Assistant Professor smyork@uab.edu
3105 East Science Hall, Science & Engineering Complex
(205) 934-4695

Research and Teaching Interests: Immunology, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Global Public Health

Office Hours: By appointment

Education:

• B.A., Bucknell University, Biology, French & Francophone Studies
• Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Immunology, certificate in Public Health
• Post-doctoral Fellowship, Seattle Children’s Research Institute

I’ve always been fascinated by biology, particularly by the complex interactions between hosts and the pathogens that infect them, by how the human body works and what exactly goes wrong when it doesn’t. I first fell in love with immunology as an undergraduate at Bucknell University, studying host-pathogen interactions between bats and Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome. While nocturnal field work was fun, as a graduate student I wanted to pivot into human health, and studied malaria infection and nucleic acid vaccine design while working on a project funded by the Gates Foundation. Concurrently, I completed a certificate in public health, studying Anopheline mosquito distribution and pesticide resistance in Botswana.

After my PhD I moved to Seattle to study spatial dynamics and cell death during the liver stage of malaria infection at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. During my post-doc I began teaching at the University of Washington, and discovered a passion for helping my students grow as learners and as conscientious members of society. I have designed and delivered curriculum, assisted students in their learning, and developed courses with a firm basis in active learning and student-centered pedagogies. I believe in centering the whole student, connecting with them about their career goals and how my courses can help them meet those goals, as well as building scientific literacy and reading, writing, and oral communication skills.

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