Rate My Professor Jovanka Voyich

Jovanka Voyich is Professor and Department Head of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Montana State University. She earned her B.S. and Ph.D. in 2001 from Montana State University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. Returning to Montana State University, she has built an internationally recognized research program on superbugs and human immunity. Voyich teaches the infectious disease course for the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) medical school program for over a decade and in the undergraduate curriculum of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Students praise her ability to make complex subjects engaging and accessible. She received the Cox Faculty Award for Creative Scholarship and Teaching in 2017 for integrating research with teaching, providing hands-on experience to enhance student competitiveness in the job market. Additionally, she was honored with the College of Agriculture Distinguished Faculty Award in 2016 and nominated for the Montana State University Alumni and Bozeman Chamber of Commerce Mentor Award for Excellence in 2022. Voyich has mentored over 80 undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom are women, demonstrating her commitment to education and leadership.

The Voyich Lab investigates host-pathogen interactions, emphasizing human neutrophils and Gram-positive pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Key findings include reciprocal communication between pathogens and hosts, where bacterial strains sense and respond to human stimuli rather than relying solely on new virulence factors. Research highlights the sophistication of gene regulation in S. aureus pathogenesis via the SaeR/S two-component system, which activates specific gene subsets based on host cues. Notable projects encompass neutrophil-S. aureus interactions determining infection outcomes, biogenesis of Lancefield Group A carbohydrate in S. pyogenes, and the influence of antecedent influenza A on S. aureus pneumonia. Select publications include 'Epic immune battles of history: neutrophils vs. Staphylococcus aureus' (2017, Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology), 'Immune evasion by a staphylococcal inhibitor of myeloperoxidase' (2017, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), 'Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia by Staphylococcus aureus Following Influenza A Infection Is SaeR/S Dependent' (2018, The Journal of Infectious Diseases), and 'The Accessory Gene saeP of the SaeR/S Two-Component Gene Regulatory System Impacts Staphylococcus aureus Virulence During Neutrophil Interaction' (2020, Frontiers in Microbiology). Her work advances understanding of immune evasion, virulence regulation, and pathogen-host dynamics in infectious diseases.