Find a Global Researcher
Michele Spring
Michele Spring
Pediatric Infectious Disease Physician
Dr. Michele Springis a pediatric infectious disease physician who has been engaged in malaria research since 2003. She has extensive experience in clinical trials, including safety and efficacy studies of malaria vaccines and drugs, conducted both in the US and at overseas sites in malaria endemic areas. Her current interests are in relapsing malaria and the host and parasite factors that may influence treatment efficacy. She also works in the Center for International Health, an outpatient clinic dedicated to new refugee and immigrant arrivals in the Syracuse area.
Her medical training began with a Bachelor of Science at the University of Notre Dame followed by a Master of Science in Public Health in parasitology from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. After two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa, she completed medical school at Vanderbilt University, pediatrics residency at University of California at San Francisco, then a pediatric infectious disease fellowship at Vanderbilt University with a malaria immunology research project in western Kenya with Case Western Reserve University.
Faculty Profile | Microbiology and Immunology | SUNY Upstate
Andrea Shaw
Stephen Thomas, MD
Stephen Thomas, MD
Director, Upstate Global Health Institute
Dr. Stephen Thomasis an Infectious Diseases physician-scientist from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, USA. He is a Professor of Medicine and Professor of Microbiology & Immunology. Dr. Thomas currently directs the Upstate Global Health Institute and is the Frank E. Young, MD '56 and Leanne Young Endowed Chair of Microbiology & Immunology. Dr. Thomas earned his Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Biomedical Ethics from Brown University, his Medical Degree from Albany Medical College, and completed his Internal Medicine residency and Infectious Diseases fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Capital Consortium. Prior to joining Upstate, Dr. Thomas served in the U.S. Army at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and completed his career as the institute's Deputy Commander for Operations. He also served as the Infectious Diseases Consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General. Dr. Thomas specializes in the study of infectious diseases with a focus on diseases caused by viruses. He spent more than five years of his early military career living and working in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Dr. Thomas played key leadership roles in the U.S. government response to the West Africa Ebola outbreak (2014-2016) and advised senior government leaders during the planning and execution of the Obama Administration's Operation United Assistance. He represented the Department of Defense in the U.S. government response to the MERS-CoV and Zika epidemics. Dr. Thomas served as the global coordinating principal investigator for the Pfizer / BioNTech COVID vaccine efficacy trial. Dr. Thomas serves on numerous advisory boards for the US government, non-governmental organizations such as the WHO and CEPI, and industry. He is a contributor to Forbes magazine and entrepreneur, co-founding start-ups in life sciences consulting, biotech, and digital marketplaces.
Adam Waickman
Adam Waickman
Director, Processing & Diagnostic Labs
Saravanan Thangamani
Saravanan Thangamani
Director, Center for Environmental Health and Medicine
Dr. Saravanan Thangamani is a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the SUNY Upstate Medical University. He is also the Director of the SUNY Center for Vector-borne Diseases and Vector Biocontainment Laboratories. He is an internationally renownedexpert in vector-borne diseases,specificallytick-borne and mosquito-borne diseases caused by pathogens such as the Lyme disease agent, Powassan virus, Heartland virus, Chikungunya virus, West Nile virus, and Zika virus.His research attempts to: (1) understand the environmental factors contributing to the emergence and reemergence of vector-borne diseases in the United States utilizing an innovative citizen science tick surveillance program; (2) develop anti-tick vaccines; (3) develop novel transmission control methods, including the development of transmission blocking vaccines for mosquito and tick-borne diseases; (4) vector determinants of arbovirus transmission; (5) effect of co-infections on the clinical outcome of Lyme disease; and (6) development of small animal models for pre-clinical evaluations of vaccines and therapeutics against emerging infections.
Tina Campagna, MPH
Tina Campagna, MPH
Director of the Center for Education and Training
Tina Campagna is the Director of the Center for Education and Training for the Upstate Global Health Institute. In this role, she facilitates bilateral educational experiences for trainees at Upstate and partner global health institutions. Her 10+ years of experience in research and education aids her passion to train medical and public health students in global public health through experiential and project-based learning. Tina works in the Upstate Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. She teaches in the Upstate Master of Public Health (MPH) program, and directs the MPH Concentration in Global Health and Translational Science.
After earning a B.S. in Biology from Syracuse University, Tina spent several years working in the laboratory on infectious disease research before finding her passion in global public health. She then completed her MPH dually through SUNY Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University and is currently earning a Ph.D. at the University at Buffalo in Curriculum, Instruction, and the Science of Learning. Outside of work, Tina enjoys traveling and spending time with her son and family.