Leadership & Organization
Effective leadership and strategic organization of microbiology and immunology research programs are driving innovation, collaboration and scientific excellence in advancing global health solutions.
Chair’s welcome
Welcome to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. As a faculty member for more than 25 years and department chair for the past year, I am privileged to lead a stable and highly qualified group of scientists and educators who contribute substantively to undergraduate medical education, graduate education, and biomedical research. The department currently includes 21 primary faculty members, distributed equally among the Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor ranks, ensuring adequate faculty depth, expertise, and continuity in support of curricular and programmatic objectives.
The department’s activities are guided by a principle of Shared Excellence, which emphasizes collaboration, accountability, and integration across educational and research missions. Faculty are organized into collaborative research programs encompassing i) mucosal immunology and microbiome research; ii) bacterial pathogenesis, virulence mechanisms, and vaccine development; iii) cancer immunology and immunotherapy; and iv) virology and neuroimmunopathology. All programmatic areas are supported through sustained federal, state, and local funding, contributing to the department’s long-term stability and academic productivity.
A key component of the department’s research infrastructure is its participation in three National Institute of General Medical Sciences–funded Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence: Functional Microbiomics, Inflammation, and Pathogenesis; Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy; and Hepatobiology and Toxicology. Departmental faculty participate as principal investigators, project leaders, pilot project leaders, and mentors, thereby supporting institutional goals related to research training, faculty development, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Faculty members also contribute to institutional and regional biodefense initiatives through research conducted at the regional biocontainment laboratory operated by the Center for Predictive Medicine. Shared research resources supported by these center awards include germ-free and gnotobiotic mouse facilities, metabolomics, confocal and intravital microscopy, nano imager, and advanced flow cytometry platforms, including four-laser Cytek instrumentation. The academic distinction of the department is reflected by the award of six endowed chairs to faculty members.
The department maintains a strong commitment to educational quality and faculty engagement in teaching. Over the past two years, teaching faculty have received multiple institutional recognitions, including Golden Apple Teaching Awards and HSC Educator Bright Spot honors. Faculty participate actively in curriculum delivery, assessment, and continuous quality improvement processes, consistent with LCME expectations. To support evolving educational and research priorities, the department is currently recruiting for two open-rank faculty positions in immunology.
The Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program currently includes 33 PhD students, 1 MD/PhD student, and 4 MS students. Over the past ten years, the department has graduated 54 PhD students, 11 master’s students, and 5 MD/PhD students, with a graduation rate exceeding 90 percent. Graduates have transitioned successfully to positions in academia and industry. Inquiries regarding academic programs may be directed to migrad@louisville.edu.
The Health Sciences Campus is located in downtown Louisville and provides access to comprehensive institutional, clinical, and research resources within an urban academic medical center. Metropolitan Louisville, with a population exceeding one million, offers a supportive environment for recruitment and retention of students, trainees, and faculty.
Haribabu Bodduluri, PhD
Professor and Chair
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
