Rate My Professor Mary Premenko-Lanier

Mary Premenko-Lanier is an Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the Department of Basic Sciences at Samuel Merritt University's College of Health Sciences. She serves as Director of the Master of Biomedical Sciences Program and has held roles such as Interim Co-Chair of the Basic Sciences Department and Chair of the Biosafety Committee. Premenko-Lanier joined Samuel Merritt University in 2013. Prior to this, she conducted research at institutions including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, and SRI International, where she continues as a Research Scientist in the Division of SRI Biosciences. Her academic background includes a BS in Biology from California State University, Sacramento, and a PhD in Comparative Pathology from the University of California, Davis.

Premenko-Lanier's research focuses on immunology, including inflammation, innate and acquired immunity, antibody responses, and T cell activation and subtypes during infections. She has expertise in vaccine development, viral immunology, cellular immunology, and flow cytometry. Key publications include 'Discovery of Highly Potent Small Molecule Pan-Coronavirus Fusion Inhibitors' (2023), 'Influenza Related Mortality in Populations That Fail to Reach Herd Immunity' (2022), 'Mouse Stress Reduction Alters Splenic Immune Cell Composition and Enhances Influenza Vaccine Responses' (2014), 'An intermediate dose of LCMV clone 13 causes prolonged morbidity that is maintained by CD4+ T cells' (2012), 'The Calm Mouse: An Animal Model of Stress Reduction' (2012), and 'Prior DNA vaccination does not interfere with the live-attenuated measles vaccine' (2004). Her work has contributed to understanding immune responses in viral infections, stress effects on immunity, and novel antiviral strategies. She has presented on topics such as AI in health sciences education and participates in university scholarship symposia.