Dr. Kelli Barr has joined the USF College of Public (COPH) as an associate research professor in global health and infectious disease. 

Barr, who was born in Iowa but raised in Santa Rosa, Calif., was previously an assistant professor of biology at Baylor University. She also held the position of assistant research professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida and was a postdoctoral research scientist in the department of biological sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Barr’s research interests center around virus transmission and infection control. Some of her research endeavors have included:

• Developing an in vitro model of the human brain for studying neurological viral infections
• Determining that dengue transmission in Key West, Florida, was persisting at a local level well past the outbreak period in 2012
• Developing a human cell co-culture model to investigate viral congenital infections
• Exploring microbial and chemical exposures of first responders and infection control
• Validating the emergence of Chikungunya virus (a mosquito-transmitted virus) in Pakistan 
• Developing a protocol for isolating high-quality mRNA from samples stored at room temperature using a particular collection device
• Providing technologies and training that translated to a 40 percent reduction in antibiotic usage in individuals admitted to the hospital with a febrile illness

“I’m interested in how virus transmission occurs at the human-animal-environmental interface and how infections can be prevented or reduced,” said Barr, who received her undergraduate degree in English and classical studies at Iowa State and her PhD in plant, insect and microbial science from the University of Missouri. “I am so happy to be here with such amazingly accomplished faculty and staff,” she added. “There’s so much support from every facet of this college. I am looking forward to growing my research program.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health