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Biology

Faculty & Tutors

Shauna Reckseidler-Zenteno

Assistant Professor, Biology, and Centre Chair

Email: shaunaz@athabascau.ca
Phone: (403) 239-4934 or 1-866-894-1519

Education

  • B.Sc. in Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology
    Department of Biological Sciences
    University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Ph.D. in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
    Faculty of Medicine
    University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Post-doctoral fellowships in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and Surgery
    Faculty of Medicine
    University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Shauna Reckseidler-Zenteno administers and teaches the following courses:

Presently, I am working on developing a course in Immunology in order to expand the Bachelor of Science Human Science degree program offerings as well as courses in Environmental Health and Bioremediation for our future MSc program.  I would like to develop courses in Molecular Genetics and Bacterial Pathogenesis in the future.

Research

In the past my research was focused on understanding how the bacterial pathogen, Burkholderia pseudomallei, causes disease. B. pseudomallei is a bacteria that lives in the soil and water in tropical regions of the world. It is the causative agent of the disease melioidosis, which affects both humans and animals primarily in Southeast Asia and northern Australia.

My current research is focused on a related bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  P. aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacterium that is ubiquitous in the environment and able to cause disease in plants, animals, and humans.  This diverse organism is a common cause of nosocomial or hospital-acquired infections, most notably causing skin infections in burn patients, infections of indwelling devices such as catheters, and fatal lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis.  Studies have shown that P. aeruginosa may survive for months on hospital surfaces and can be isolated from the water in intensive care units.  We are interested in understanding how P. aeruginosa is able to survive in the environment, particularly in water.  The ability of the organism to persist at length in water make it a resevoir for infectious disease. 

I currently hold an Adjunct Faculty appointment at the University of Calgary and have lab space in both Calgary and Athabasca.

Student & Academic Services - Last Updated October 15, 2012