Institute of Arctic Biology
311 Irving I
Department of Biology and Wildlife
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775

Research Interests

The focus of my research is the host pathogen interaction in infectious disease.  First I am interested in how pathogens exploit cellular function in their life cycles.  Secondly, I wish to study how these mechanisms of host cell exploitation are regulated.  These studies are important not only for the better understanding of the biology of infectious disease and for developing new therapeutic strategies against them, but also for the better understanding of host cell biology, using infectious agents as an evolutionarily well-adapted tool in cell biology.

We investigate the interactions between Francisella tularensis subspecies novicida with host cells. More specifically we investigate the role of a genetic element in Francisella (the Francisella pathogenicity island) in pathogenesis.

In addition we are interested in other zoonotic pathogens and their distribution in the Alaska Ecosystem. This work is done in close collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Todd M. O'Hara here at UAF.

Below is a recent interview I gave to KNOM, a radio station in Nome about some of my work:

arctic-pathogens_interview

Education

1993 - 1999          Veterinary degree, School of Vet Med Hannover (Germany)

1999 - 2003          PhD, Cornell University (with Colin R. Parrish)

2003 - 2006          Post graduate training, Yale School of Medicine (with Jorge E. Galán)

Publications (Google Scholar Profile)

Lieske C., Moses S., Castellini J.M., Hueffer K., O’Hara T.M.: Toxicokinetics of Total Mercury in Canine Blood. Accepted for publication in Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 53:66.

de Bruin, O.M., Duplantis B.N., Ludu, J.S., Hare, R.F., Nix, E.B., Schmerk, C.L., Boraston A.B., Hueffer, K., Nano, F.E.: Requirement of Francisella Pathogenicity Island (FPI)-encoded proteins for intracellular growth and biochemical features of the FPI-encoded proteins IglA, IglB, IglC, IglD, PdpB and DotU. Microbiology 157 (2011) 3483-3491.

Hansen C.M., Castrodale L.J., Vogler A.J., Keim P., Wagner D.M., Hueffer K. (Review): Tularemia in Alaska 1938 – 2010. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 53 (2011):61.

Follmann, E.H., Ritter D., Swor R., Hueffer K.: Preliminary evaluation of Raboral V-RG® oral rabies vaccine in Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus). Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 47 (2011): 1032-1035.

Hueffer, K., Holcomb, D., Ballweber, L., Gende, S., O’Hara, T.M.: Serologic Surveillance of Multiple Pathogens in a declining Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Population in Glacier Bay National Park and a Reference Site. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 47 (2011): 984-988.

Hueffer, K., O’Hara T. M., Follmann E. F. (review): Adaptation of Mammalian Host-Pathogen Interactions in a Changing Arctic Environment. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica. 53 (2011): (1):17.

Hueffer, K., Lieske, C. L., McGilvary, L. M., Hare, R. F., Miller, D. L., O’Hara, T. M.: Strectocccus phocae Isolated form a Spotted Seal (Phoca largha) with Pyometra in Alaska. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 42, (2011): 108-112.

Hueffer, K., Armbruster, P., Daehler, C., Ferzli, M., Godwin, J., Mulder, C.P.H., Sherwood, A.: Species Interaction, Advantageous or Not: the Fig-Wasp relationship. EcoEdNet (2010) http://esa.org/ecoed/index.php?P=FullRecord&ID=318

Triebenbach A. N, Hueffer K.: Detection of Francisella tularensis in Alaskan Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and Assessment of a Laboratory Model for Transmission. Journal of Medical Entomology. 47 (2010) 639-648

Pathel J. Hueffer K., Lam T. T., Galán J. E.: Diversification of a Salmonella effector protein function by ubiquitin-dependent differential localization. Cell (137) (2009): 283-294.

Read A. Vogl S., Hueffer K., Gallagher L , and G. M. Happ. Francisella genes required for replication in mosquito cells. Journal of Medical Entomology 45 (2008) 1108-1116.

Hueffer, K., and J. E. Galán.. Salmonella-induced macrophage death: multiple mechanisms, different outcomes. Cellular Microbiology  6 (2004) 1019-25.

Hernandez, L., Hueffer, K., Wenk, M., Galán, J. E.:  Salmonella modulates vesicular trafficking by altering phosphoinositide metabolism. Science 304 (2004) 1805-1807.

Hueffer, K., Palermo, L., Parrish, C.:  Parvovirus infection of cells using variants of the feline transferrin receptor altering - clathrin-mediated endocytosis, membrane domain localization and capsid binding domains. Journal of Virology 78 (2004) 5601–5611.

Hueffer, K., Truyen, U., Parrish, C. R.:  Evolution und Wirtswechsel des Caninen Parvovirus: Molekulare Grundlagen der Entstehung eines neuen Virus Berliner Muenchner Tieraerztliche Wochenschrift 117 (2004),130 - 135.

Govindasamy, L., Hueffer, K., Parrish, C. R., Agbandje-McKenna, M.:  Structures of host range-controlling regions of the capsids of canine and feline parvoviruses and mutants.  Journal of Virology 77 (2003) 12211-12221.

Hueffer, K, Govindasamy, L., Agbandje-McKenna, M., Parrish, C. R.:  Combinations of two capsid regions controlling canine host range determine canine transferrin receptor binding by canine and feline parvoviruses.  Journal of Virology 77 (2003) 10099-10105.

Hueffer, K., Parrish C. R.:  Parvovirus host range, cell tropism and evolution.  Current Opinion in Microbiology 6 (2003) 392-398.

Palermo, L., Hueffer, K., Parrish, C. R.:  Residues in the apical domain of the feline and canine transferrin receptors control host-specific binding and cell infection of canine and feline parvoviruses.  Journal of Virology 77 (2003) 8915-8923.

Hueffer, K., Parker, J., Weichert, W., Geisel, R., Sgro, J., Parrish, C. R.:  The natural host range shift and subsequent evolution of canine parvovirus resulted from virus-specific binding to the canine transferrin receptor.  Journal of Virology 77 (2003) 1718-1726

Chen, C., Burton-Wurster, N., Bordon, C., Hueffer, K., Bloom, S., Lust, G.:  Chondrocyte necrosis and apoptosis in impact damaged articular cartilage;  Journal of Orthopaedical Research 19 (2001) 703-711

Book chapters:
Parrish, C. R., Hueffer, K.:  Parvovirus host range, cell tropism and  evolution – studies of canine and feline parvoviruses, minute virus of mice, porcine parvovirus, and Aleutian mink disease virus.  Kerr, J.R., Cotmore, S.F., Bloom, M.E., Linden, R.M., and Parrish, C.R. eds. “Parvoviruses.” Edward Arnold Limited. London, UK. In press (November 2005) 343-351.

Teaching

Fall 2006, Spring 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012
                      Concepts of infectious diseases (Biol 462/ 662)  University of ALaska Fairbanks


Spring 2007   
                      Microbiology (Biol 342)


Spring 2009, 2010 
                      Introdcution to Cell and Molecular Biology (Biol 261)

Spring 2009, 2012 
                     Priniples of Virology

Awards

1996               H. Wilhelm Schaumann Stiftung award (Preis für beste Studienleistungen)
1999 – 2001   Graduate Research Assistantship (College of Vet. Med., Cornell)
2001 – 2002   Stockler Fellowship (Graduate School, Cornell University)
2003               Award for Scholarship in Basic Science, Alpha Chapter of Phi Zeta
2004 – 2006   Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Fellow
2008 - 2009    National Academies Education Fellow in the Life Scienes
2010               Outstanding teacher, Biology and Wildlife Department UAF
 				

		
		

Students

Past:

Alison N. Triebenbach (MS 2009)

Current:

Rebekah Hare-Sanford

Lisa K. Smith

Renee Rember, MS, DVM

Cristina Hansen, DVM

Katie Kokx