Faculty

Fatema Moni Chowdhury

Assistant Professor of Instruction

Contact

Office: ISA 3006

Email: fatema25@usf.edu 

EDUCATION 

B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. (Thesis) Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Ph.D. Microbiology, Under collaboration of University of Dhaka, Bangladesh & University of Bergen, Norway

TEACHING

Since joining USF in January 2022, I have had the privilege of instructing various courses for undergraduate students including Biology I, Anatomy and Physiology II for Health Professionals, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology of the Cell, and General Microbiology.  As an Assistant Professor of Instruction, I am also coordinating General Microbiology laboratory courses from Summer 2023. Prior to joining USF, I have taught undergraduate and graduate students for more than 15 years.

For my PhD research, I worked with a team that isolated Shigella-like bacteria from freshwater environments in Bangladesh. These bacteria demonstrated serological cross-reactivity with different Shigella spp. Among these strains, we identified a potential vaccine candidate for shigellosis. Moreover, I conducted research to explore the antigenic cross-reactivity between the vaccine strain and other Shigella spp., aiming to select an appropriate immunodiagnostics marker for shigellosis. Over the course of my career, I have also gained over ten years of experience mentoring MS students in microbiological research for their master’s theses.

Teaching is not only my profession but also my passion. I firmly believe in the adage, "when one teaches, two learn." For me, the most fulfilling aspect of teaching lies in the interaction with my students and help them grow intellectually and reach their full potential.