The Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology (MIP) is a large academic department located within the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences that upholds a strong commitment to its research, service, and teaching mission. MIP has around 450 employees including approximately 85 faculty, 85 research graduate students, and more than 20 administrative staff members, 8 of whom are dedicated to research administration. The department is spread across multiple locations including Main Campus (Microbiology, Pathology buildings), Foothills (CVID), South Campus (DMC), Rocky Ford, and the Western Slope.

The research pillars within MIP include the Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases (CVID), Mycobacteria Research Laboratories (MRL), and Prion Research Center (PRC), unified around a focus on infectious diseases and pathogens. CVID investigates diseases carried and transmitted by vectors, such as mosquitoes, bats, and rodents, to other living organisms. Their research spans existing and emerging infectious diseases including chikungunya, coronaviruses, dengue, hantavirus, malaria, Rift Valley fever, West Nile, Zika, and more. The MRL is one of the largest groups in the world dedicated to the study of mycobacteria and the diseases they cause, most notably tuberculosis and leprosy, which still present global health concerns. The PRC studies misfolding proteins known as prions, which cause neurodegenerative and fatal diseases in animals and humans, including chronic wasting disease in cervids (deer, elk, moose) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

At the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, many MIP scientists pivoted to apply their infectious disease expertise to SARS-CoV-2 and to collaborate across research pillars. They led, or were instrumental in, the development of four vaccine development projects, wastewater testing, saliva screening, evaluation of antiviral treatments, community transmission surveillance, analyzing local COVID-19 tests, and more. Additionally, researchers were involved in communicating and studying science and public health information to the public.
MIP’s research labs are also supported by undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate students complete a Biomedical Sciences degree with a concentration in Microbiology and Infectious Disease and are encouraged to pursue opportunities in research laboratories and courses to gain valuable experience and develop their expertise. Graduate programs of study include master’s degrees in-person and online in Microbiology, Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology and Pathology, combined Ph.D./Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) programs, and post-DVM residency programs. MIP faculty within the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) lead veterinary diagnostic services and collaborate with residency students and MIP researchers in translational medicine.

Due to the size and complexity of MIP, the department strives to find innovative solutions to manage the administrative team workload and minimize the administrative burden to PIs. Leveraging technology available at CSU, the administrative team creates automatic reminder and alert notifications, forms to streamline workflows, and reports to more easily manage large amounts of transactions, proposals, and accounts. One example of an innovation is a funding opportunity email that is sent to all faculty and PIs weekly, listing any funding opportunities that may be relevant to their research as identified by the administrative team and select research keywords.

While the current department head Gregg Dean is stepping down in June 2022, the MIP department continues to pursue excellence in infectious disease research and diagnostic service, growing educational opportunities for future scientists, and innovation in administrative operations to match.