Cirillo named American Academy of Microbiology Fellow

The American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) recently elected Jeffrey Cirillo, PhD, Regents Professor in the Department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis at the Texas A&M College of Medicine, to its 2020 Fellowship class.

The AAM, a leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), elected 68 new Fellows this year. The Fellows were elected by the AAM through a highly extensive peer-review process based on their scientific achievements and contributions to the field of microbiology. The group chooses leaders in the microbial sciences who exemplify excellence and service. The Fellows in the AAM offer advice and insight for their peers on the various issues that arise in the microbiology field.

“In my opinion, there are few types of recognition as we toil in our difficult jobs that make all the work worthwhile,” Cirillo said. “This is one of them. I am honored to be recognized by this prestigious group.”

There are currently more than 2,500 Fellows in the AAM in various specialties including basic and applied research, teaching, public health, industry and government service. Additionally, the Fellows come from all over the world. The Class of 2020 Fellows come from 11 different countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, Israel, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

As a researcher for more than 30 years, Cirillo’s work focuses on the pathogenesis of bacterial lung infections, which include tuberculosis, Legionnaires’ disease and other pneumonia agents. Cirillo has previously been awarded grants for his research, including $5 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program and over $1 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has also received funding from the American Lung Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other private foundations and commercial entities.

Cirillo has published more than 100 manuscripts, and he also leads the Center for Airborne Pathogens Research and Tuberculosis Image Resources (CAPRI) and the Small Animal Model Vaccines and Pathogenesis (SAMVAP) group