TuCAiTS News & Events
Chinmaya Mutalik, PhD Presents Research at ASM Microbe 2026
TUCAiTS Postdoctoral Fellow Chinmaya Mutalik, PhD, presented his research at ASM Microbe 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), held in Washington, DC. ASM Microbe is recognized as one of the world's leading scientific conferences for microbiology, infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, public health, and the microbial sciences, bringing together researchers, clinicians, public health professionals, and industry leaders to share discoveries and discuss the latest advances in the field.Dr. Mutalik was selected to present his research through ASM's highly competitive scientific abstract submission and peer-review process. His accepted abstract highlighted research conducted at the Tulane Center for Airborne Infection and Transmission Science (TUCAiTS), focusing on the evaluation of airborne particle and aerosol transmission, as well as respirator performance, using controlled particle challenge experiments.Accepted by the ASM Scientific Programming…
Venicia L. Stewart Graduates from Emerging Leaders Program (ELP)
Please join us in celebrating Venicia L. Stewart, Program Manager for the Tulane University Center for Airborne Infection and Transmission Science (TUCAiTS), on her successful graduation from Tulane University’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, alongside her fellow Cohort 2025–2026 members.Venicia’s completion of this prestigious leadership program reflects her unwavering commitment to professional excellence, personal growth, and servant leadership. Throughout her journey at Tulane, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, integrity, and passion through her support of research initiatives, recruitment efforts, and daily operations within TUCAiTS.The Emerging Leaders Program is designed to cultivate leadership, strengthen collaboration across the university, and empower participants to lead with vision, innovation, and purpose. Venicia embraced this opportunity with grace, determination, and authenticity—bringing her signature energy,…
Tulane's Chad Roy elected to American Academy of Microbiology fellowship
The American Academy of Microbiology (the Academy) has elected Chad Roy, PhD, along with 62 peers to the Fellowship Class of 2026. Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology, an honorific leadership group and scientific think tank within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology. The Academy received 145 nominations this year and elected 63 to the 2026 Fellowship Class. “Academy Fellows are leaders in their field whose work influences the direction of scientific discovery and its role in society,” said Vanessa Sperandio, PhD, chair of the Academy governors. “Election to the Academy is a significant professional milestone, and I am delighted to welcome Dr. Roy as a member of the 2026 Cohort.”Roy holds several titles at Tulane University School of Medicine. He’s a professor of Pulmonary…
Tulane Researcher, Chad Roy, Weighs In on Flu Superspreaders in BBC Feature
A Tulane School of Medicine professor, Dr. Chad Roy, was featured in a recent BBC article examining why a small number of people—known as “superspreaders”—played an outsized role in spreading flu and other respiratory viruses. The article highlighted Tulane-led research showing that factors such as stage of illness, breathing patterns, body composition, speech habits, and lung physiology significantly influenced how many infectious particles an individual released into the air. These findings helped shed light on how respiratory viruses spread and pointed toward potential strategies for reducing transmission during flu season and future outbreaks.Read full BBC article
Chad Roy, MSPH, PhD Spotlighted at Tulane Innovation Institute
Dr. Chad Roy, Vice Chair for Research in the John W. Deming Department of Medicine, was recently featured by the Tulane Innovation Institute for his groundbreaking research and entrepreneurial achievements. In addition to leading multi-million-dollar NIH-funded studies on infectious diseases, Dr. Roy founded Bio Protectant Technologies Inc., a Tulane spinout developing next-generation antimicrobial solutions. His work exemplifies the innovation and impact driving Tulane’s research mission. Read the full story.
Tulane Researchers Showcase AI-Driven Airborne Transmission Research at AI Demystifying Symposium
Sarah Bose, Laboratory Manager at the Tulane Center for Airborne Infection & Transmission Science (TUCAiTS) and Tulane National Biomedical Research Center, recently presented a poster at the Tulane AI Demystifying Symposium highlighting an ongoing internal research project: the AI-Driven Real-Time Airborne Transmission Index (Θ Engine).This project focuses on Θ (Theta), a novel AI-driven transmissibility index designed to provide real-time, location-specific risk assessments for airborne pathogens. By integrating empirical data, synthetic outbreak simulations, and machine learning techniques, Θ models transmission dynamics across a range of environmental, behavioral, and biological scenarios.As an MSPH student in Biostatistics, Sarah was selected to present on the application of AI in infectious disease modeling, aligning with the symposium’s goal of showcasing innovative AI applications in medicine and public health. This opportunity provides a prominent platform to highlight…
Tammy Naramore Makes 20 Years of Service at Tulane
It is with great pleasure that we recognize and celebrate Tammy Naramore on her remarkable 20-year anniversary with Tulane University.Tammy currently serves as the Senior Research Administrator for the Tulane University Center for Airborne Infection and Transmission Science (TUCAiTS) Over the past two decades, Tammy’s dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment have made a lasting impact on our teams and the university community. Please join us in congratulating Tammy on this incredible milestone and thanking her for her outstanding service!
Venicia L. Stewart Joins Tulane’s Emerging Leaders Program
Venicia L. Stewart, Program Manager for the Tulane University Center for Airborne Infection and Transmission Science (TUCAiTS) has been accepted into Tulane University’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) for the 2025–2026 cohort.Venicia has continuously demonstrated exceptional dedication, professionalism, and a true commitment to Tulane’s mission through her support of our research team, recruitment efforts, and daily operations. Her drive to grow as a leader and invest in her own development reflects her belief in creating an environment where others can succeed and thrive.The Emerging Leaders Program is designed to strengthen leadership skills, build community across the university, and prepare participants to lead with purpose and vision. We are confident Venicia will bring her trademark energy, thoughtfulness, and collaborative spirit to this program making the most of this opportunity and bring valuable insights back to our team and the broader Tulane community.
Postdoctoral Fellow Chinmaya Mutalik Selected to Present at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Fall Meeting
Chinmaya Mutalik, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Tulane Center for Airborne Infection and Transmission Science (TUCAiTS), has been selected to present his poster in the Division of Analytical Chemistry (ANYL) following a competitive, peer-reviewed abstract process. His research focuses on innovative spectroscopic and bioaerosol-based approaches for breath analysis and tuberculosis detection, aligning with the meeting’s emphasis on advancing analytical and diagnostic technologies.The ACS Fall Meeting is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious conferences in the chemical sciences, bringing together thousands of researchers from academia, industry, and government to highlight groundbreaking advancements in chemistry, biology, materials science, and biomedical engineering.This recognition provides an important platform to showcase Tulane University’s cutting-edge research on a global stage and foster collaboration with leading scientists worldwide.Dr. Mutalik’s selection is a…