School of Infection & Immunity

Professor Christy Petersen

Title: Immune protection, transmission, dermal parasitism and infectiousness across progressive L. Infantum

Synopsis: Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), caused by Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean basin and imported from there into both South and North America, continues to be a fatal disease if cases are not detected and treated. Dogs are predominant reservoir hosts for visceralizing Leishmania spp. In this presentation, Dr. Petersen describes the work of her team using this critical model system to understand how inflammation caused by this dermotrophic protozoan alters responses within the skin and changes transmissibility and which can be treated via immunotherapy. 

 Bio: Christy A. Petersen is the associate dean for research and graduate studies at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Over the past decade, she has led multiple NIH-funded research programs focused on emerging zoonotic diseases, including visceral leishmaniasis and Lyme disease. Petersen’s primary expertise lies in immunopathology, vaccine development, and One Health approaches to infectious disease prevention. Her work integrates laboratory and field-based research, including international collaborations in Brazil and India, to study multi-species disease systems and develop reservoir-targeted interventions. She recently finished her term as chair of the NIH Vaccines for Infectious Diseases Study Section and has contributed to CDC-funded research on perceptions of infectious disease prevention strategies. Petersen is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and has held leadership roles in the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. She received her PhD in immunology and infectious diseases from Harvard University.

 

First published: 25 August 2026

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