Meiqing Shi, Associate Professor
Host immune responses to fungal infection and parasite infection
Education
2000 – 2006: Postdoctoral, Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
2000: Ph.D., Parasite Immunology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
1988: MS: Avian Diseases, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
1985: DVM: Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China.
2000 – 2006: Postdoctoral, Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada 2000, Ph.D., Parasite Immunology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany 1988 - MS: Avian Diseases, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China 1985, DVM, Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China.
Professional Experiences
2017 – Pres: Associate Professor, Virginia‐Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
2011 – 2017: Assistant Professor, Virginia‐Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
2006 – 2011: Research Associate, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
1990 – 1995: Lecturer of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
1988 – 1990: Assistant Lecturer of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Research Interest
The area of interest in Dr. Shi’s lab is host-pathogen interactions, with a special interest in the intravascular immune responses to Cryptococcus neoformans and Trypanosoma brucei, as well as their transmigration into the brain across the blood-brain barrier. Both pathogens can survive in the bloodstream and invade the brain, causing brain infections. His lab has developed a mouse model system based on intravital microscopy to study the dynamic interactions of host cells with the pathogens in living hosts. The long-term goal of his lab is to understand how the pathogens evade immune responses and cause infections.
Representative Publications
Liu G, Fu Y, Yosri M, Chen Y, Sun P, Xu J, Zhang M, Sun D, Strickland AB, Mackey ZB, Shi M. CRIg plays an essential role in intravascular clearance of bloodborne parasites by interacting with complement. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Nov 26;116(48):24214-24220. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1913443116.
Sun D, Sun P, Li H, Zhang M, Liu G, Strickland AB, Chen Y, Fu Y, Xu J, Yosri M, Nan Y, Zhou H, Zhang X, Shi M. Fungal dissemination is limited by liver macrophage filtration of the blood. Nat Commun. 2019 Oct 8; 10(1):4566. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12381-5.
Shi M, Mody CH. Fungal infection in the brain: what we learned from intravital imaging. Front Immunol. 2016 Aug 2; 7:292. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00292.
Sun D, Zhang M, Liu G, Wu H, Li C, Zhou H, Zhang X, Shi M. Intravascular clearance of disseminating Cryptococcus neoformans in the brain can be improved by enhancing neutrophil recruitment in mice. Eur J Immunol. 2016 Jul; 46(7):1704-14. doi: 10.1002/eji.201546239.
Zhang M, Sun D, Liu G, Wu H, Zhou H, Shi M. Real-time in vivo imaging reveals the ability of neutrophils to remove Cryptococcus neoformans directly from the brain vasculature. J Leukoc Biol. 2016 Mar; 99(3):467-73. doi: 10.1189/jlb.4AB0715-281R.
Sun D, Zhang M, Liu G, Wu H, Zhu X, Zhou H, Shi M. Real-time imaging of interactions of neutrophils with Cryptococcus neoformans demonstrates a crucial role of complement C5a-C5aR signaling. Infect Immun. 2015 Oct 26;84(1):216-29. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01197-15.
Liu G, Xu J, Wu H, Sun D, Zhang X, Zhu X, Magez S, Shi M. IL-27 signaling is crucial for survival of mice infected with African trypanosomes via preventing lethal effects of CD4+ T cells and IFN-γ. PLoS Pathog. 2015 Jul 29; 11(7):e1005065. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005065.
Liu G, Sun D, Wu H, Zhang M, Huan H, Xu J, Zhang X, Zhou H, Shi M. Distinct contributions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to pathogenesis of Trypanosoma brucei infection in the context of gamma interferon and interleukin-10. Infect Immun. 2015 Jul; 83(7):2785-95. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00357-15.
Li SS, Kyei SK, Timm-McCann M, Ogbomo H, Jones GJ, Shi M, Xiang RF, Oykhman P, Huston SM, Islam A, Gill MJ, Robbins SM, Mody CH. The NK receptor NKp30 mediates direct fungal recognition and killing and is diminished in NK cells from HIV-infected patients. Cell Host Microbe. 2013 Oct 16; 14(4):387-97. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2013.09.007.
