Phs 398 (rev. 5/01), biographical sketch format page

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Diane E. Taylor
Professor Emeritus, Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, and include postdoctoral training.)
Positions and Employment
1977 - 1981 Senior Research Associate (MRC Scholar), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
1979 - 1981
Assistant Professor, Bacteriology, University of Toronto Associate Professor, Medical Microbiology, University of Alberta 1987 - 1988 MRC Visiting Scientist, Institut Pasteur, Paris 1986 - 2005 Adjunct Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Alberta 1986 - 2008 Professor, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta Scholar, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Scientist, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Senior Scientist, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Canadian Society of Microbiologists Boehringer Mannheim Award Killam Professorship, University of Alberta Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (American Society for Microbiology sponsored Award) YWCA Edmonton Science and Technology Award
B. Research Support 2000-2008
5 year Grant 2005-2010: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada $250,000
Tetracycline Resistance Mechanisms that Interfere with Ribosomal Targets
5 year Infrastructure 2004-2009: Canadian Foundation for Innovation $8,203,524
Alberta Science and Research Investments Program $4,605,013
Center of Excellence for Gastrointestinal Inflammation and Immunity Research
5 year Research Grant 2002-2007: CIHR $671,975
Conjugative transfer of incompatible group H plasmids
5 year Operating Grant 2000-2005: Networks of Centres of Excellence Phase II (CBDN) $490,095
New Therapeutic Targets for H. pylori
3 year Operating Grant 2003-2006 CIHR $744,000 (with M. Keelan, V.P.J. Gannon, L-K. Ng, J.H. Nash and K.
Rahn) Pathogenesis and Antibiotic Resistance in Campylobacter
C. Peer-reviewed and other publications
D. Trainees



E. Expertise

Dr. Taylor’s research on Campylobacter species, particularly antibiotic resistance, DNA transformation and vector construction, have advanced Campylobacter genetics and enabled others using techniques developed in her laboratory, to make major contributions to understanding Campylobacter pathogenesis. Dr. Taylor was the first to demonstrate that Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli harbored tetracycline resistance (TcR) plasmids, which were transmissible only within the Campylobacter species, but not to other species such as Escherichia coli. She has spent the past 30 years investigating the novel mechanism of TcR, initially identified on Campylobacter plasmids and called Tet(O) but now recognized as an extremely common cause of TcR. Her group coined the term ribosomal protection for this mode of resistance, determined its gene sequence and similarity to translocation factors EF-G and EF-Tu. Recently her group showed that the Tet(O) protein modifies the ribosome by changing its conformation so that tetracycline can no longer bind. With graduate student Ying Wang, natural transformation of Campylobacter DNA was first discovered and a series of cloning vectors were developed. The chloramphenicol - resistance determinant used to construct insertion mutants in both C. jejuni and H. pylori by many groups was developed in the Taylor lab. Wang, Huang and Taylor identified mutations with C. jejuni and C. coli responsible for quinolone and fluoroquinolone resistance. Her major study on erythromycin resistance in C. jejuni and C. coli demonstrated that mutations in 23S ribosomal RNA genes are frequently responsible for macrolide resistance. Her lab has also shown that the virulence plasmid pVir is associated with bloody diarrhea in patients in Campylobacter enteritis. Her work on Helicobacter pylori microbiology and genetics is recognized throughout the world. Her contributions to the genome sequence of this organism, which causes ulcers and predisposes people to gastric cancer, was published in the prestigious journal Nature. She has also made major contributions to understanding how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics through spread of genes by conjugation . Her students and Postdoctoral Fellows are employed in Universities, Government laboratories and companies. Through them she continues to influence the science and practice of Microbiology in Canada and across the world

Source: http://www.aihealthsolutions.ca/connects/conference/doc/Two%20Page%20CV%20Taylor_09.pdf