biography

John Boothroyd received his undergraduate degree in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and his PhD in Molecular Biology from Edinburgh University in Scotland. He was co-Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology from 1994-1999and Chair from 1999-2002.  He currently serves as Senior Associate Dean for Research and Training with responsibility for, among other things, core facilities, graduate education and post-doctoral research training.

Dr. Boothroyd studies the cell and developmental biology of protozoan parasites with special emphasis on their interaction with the mammalian host.  For about 20 years, he worked on Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African Sleeping Sickness.  His lab co-discovered mRNA trans-splicing and polycistronic transcription providing the first demonstration that these processes occur in eukaryotes.  In 1984, he began his work on Toxoplasma gondii, a serious pathogen in newborns  and AIDS patients.  Since 1998, this parasite has been the exclusive focus of his laboratory.  Together with colleagues at Stanford and abroad, he is asking (1) how Toxoplasma attaches, invades, and grows in almost any cell type from almost any animal; (2) how the parasite persists in the human host; and, 3) what is the genetic basis for the extreme differences in virulence between different strains.

Dr. Boothroyd is a consultant for many international organizations and foundations including the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (he Chaired their Molecular Parasitology Advisory Committee  from 1999-2002), the Ellison Medical Foundation and the Gates Foundation.  He has held a NIH MERIT Award and currently has three RO1 grants and an Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award.

Dr. Boothroyd’s major classroom teaching is a course on modern plagues to undergraduates.  18 of his former graduate students and post-docs are now on the faculty at major institutions in the USA, Canada and Europe.  

 RESEARCH PROJECTS ONGOING OR COMPLETED DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS:

R01 AI21423 (P.I. John C. Boothroyd)                                   5/1/04 - 4/30/09                       

NIH/NIAID                                                                                  

“Antigens of Toxoplasma gondii and their Genes.”

 The major goals of this project are to study the host-pathogen interaction, focusing on the role of the SAG1-related surface (SRS) and rhoptry proteins.  It includes determining the role of these proteins in the attachment/invasion process and modification of the intracellular niche. 

RO1 AI41014 (P.I. John C. Boothroyd)                                     4/1/01 - 3/31/06               

NIH/NIAID                                                                                  

“Developmental Biology of Toxoplasma”

The major goals of this project are to identify key genes involved in the differentiation of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites to bradyzoites.  It includes selection of differentiation mutants, knock-out of genes required for or associated with differentiation to bradyzoites and microarray generation and analysis.  

RO1 AI45057  (P.I. John C. Boothroyd)                                    3/1/99-2/28/05                         

NIH/NIAID                                                                                  

“Genetics of Invasion and Egress in Toxoplasma.”

The major goals of this work are to study invasion and egress using mutants and complementation to identify the genes involved.  It also includes studies of the role of calcium and micronemal proteins (e.g., AMA1) in these processes.

Ellison Medical Foundation (P.I.John C. Boothroyd)                  11/1/02-10/31/06   

“Evolution of Virulence in Parasitic Protozoa.”

The major goals of this work are to examine genetic crosses of parasites to map and identify genes involved in virulence.