Professional Interests
Dr. Mefford is interested in the use of active learning to promote student engagement with science and to foster deeper understanding of often controversial topics associated with drug use and addiction. She strives to instill good research techniques to help engrain learning as a lifelong process.
Biography
Megan Mefford, PhD, is a trained scientist with an interest in improving science education and communication. At Ohio State, she has taught undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses covering topics ranging from writing and communication to virology and immunology. Additionally, Dr. Mefford has over 11 years of experience serving as a professional contract editor for multiple organizations to help promote science communication and more than 12 years of experience in benchtop research culminating in 15 peer-reviewed publications.
Education
- 2012, PhD in Virology, Harvard University Division of Medical Sciences
- 2001, MSPH in Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
- 1996, BS in Microbiology, The Ohio State University
Honors
- 2012-2014, CMIB Post-doctoral Trainee Fellowship Award, The Ohio State University Center for Microbial Interface Biology
- 2012, Best Poster Presentation, West Coast Retrovirus Meeting
- 2008-2011, Young Investigator Awards, Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI)
- 2007-2010, Pre-Doctoral National Research Service Award, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Publications
- Bioinformatic analysis of neurotropic HIV envelope sequences identifies polymorphisms in the gp120 bridging sheet that increase macrophage-tropism through enhanced interactions with CCR5., Virology. 2015 Mar | journal-article. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.01.032.
- Identification and characterization of a macrophage-tropic SIV envelope glycoprotein variant in blood from early infection in SIVmac251-infected macaques., Virology. 2014 May | journal-article. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.03.024.
- Genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity in the U3R region of HIV type 1 subtype C., AIDS research and human retroviruses. 2013 Aug | journal-article. doi: 10.1089/aid.2013.0026.
- HIVBrainSeqDB: a database of annotated HIV envelope sequences from brain and other anatomical sites., AIDS research and therapy. 2010 Dec | journal-article. doi: 10.1186/1742-6405-7-43.
- Soluble CD4 and CD4-mimetic compounds inhibit HIV-1 infection by induction of a short-lived activated state., PLoS pathogens. 2009 Apr | journal-article. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000360.
- Bioinformatic prediction programs underestimate the frequency of CXCR4 usage by R5X4 HIV type 1 in brain and other tissues., AIDS research and human retroviruses. 2008 Sep | journal-article. doi: 10.1089/aid.2008.0009.
- Microbial translocation is associated with increased monocyte activation and dementia in AIDS patients., PloS one. 2008 Jun | journal-article. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002516.
- Changes in the V3 region of gp120 contribute to unusually broad coreceptor usage of an HIV-1 isolate from a CCR5 Delta32 heterozygote., Virology. 2007 Jan | journal-article. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2006.11.025.
- Prevention of vaginal SHIV transmission in rhesus macaques through inhibition of CCR5., Science (New York, N.Y.). 2004 Oct | journal-article. doi: 10.1126/science.1099288.
- Topical estrogen protects against SIV vaginal transmission without evidence of systemic effect., AIDS (London, England). 2004 Aug | journal-article. doi: 10.1097/01.aids.0000131393.76221.cc.
- Highly effective control of an AIDS virus challenge in macaques by using vesicular stomatitis virus and modified vaccinia virus Ankara vaccine vectors in a single-boost protocol., Journal of virology. 2004 Apr | journal-article. doi: 10.1128/JVI.78.8.3930-3940.2004.
- Use of a small molecule CCR5 inhibitor in macaques to treat simian immunodeficiency virus infection or prevent simian-human immunodeficiency virus infection., The Journal of experimental medicine. 2003 Nov | journal-article. doi: 10.1084/jem.20031266.
- The role of T cell subsets and cytokines in the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori gastritis in mice., Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950). 2001 Jun | journal-article. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.166.12.7456.
- Role of Helicobacter pylori cag region genes in colonization and gastritis in two animal models., Infection and immunity. 2001 May | journal-article. doi: 10.1128/IAI.69.5.2902-2908.2001.
- Cure of Helicobacter pylori infection and resolution of gastritis by adoptive transfer of splenocytes in mice., Infection and immunity. 2001 Feb | journal-article. doi: 10.1128/IAI.69.2.1025-1031.2001.