The Pathogen & Microbiome Institute

The Pathogen & Microbiome Institute (PMI) at NAU is an internationally recognized research facility focused on the study of pathogens that affect humans and wildlife.

We are committed to the professional development of undergraduate student employees. PMI welcomes applicants from diverse disciplines to join our team of over 100 faculty, full time staff, graduate, and undergraduate students. The people of PMI are dedicated to meet their research objectives of our funding agencies while actively developing highly valued professional skills.

Leadership Team

Paul Keim

Executive Director

With research centered on genomic analysis, Dr. Keim is the Cowden Endowed Chair of Microbiology at Northern Arizona University (NAU), the Director of Pathogen Genomics at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

Dave Wagner

Director of Biodefense and Disease Ecology Center

Dave Wagner is a disease ecologist whose primary research interests are the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases. He uses genetic and genomic variation within pathogen, vector and host species to better understand infectious diseases.

Jeff Foster

Associate Professor

Jeff Foster is a disease ecologist and evolutionary biologist with a primary focus on birds and bats and their pathogens, with other interests on brucellosis in livestock and wildlife, metabarcoding of animal diets, and seed dispersal.

Dawn Birdsell

Associate Director of Training and Education

With the focus on developing the next generation workforce, Dawn designs and organizes hands-on science training programs for PMI undergraduates. These programs foster foundational skills essential for career success.

PMI in the News

Keim Award 2021

The Keim Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research is designed to reward excellence in research by outstanding NAU students during their undergraduate studies.

Stenoparib & COVID-19

Stenoparib, an inhibitor of cellular poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), blocks replication of the SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-NL63 human coronaviruses in vitro.

Antimicrobial Resistant Yersinia Pestis

Known as the infamous Black Death, Plague continues to affect hundreds of people globally each year in underdeveloped countries.

Funding Sources & Collaborators

The research at Pathogen & Microbiome Institute is funded by grants from federal, state, and local sources. Our extensive research collaborates with scientists and organizations from across the globe.