Dr. Tara C. Smith

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University of Iowa
College of Public Health
Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases
Assistant ProfessorAppointed: 2004

Mailing Address

Department of Epidemiology
200 Hawkins Drive
C21F GH
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
United States

Qualifications

Postdoctoral fellow, University of Michigan, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, 2004.
Ph.D., Medical College of Ohio, Microbiology, 2002.
B.S., Yale University, Biology, Emphasis in Microbiology and Epidemiology, 1998.

Expertise and Research Interests

Areas of Research Interest/Current Projects
Analysis of hyper-variable genes in Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus)
Identification of potential virulence genes in S. agalactiae
Interaction of microbial pathogens; polymicrobial infections
Infectious causes of chronic disease
Occupational exposure to Streptococcus suis
MRSA as a zoonotic infection

Other Expertise

Molecular epidemiology
Animal models of disease

Author of three books:

Smith, Tara C. Streptococcus: (Group A). 2004. Chelsea House Publications: Philadelphia, PA.

Smith, Tara C. Ebola. 2005. Chelsea House Publications: Philadelphia, PA.

Smith, Tara C. Group B Streptococcus. 2006. Chelsea House Publications: Philadelphia, PA

Future Research

Ecology of Staphylococcus aureus

MRSA in rural areas

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Animal Models, Epidemiology, Gene Regulation, Infectious Diseases Or Agents, Microbiology, Molecular Epidemiology, Pathogenesis.

Additional Terms:

Infectious Disease, Molecular Epidemiology, Streptococci, Streptococcus Pyogenes.

Memberships

American Association for the Advancement of Science
American College of Epidemiology
American Public Health Association
American Society for Microbiology
Association of Women in Science
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Iowa Academy of Science
Iowa Public Health Association
National Center for Science Education

Honors and Awards

2007, Nominee, President's Award for State Outreach and Public Engagement
2003-2004, Interdisciplinary Program in Infectious Disease (IPID) Fellowship, University of Michigan
2001, Liberato DiDio Award for Excellence in Graduate Research, Medical College of Ohio Student Research Forum
2001, Donald C. Cox Award for Excellence in Graduate Research, O.B.A.S.M. Meeting
2001-2002, Molecular Pathogenesis of Cancer Grant Trainee, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
2000-2001, Secretary's Award for Innovations in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Project Contest, Medical College of Ohio Entrant
1999-2002, Graduate Student Fellowship, Medical College of Ohio
1994-1998, University Scholarship, Yale

Previous Positions

2002-2004, Research Fellow, University of Michigan, Public Health, Epidemiology
1998-2002, Research Assistant, Medical College of Ohio, Microbiology
1997-1998, Research Assistant, Yale University, School of Public Health, Epidemiology

Funding Received

  • Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (Phil Scheibel, student awardee): Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in State Fair Swine, $2,500, 2008 to 2008.
  • Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship (Lisa Roberts, student awardee): Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Swine and Swine Workers from the Midwestern United States, $3,000, 2008 to 2008.
  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Barcey Levy, PI): Management by Primary Care Clinicians of Patients Suspected of Having Community-Acquired, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) Infections, $400,000, 2008 to 2010.
  • National Pork Board: Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in midwestern swine and swine workers, $90,000, 2008 to 2009.
  • University of Iowa Undergraduate Research Award: Detection of non-O157 stx-positive E. coli, $3,000, 2006 to 2006.
  • College of Public Health-Carver College of Medicine: 2005-2006 New Investigator Research Award, $10,000, 2005 to 2006.

Publications

  • Smith TC, Capuano AW, Boese B, Myers KP, Gray GC (Dec 2008) Exposure to Streptococcus suis among US swine workers., Emerging infectious diseases, 14 (12), 1925-7 Abstract
  • Batts SA, Anthis NJ, Smith TC (Sep 2008) Advancing science through conversations: bridging the gap between blogs and the academy., PLoS biology, 6 (9), e240 Abstract
  • Smith TC, Male MJ, Harper AL, Kroeger JS, Tinkler GP, Moritz ED, Capuano AW, Herwaldt LA, Diekema DJ (2008) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain ST398 is present in midwestern U.S. swine and swine workers., PLoS ONE, 4 (1), e4258 Abstract
  • Smith TC, Roehl SA, Pillai P, Li S, Marrs CF, Foxman B (Aug 2007) Distribution of novel and previously investigated virulence genes in colonizing and invasive isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae., Epidemiology and infection, 135 (6), 1046-54 Abstract
  • Smith TC, Novella SP (Aug 2007) HIV denial in the Internet era., PLoS medicine, 4 (8), e256 Abstract
  • Smith TC, Smathers SA, Roehl SM, Marrs CF, Foxman B (2006) The surface protein (spb1) of group B streptococcus is not specific to serotype III-3 isolates, Journal of Medical Microbiology, Submitted
  • Smith TC, Sledjeski DD, Boyle MD., Selective biological pressure and expression of S. pyogenes genes: lessons from a mouse model of skin infection, Recent Research Developments in Microbiology, 2005
  • Smith TC, Sledjeski DD, Boyle MD, Streptococcus pyogenes infection in mouse skin leads to a time-dependent up-regulation of protein H expression, Infection and Immunity, 71(10), 6079-82, Oct 2003 Abstract
  • Smith TC, Sledjeski DD, Boyle MD, Regulation of protein H expression in M1 serotype isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes, Fems Microbiology Letters, 219(1), 9-15, Feb 2003 Abstract

Profile Details

Last Updated: 1/30/2009

COS Expertise ID #1177283
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/smithtc