Dr. Danielle Graham

Chair & Associate Professor

Dr. Danielle Graham is an Associate Professor of Microbiology and serves as the Department Chair in the Department of Biological Sciences at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, NC. Dr. Graham received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Fayetteville State University and her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr. Graham went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship from UNC‐Chapel Hill that focused on training in pedagogy and research. Since joining the faculty at FSU in 2017, Dr. Graham has taught numerous courses and is an active researcher, currently managing several federally-funded grants to study microbial pathogenesis, antibiotic resistance, and biofilm formation. In 2020, Dr. Graham was recognized as one of the “1000 Inspiring Black scientists in America” by Cell Mentor. Dr. Graham is passionate about cultivating an environment that advances equity and inclusion in science by inclusive teaching, outreach, and authentic research experiences.

EDUCATION

B.S.(Biology), Fayetteville State University, 2011
Ph.D. (Microbiology & Immunology), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 2015
Postdoctoral Fellowship (Microbiology), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2017

COURSES TAUGHT

BIOL 255 (Principles of Microbiology & Lab)
BIOL 320 (Biology Seminar)
BIOL 330 (Microbiology/Immunology & Lab)
BIOL 499-01(Senior Research Capstone)
BTCH 210 (Introduction to Biotechnology)
BTCH 310 (Immunology)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Molecular genetics
Bacterial pathogenesis
Antibiotic resistance
Environmental soil bacteria
Biofilm formation
Novel antimicrobials

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Coleman F., Graham D.E. Creating Undergraduate Research and Outreach Experiences. BMC Supplements. 2024. Under Review.
Mathews S, Graham D. Antibiotic Resistance of Bacterial Soil Isolates and Biofilm Production. QUBES Educational Resources. 2023 December. PMID: 10.25334/CDS2-2J37
Graham D. E., Groshong A. M., Jackson-Litteken C. D., Moore B. P., Caimano M. J., Blevins J. S. The BB0345 Hypothetical Protein of Borrelia burgdorferi Is Essential for Mammalian Infection. Infect Immun. 2020 Nov 16;88(12).
Caimano, M. J., Groshong, A. M., Belperron, A., Mao J., Hawley, K. L., Luthra, A. M., Graham, D. E., Bockenstedt, L. K., Blevins, J., Radolf. J. D. 2019. The RpoS gatekeeper in Borrelia burgdorferi: an invariant regulatory scheme that promotes spirochete persistence in reservoir hosts and niche diversity. Front Microbiol. 10:1923.
Fortune, D. E., Lin, Y., Deka, R. K., Groshong, A. M., Moore, B. P., Hagman, K. J., Leong, J. M., Norgard, M. V., Tomchick, D. R., Blevins, J. S. 2014. Identification of lysine residues in the Borrelia burgdorferi DbpA adhesin for murine infection. Infect. Immun. 82(8):3186-3198.
Groshong, A.M., Fortune, D.E., Moore, B. P., Spencer, H. J., Skinner, R. A., Bellamy W., Blevins, J. S. 2014. BB0238, a presumed tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR)-containing protein, is required during Borrelia burgdorferi mammalian infection. Infect. Immun. 82(10):4292-306

GRANTS

National Science Foundation Excellence in Research: Evaluating Environmental Stressor Effects on Soil Bacterial Traits (Principal Investigator); 2023-2026
NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation: Growing a Diverse Health Workforce for Rural North Carolina through Graduate School Pathways (Co-Investigator ) 2022-2027
National Science Foundation Supplemental Funding: The Effects of Long-Term Nutrient Enrichment on Soil Microbial Traits (Co-Investigator) Awarded: 2022-2023
National Science Foundation Catalyst Grant: Combating ESKAPE pathogens through discovery of novel antimicrobial and antibiofilm molecules (Principal Investigator)

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