Jessica Jeannin Pfannenstiel

Jessica Jeannin Pfannenstiel is a 2023-2027 Self Graduate Fellow pursuing a Ph.D. in Microbiology at The University of Kansas, Department of Molecular Biosciences. Pfannestiel received her B.S. in Microbiology from the same university in 2021. Her research focuses on creating recombinant genomes with multiple strains of Coronaviruses using a bacterial artificial chromosome cloning process. Additionally, she identifies protein interactions of ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) within cellular conditions to determine which proteins are ADP-ribosylated during a SARS-CoV-2 infection. This research aims to understand whether these modifications affect virus replication and pathogenesis. Pfannestiel's career aspirations include working in the government sector following graduate school, with the goal of being involved in a high-containment BSL-4 facility at institutions such as the USDA Center for Infectious Disease, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Ultimately, she aims to influence policy as a scientific liaison to legislators."

Mentor: Dr. Anthony Fehr, Ph.D., an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Bioscience.