Junior Fellow
Anthony Gresko, Ph.D.
Dr. Gresko earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Molecular Biology from Towson University and his doctorate in Infectious Diseases from the University of Georgia. As a recipient of the Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award for the NIH, he researched California serogroup bunyaviruses for characterization and vaccine research in mouse and non-human primate models for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. While at UGA, his research focused on virus-host interaction using RNA-interference technology to determine the role of target genes in influenza A virus replication, as well as investigating both the virological and immunological effects of co-infections with influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus. His work revealed an effect and potential role of the chemokine receptor CX3CR1 on influenza a virus replication. He has received multiple travel awards for attending American Society of Virology meetings while also presenting his data during these meetings. Dr. Gresko is interested in utilizing biosafety and biosecurity concepts internationally to create effective measures facilitating research with infectious diseases as well as training and education to promote global health.
Maria M. Landron, Ph.D.
Dr. Maria M. Landron earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. Prior to her Masters of Public Health (General Public Health) program at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Dr. Landron experienced a Summer Internship at the University of Kentucky in the Department of Toxicology, where she later pursued her Doctor of Public Health degree with concentration in Health Services Management. At that time she found practicum opportunities in the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department and the Puerto Rico Health Department, where she was able to develop an understanding of public health preparedness systems at both the local and state level, respectively. During her time as a student, she also wrote a mini-grant proposal for the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research – “Assuring the Future of Public Health Systems Research” Dissertation and Junior Faculty Awards – which she received for her dissertation project titled “Comparing Public Health Emergency Preparedness Services Across States and Local Agencies”. Prior to joining NBBTP, Dr. Landron worked in the private sector for a number of years, excelling in professional growth and expanding her expertise. Dr. Landron aspires to further expand her skill set in the NBBTP and hopes her experiences in the Fellowship lead to a career that promotes the well-being of people and the environment.
Eric Lewis, Ph.D.
Dr. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrative Biology from the University of Florida. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. As a doctoral student, he studied tick-borne relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii pathogenesis and identified and characterized a fibronectin-binding protein produced that species. As a doctoral student, he also served in multiple leadership roles, including being a teaching assistant for multiple biological science lectures and laboratory classes as well as being a councilmember on the campus Advisory Council on Diversity. After he completed his doctoral studies, Dr. Lewis moved to Flagstaff, AZ to perform postdoctoral research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) North and Northern Arizona University (NAU). During his time at TGen North and NAU he characterized the early host innate immune response to pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in a murine model of disease. Most recently he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Medical Branch where he examined mammalian host immune responses to Burkholderia pseudomallei, B. mallei, and the B. cepacia complex. Dr. Lewis has presented his research at several national scientific meetings and published in multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals. During his previous positions, he also mentored multiple undergraduate student researchers and other laboratorians.
Senior Fellow
Enitra N. Jones, Ph.D.
Dr. Enitra N. Jones earned a Bachelor of Science degree (cum laude honors) in Biology with a Microbiology concentration within the Honors College of Southern University and A&M College of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As one of the first recipients of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bacterial Pathogenesis Training Grant at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), she earned her doctorate in Microbial Pathogenesis, Immunology, and Inflammation while investigating determinants of chlamydial-induced urogenital tract complications. Prior to her acceptance into the NBBTP, Dr. Jones was an Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) postdoctoral fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Her work focused on the development and optimization of adjunct therapies that may be effective against influenza-induced inflammation and the subsequent morbidity associated with pathogenic strains of influenza viruses. Dr. Jones has also found ways to integrate her love of science with her passion for community outreach. In 2013, she was awarded the Light of Hope Award by the City of Memphis and the Shelby County Health Department for the conception, development, and implementation of communicable disease initiatives for inner-city youth. She was awarded the “Outstanding Graduate Student” award by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and inducted into the Imhotep Honors Society for Leadership and Service. Dr. Jones has also been the recipient of numerous scientific research awards and honors.