu. After my tour in the military, my studies continued from 1972-1974 with an MA at California State University-Fullerton, including an in vitro thesis study of the cellular immune response of DBA/2 mice against a syngeneic mastocytoma cell line. During these years I maintained full-time hospital work as a California-licensed Medical Technologist to support my family. Also, I concurrently directed an infectious disease specialty lab (Biotech Diagnostic Laboratory) in La Mirada, which soon led to the creation of Microbiology Reference Laboratory in 1978. This lab (MRL) developed the most extensive coverage of any lab in the country, including full-service virology, mycology, microbiology, immunology, and infectious disease serology. Around 1982 I created Hillcrest Biologicals designing 32 FDA-approved diagnostic assay kits, including the first for Lyme disease (IFA and ELISA). In 1990 we sold these two companies, and I started Fuller Laboratories to develop and manufacture vector-borne diagnostics. In 2025 Fuller Laboratories was sold to VMRD, a veterinary diagnostics company, and I soon retired.

I completed my doctoral and postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago under the mentorship of Drs. Schneewind and Missiakas, where I studied vaccine strategies to neutralize immune evasive mechanisms of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. I began my independent research career by generating transposon insertional variants in Rickettsia conorii to identify virulence genes involved in the obligate intracellular lifecycle of Rickettsia. At Stony Brook University, my laboratory aims to identify rickettsial genes and underlying molecular mechanisms associated with pathogenesis, tick transmission, and host immune evasion. In addition, we developed artificial membrane feeding systems for tick species of public and veterinary health importance to determine rickettsial genes contributing to tick transmission. Furthermore, through collaborations, our laboratory studies 1) tick populations and associated pathogens in endemic regions, 2) human immune responses to tick-borne diseases, and 3) molecular mechanisms associated with tick-borne Powassan virus neurovirulence. Throughout my training, I have been fortunate to receive generous support and guidance from experts in the field and members of the American Society for Rickettsiology, which has played a key role in my growth and development as an independent research scholar and educator. Most importantly, I have truly benefited from the welcoming and nurturing environment that all the ASR members have contributed to. Thus, I am privileged to be nominated for the position of Councilor-At-Large and have the opportunity to serve and cultivate the same welcoming environment that fosters the growth and development of all members.