Terry F. McElwain
Terry F. McElwain, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Professor and Executive Director
Washington Animal Disease
Diagnostic Laboratory
Director, Animal Health Research Center
College of Veterinary Medicine
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-7040
Ph 509-335-9696
Fax 509-335-7424
tfm@vetmed.wsu.edu
My research interests are in the pathogenesis and mechanisms of
persistence of vector-borne pathogens, with a long term goal of developing
vaccines against tick-borne diseases. Our short term objective is to better
understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms that vector-borne
intraerythrocytic agents utilize to invade and survive in cells of the
mammalian and tick vector hosts. We use as a model
Babesia species,
protozoal pathogens of cattle closely related to
Plasmodium species,
the causative agents of malaria. Current studies focus on the role of
antigenic variation and surface protein mosaic polymorphism in evasion of
the immune response, and the role of babesial surface and rhoptry antigens
in erythrocyte and tick cell invasion. Each of these surface and apical
complex proteins is a candidate vaccine antigen. Additional molecules
involved in persistence and development of protective immunity are being
identified through genome sequencing of
Babesia bovis, the most
virulent of the babesial species of cattle.
