Sixto M. Leal Jr. M.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Sixto M. Leal Jr. MD, PhD is an Associate Professor of Pathology with a broad background in microbiology, immunology, and medicine with residency training in clinical pathology and fellowship training in medical microbiology. He is the Division Director of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Director of the UAB CLIA and CAP-accredited Clinical Microbiology Lab and Fungal Reference Lab. He has served on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute Antifungal Susceptibility committee, Fungal Diagnostics Laboratory Consortium (FDLC), American Board of Pathology Medical Microbiology Committee, and College of American Pathologists Microbiology Committee. As the Director of the UAB BSL-3 Research Regional Biocontainment Lab (RBL), he is currently leading the implementation of cutting-edge scientific equipment and a scientific research team to support in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo research on high containment pathogens, including BSL-3 fungi. As a physician-scientist, he serves as the PI on several NIH, private foundation, and industry awards/contracts focused on developing and evaluating novel infectious disease diagnostics/therapeutics and mechanistic studies of fungal pathogenesis and immunology.
Deunta Binion, B.S., Research Scientist
Deunta Binion graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Genetics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2023. He subsequently joined the UAB Fungal Reference Lab to gain experience in clinical diagnostic testing and clinical/translational research. He worked closely with Levi Schaefers to learn yeast and mold susceptibility testing and currently serves as the FRL’s clinical and translational research susceptibility testing expert. In his free time, he enjoys eating large quantities of unhealthy food yet somehow through a combination of genetics and working out he wins 100% of all local and regional body-building contests.
Kamaljeet Kaur, Ph.D., Research Scientist
Kamaljeet Kaur (Kamal) joined the Fungal Reference Laboratory in 2023, where her primary duties are performing clinical diagnostic testing and result interpretation, along with diagnostics and quality control testing. She obtained her undergraduate Bachelor of Technology (Biotechnology) degree from India before pursuing a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina and later a postdoctoral fellowship at UAB. She enjoys getting to know people and her hobbies include vocal music, arts and handicrafts. She enjoys being with her family the most and loves sharing her interests with her daughter.
Kenneth Long, M.D., Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow-ABIM Research Pathway
Kenny is an Infectious Diseases fellow who joined the Leal lab in 2023 with an interest in novel diagnostic test development and clinical mycology. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois before moving to UAB to participate in the ABIM Research Pathway, where he completed his residency in Internal Medicine. He enjoys being outside, be it on his daily bike commute, running downtown, or tending to his garden.
Cuong Lam (Lucas), B.S., M.S., Graduate Student, Ph.D. candidate
Lucas completed his M.S. in Biotechnology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2021. He worked as a researcher in the Leal lab for one year before joining the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Science – Microbiology theme at UAB. His research focuses on the role of SARS-CoV-2-mediated lytic programmed cell death in the development of secondary mold infections. In his free time, he enjoys watching TikTok and sci-fi movies, cooking, and working out. He lives by the motto “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough!”
Jacobi McGrew B.S., Research Scientist
Jacobi joined the Fungal Reference Lab team in 2024. He completed his BS in Neuroscience at UAB in 2020 and subsequently joined Virginia Tech’s Post-Baccalaureate Research and Education Program (PREP) where he gained additional medical and research experience. He is the lab’s expert on T-cell functional assays. This includes the FRL’s major focus on T.Spot TB testing for patient care and employee health. His favorite hobbies include writing stories for comics, playing video games, creating strategy guides to help other players, and learning other languages such as Spanish, ASL, and Python.
Derek Moates, M.S., Research Scientist, Clinical and Translational Research Lab Manager
Derek completed his BS in Biology and Cytotechnology at the University of Auburn at Montgomery in 2005, a MS in Biotechnology (2010) and a MS in Biology (2015) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He joined the Fungal Reference Lab in July 2020 to help with the State of AL Guide Safe Student COVID Testing Initiative and then stayed on to help run and manage the lab. He has worked in both clinical and industry lab settings and is a Board-Certified Cytotechnologist. Derek manages the clinical lab and serves as principal investigator on commercial research studies. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his husband working in their yard, playing with their dogs and chickens, hiking, and exploring new places.
Ashleigh Riegler, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow
Ashleigh has been a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Leal since 2021. Her research focuses on understanding the contribution of programmed cell death in the pathology of infection. She is especially interested in utilizing histology of human tissues to evaluate cell death mechanisms. Ashleigh grew up in the upper peninsula of Michigan (a true Yooper), obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from The University of Wisconsin Superior (awarded 2016), and then made her way to The University of Alabama at Birmingham to complete her PhD in Microbiology (awarded 2021). Ashleigh’s career focus is on clinical microbiology, which led her to the mentorship of Dr. Leal. An aficionado of arts and crafts, Ashleigh can often be found creating in some way in and outside of the lab. When she is not in the lab, Ashleigh enjoys what she calls “random adventures in nature”, reading fiction, and watching movies with her partner and cats.
Sawanan Saitornuang (Por) B.S, M.S, Graduate Student, Ph.D. candidate
Por completed her B.S. and M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics in Thailand before joining UAB in 2018. She became the first graduate student of the Leal Lab in 2019. Her research focuses on the impact of iron on neutrophil-killing function during SARS-CoV-2 infection. In her free time, Por enjoys baking, going for long runs in the city, and traveling. She also volunteers as a foster for kittens.
Sabiqun (Shanta) Nahar, Ph.D., Research Scientist
Sabiqun Nahar (Shanta) obtained her PhD in Molecular Cell Biology from Kumamoto University, Japan, and joined the Fungal Reference Lab in 2024. She loves working in the clinical diagnostic field and generating and interpreting high-quality data with immediate impacts on patient care. She also loves driving clinical and translational research studies focused on the development and optimization of diagnostic tests, evaluation of novel antimicrobials, and the generation of new knowledge of infectious diseases. In her free time, Shanta enjoys spending time with her family, especially her son, and traveling.
Levi Schaefers, B.A., Research Scientist, Basic Science Research Lab Supervisor
Levi obtained his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2015. He joined the Fungal Reference Lab in July 2020 to help with the State of AL Guide Safe Student COVID Testing Initiative and then stayed on to focus on yeast and mold antifungal susceptibility testing. Since 2023, he has served as the Basic Science Research Lab Supervisor gaining expertise in lab management as well as experimental in vitro and in vivo infection model systems. Levi keeps the lab running by keeping the lab well stocked with supplies, updating inventories, maintaining lab equipment, orienting new personnel, assisting lab members, and keeping the lab space in proper working order. He serves as the key contact person and scientist for many collaborative on-campus and external research studies.
Dinesh K. Yadav, Ph.D., Research Scientist
Dinesh is a researcher in Dr. Leal’s laboratory. In 2017, he obtained his PhD in Chemistry from Mississippi State University. In 2018, he joined UAB as a postdoctoral fellow. His research focuses on the role of essential metals in mononuclear phagocyte clearance of fungal pathogens in viral-infected lungs. In his spare time, he enjoys playing volleyball, cooking, and gardening.
Laboratory Alumni
Post-doctoral Trainees
2018-2019: Daniel Silberger, Clinical Microbiology Research Mentor, focus- development of a novel infectious disease diagnostic test for Clostridiodes difficile; current Clinical Microbiologist in the United States Navy Staff Corps.
2018-2021: Arthur Totten, Ph.D., Clinical Microbiology Research Mentor, focus- development and evaluation of novel infectious disease diagnostic tests for mollicutes; current clinical microbiologist and Diplomate of the American Board of Microbiology D(ABMM) at Stony Brook University, NY
International Research Fellows
2023: Godlove Wpenje, Fogarty Research Fellow, University of Buea, Cameroon, Africa, focus- Development of a molecular diagnostic test to detect genital schistosomiasis.
2023: Nesma Ahmed-Esam, USAID Research Fellowship Mentor, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt, focus- Clinical mycology diagnostic testing and evaluation of FFPE tissues from patients with Invasive Mucormycosis
Clinical Research Fellows
2021-2022: Denis Nouboussie, M.D., Ph.D., Pathology Residency Research Mentor, focus-role of lower airway cytokines in mediating thrombosis during SARS-2 infection; current Transfusion Medicine Fellow at UNC
2022-Present: Kenneth Long M.D., Ph.D., Physician Scientist Training Program- ID Fellowship Research Mentor, focus- development of RNA-based diagnostics for C. difficile and invasive mold infections.
Research Personnel
Focused on the development and evaluation of novel ID diagnostics, microbial sequencing, microbial culture, and diagnostic testing to support a wide variety of clinical trials and public health initiatives.
2018-2020 George Andy Farr, B.S.
2019-2023 Jeremy Meeder, B.S.
2020-2021 Thomas Detchemendy, B.S., M.S.
2020-2021 John Hernandez, B.S.
2020-2022 Hannah Mariah Pierce, B.S., M.S.
2020-2023 Sumner Adams, B.S.
2023 Robert (Will) Browning, B.S.
Personnel focused on the identification of microbial and host factors mediating infection.
2020-2020 Mohammad Abdelgawwad, M.D., Ph.D.
2020-2021 Drew Freeman, B.S.
2021-2022 Brian Lagory, B.S.
2021-2023 Rajeshwari Chellapan, M.B.B.S.
Undergraduates
2019: Jacob Beckman, Research Mentor, Summer undergraduate research program; medical student at Temple University School of Medicin
2020: Claire Gallion, Research Mentor, SIBS Undergraduate Research Program Scholar; medical student at Medical College of Georgia
2023: Jatorrious King, Research Mentor, UAB undergraduate student; goal- admission to a graduate school biomedical research program
