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Asiya Gusa

Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

Overview


The goal of our research is to understand how environmental fungi adapt in response to stress to survive the environment-to-host transition, develop drug resistance and cause persistent human disease. We employ a variety of tools (phenotypic assays, whole-genome sequencing, quantitative PCR, microscopy, etc.) to characterize the genetic and cellular changes that occur in Cryptococcus in response to environmental cues such as heat stress, changes in pH and nutrient availability.

Graduate Faculty Member of the University Program in Genetics and Genomics (UPGG)
Graduate Faculty Member of the Program of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB)

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology · 2023 - Present Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Basic Science Departments

In the News


Published February 13, 2025
Fungi: Friend and Foe to Humans and the Earth
Published October 11, 2024
Infectious Fungi Is Loving Global Warming
Published October 11, 2024
Infectious Fungi Are Loving Global Warming

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Recent Publications


Fungal impacts on Earth's ecosystems.

Journal Article Nature · February 2025 Over the past billion years, the fungal kingdom has diversified to more than two million species, with over 95% still undescribed. Beyond the well-known macroscopic mushrooms and microscopic yeast, fungi are heterotrophs that feed on almost any organic car ... Full text Link to item Cite

Single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with strain-specific virulence differences among clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Journal Article Nat Commun · December 2, 2024 Studies across various pathogens highlight the importance of pathogen genetic differences in disease manifestation. In the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, sequence type (ST) associates with patient outcome. We performed a meta-analysis of fo ... Full text Link to item Cite

Genome-wide analysis of heat stress-stimulated transposon mobility in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans.

Journal Article Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · January 24, 2023 We recently reported transposon mutagenesis as a significant driver of spontaneous mutations in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans during murine infection. Mutations caused by transposable element (TE) insertion into reporter genes were dr ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Tri-Institutional Molecular Mycology and Pathogenesis Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029

CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar with CIFAR's Fungal Kingdom: Threats and Opportunities program

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Canada Institute for Advanced Research · 2023 - 2026

Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2026

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Education, Training & Certifications


Emory University · 2006 Ph.D.