Microbiology Department Overview

Mission Statement:
The activities of the Department of Microbiology are directed toward the education and training of future health care professionals and medical research scientists and the advancement of scientific research. Emphasis is placed on the training of medical students, physician scientists, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.

Goals:
To develop and provide a rich environment of interdisciplinary infectious disease research activity and academic freedom for faculty and students while also fulfilling administrative responsibilities.

History of the Department of Microbiology:
U.T. Southwestern Medical Center was founded in 1943 by the Southwestern Medical Foundation. This was a direct result of the Baylor College of Medicine relocating from Dallas to Houston. The beginnings of the Medical School were humble; teaching and research were conducted in World War II-type prefabricated shacks. It was not unusual to mistakenly put one’s arm or foot through the thin walls.

The first chairman was Dr. MacDonald Fulton. Microbiology was the first approved doctoral graduate program at U.T. Southwestern and the first Ph.D. degree was awarded in 1955. In that year, the department moved to a new research building. Despite the small size of the department, exciting research was taking place: major advances in understanding the biology of the rabies virus by Dr. S. Edward Sulkin (the second chairman of the department); pioneering work with cholera toxin by Dr. Richard Finkelstein; and important studies of the genetics of staphylococci by Dr. Eugene Rosenblum.

In 1972, the medical school was administratively reorganized as the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Allied Health Professions included in the Medical Center. In 1972, Dr. Sulkin stepped down as the Chair of Microbiology after 27 years. His successor, Dr. Jonathan W. Uhr, was provided resources to expand the teaching and research capabilities in a major way. The department developed one of the premier immunology programs in the country with front-rank scientists working in the areas of immunogenetics (the Journal of Immunogenetics originated in the Department), immunochemistry, molecular immunology, and cellular immunology.

At the same time, outstanding scientists were recruited to study the molecular bases of microbial pathogenesis, particularly in the areas of toxins, gram-negative bacteria, spirochetes, and viruses. The overall program was well balanced and interactions among the faculty in and outside the Department made for a particularly exciting phase in the Department’s history. At this point in time, the Department ranked consistently among the top 2 or 3 Microbiology departments in the country.

In 1998, Dr. Uhr stepped down after 25 years as Chairman and the Department again was reorganized. Dr. Michael Norgard became the new Chairman of Microbiology with the mission of expanding research in cellular microbiology, microbial pathogenesis, cell biology, virology, and host-parasite interactions. In addition, the Center for Immunology was created whose members cooperate with the Department of Microbiology.

The Department will continue to focus on mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interactions, with emphasis on understanding key effector molecules involved in microbial virulence expression. Elucidating the types of immune responses requisite for controlling infectious processes and developing molecular vaccination techniques to achieve such responses also will be research priorities.