Tanaporn Wangsanut, Ph.D.
Instructor
twangsanut@gmail.com
Office
50th Anniversary building, Room 723, Faculty of Medicine
Research interest
Fungal infections contribute considerably to human morbidity and mortality, yet our understanding of fungal immunity and host signaling pathways in response to fungal invasion is still not completed. My lab is interested in the regulation of host-pathogen interactions. We particularly study Candida albicans, the fungus that is part of normal human microbiome, but can also become human pathogen when it is overgrown. Several pathways, such as MAPK, NF-κB, and HIF-1α , are involved in host – C. albicans interactions. Our research goal is to decipher mechanisms that our body utilizes to regulate these signaling pathways in response to C. albicans.
Short biography
Dr. Tanaporn Wangsanut is currently an instructor at Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University. Her B.S. degree is in Biology from University of Virginia (completed in 3 years!) where she did research with Dr. George Bloom on Alzheimer’s disease. She received her Ph.D. in Biology from Georgetown University, working with Dr. Ronda Rolfes on Candida albicans. During her Ph.D. study, she enjoyed teaching undergraduate students on genetics and biochemistry laboratory courses as well as mentoring undergraduate and graduate students on yeast research. She did postdoctoral work with Dr. Jason Carlyon at Medical College of Virginia — Virginia Commonwealth University for 1.5 years on Orientia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new parks, coffeeshops and restaurants around town.
Field of research
Medical Mycology, Molecular Biology, Host-pathogen interactions
Current projects
The role of MAPK, NF-κB, and HIF-1α signaling pathways in response to C. albicans