Professor Katzenback's research interests are in examining how environmental stress influences the immune system, and health, of amphibians with the goal of understanding how these interactions are contributing to the worldwide decline of amphibians​. Innate immunity of amphibians Regulation of innate immune cell development (macrophages, neutrophils) from progenitor cell populations Host-pathogen-environment interactions Professional Associations: Canadian Society of Zoologists, International Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology Reviewer: Developmental and Comparative Immunology, Virology Journal, Veterinary Research Service: Biosafety Committee, Laboratory Safety Committee, Co-operative Education Reports Committee Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Physiology, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Alberta Bachelor of Science (BSc Honours), Honours Immunology and Infection (with Distinction), University of Alberta

Professor Katzenback's research interests are in examining how environmental stress influences the immune system, and health, of amphibians with the goal of understanding how these interactions are contributing to the worldwide decline of amphibians. To this end, her research aims are to 1) elucidate the mechanisms of amphibian innate immunity, 2) characterize host-pathogen interactions and 3) study how abiotic environmental stressors (i.e. climate change, contaminants), alone or in combination with biotic stressors (pathogens), impact innate immune function and the health status of amphibians. The North American wood frog (Rana sylvatica), a unique group of terrestrial hibernators that survive whole body freezing during winter months, and the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), a dehydration tolerant frog and well-studied model organism, are exciting models to analyze host-pathogen-environment interactions. Current Research Themes in the Katzenback Lab: Development of amphibian cell lines Amphibian - Frog Virus 3 interactions Regulation of innate immune defenses in response to environmental stressors