Curriculum Vitae
Kyle Tretina, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Associate
Yale University
Date April 1st, 2017
Email: kyle.tretina@yale.edu
Education
2007-2011 B.Sc. Interdisciplinary Studies: Biotechnology, Wheaton College.
2012–2016 Ph.D., Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland, Mentor: Joana C. Silva, Thesis title: “Theileria parva genomics, transcriptomics, and host-pathogen interactions”, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Graduate Training
2013 Programming Workshop, Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
2013 UMB GPILS Summer Bridge Course, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
2014 Introduction to Genomics & Bioinformatics Workshop, Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Employment History
Academic Appointments
2003-2006 Student Intern, Coriell Cell Repositories, Stem Cell Laboratory, Research Topic: “Efficiency of Epstein-Barr virus transformation”, PI: Karen Fecenko-Tacka, Camden, NJ, USA.
2009-2011 Student Intern, Wheaton College, Biology Department, Functionality of Research Topic: “Predicting function in non-coding DNA on human chromosome 16”, PI: Pattle P. Pun, Wheaton, IL, USA.
2011-2012 Research Technologist, University of Chicago, Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Section, Research Topic: “Regulatory T cells and Transplant Immunobiology”, PI: Vu Nguyen, Chicago, IL, USA.
2013-2016 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Research Topic: “Theileria parva genomics, transcriptomics, and host-pathogen interactions”, PI: Joana C. Silva, Baltimore, MD, USA.
2017-2017 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Research Topic: “Theileria parva genomics, transcriptomics, and host-pathogen interactions”, PI: Joana C. Silva, Baltimore, MD, USA.
2017-present Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale University, Research Topic: “Cell-autonomous immunity to parasites”, PI: John D. MacMicking, New Haven, CT, USA.
Professional Society Memberships
2013-2016 American Society of Microbiology
2013-2016 The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Journal Reviews
2017-2017 MDPI Pathogens
Honors/Awards
2015-2016 University of Maryland, Immunity and Infection T32 training grant (NIH/NIAID T32 AI007540-14; http://grantome.com/grant/NIH/T32-AI007540-16), PI: Dr. James Kaper.
2015 Ph.D. Scholar Award Nominee, by the Program in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, created to recognize “an outstanding academic performance record and show great potential as a scientist”.
2015 J. Howard Brown Award, by the Maryland Branch of the American Society for Microbiology, for “an outstanding graduate student who is making a contribution worthy of recognition in the field of microbiology”.
2016 STEM Chateaubriand Fellowship Awardee, offered by the Embassy of France in the United States (www.chateaubriand-fellowship.org). Declined in order to pursue other research opportunities.
2016 Otani Memorial Award Nominee, by the Program in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, given to “a graduate student in GPILS of outstanding character who demonstrates superior academic performance and who shows outstanding promise as an independent investigator”.
Institutional Service/Activities
2013-2016 Writer, Microscoop, University of Maryland, Baltimore, the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology department semi-annual newsletter
2013-2016 Volunteer and tour guide, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Ph.D. program recruitment activities
2013-2016 Journal club attendance and presentations: Immunology Journal Club, Microbial Pathogenesis Journal Club, Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Journal Club, Student Research Seminar Series, and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Program Student Seminar
2014-2016 Organizer, summer student research forum, University of Maryland, Baltimore, hosted by the Office of Student Research
2015-2016 Interviewer/Editor, Beyond the Abstract, University of Maryland, Baltimore, student-led podcast
2015-2016 Chair, Parasitology Student-Selected Speaker Committee
2015 Invited interviewee, Beyond the Abstract University of Maryland, Baltimore, to discuss research
2016 Coordinator, Annual Graduate Research Symposium, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Program, University of Maryland, Baltimore
2016 Invited Program Representative, University of Maryland Master Plan Meeting, to discuss the next 10 years of campus facilities development
2016 Committee member, Qualifying Exam Preparation, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Ph.D. program, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Local and National Service
Local Service
2012 Team member, Bioblast!, University of Maryland, Baltimore, a program at the Institute for Genome Sciences to encourage middle school children to pursue careers in science
2012 Team member, Starlight, a program to give kids with cancer a special day at the movies
2015 Invited panel member (Institute for Genome Sciences student representative), Student Research Symposium, Glen Burnie High School
2015 Volunteer Staff, Mini-MedSchool, University of Maryland, Baltimore, summer camp for local community K-12 kids
2016 Invited Panel Member, STEM program Careers in Science discussion, Baltimore Middle School
Teaching service
Research Fellow Mentoring
2016-2017 Research fellow mentor to Nicholas Palmateer, a graduate student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Training topics: molecular evolution, genome diversity analyses, bioinformatics, sequence alignment.
Graduate Student Mentoring
2013 Graduate student mentor to Bilal Iqbal, fourth-year student at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA. Training topics: gene structure annotation, gene prediction validation,
2015-2016 Graduate student mentor to Jamal El Badaoui, second-year student at Baltimore City Community College, Baltimore, MD, USA. Training topics: molecular biology and gene polymorphism in parasite DNA samples, including PCR, direct sequencing and sequence data interpretation.
2016-2017 Graduate student mentor to Saqlain Amin, Senior at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA. Training topics: bioinformatics of whole-genome annotation, sequence alignment, Markov model protein domain prediction.
2016-2017 Graduate student mentor to Nicholas Palmateer, second-year graduate student in the Molecular Medicine Ph.D. program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA. Training topics: Theileria parva population genomics and bioinformatics.
Undergraduate Student Mentoring
2010 Teacher’s Assistant for Microbiology and Immunology class, Biology Department, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, USA. Teacher: Dr. Pattle P. Pun.
Publications
Peer-reviewed Journal Articles
1. Snedecker J*, Tretina K*, Triplet M, Lee D, Poirier A, Pun P, Hayward J, Leung R, Tsui S. “Analysis of the Positively and Non-Positively Selected Non-Protein Coding Sequences of Human Chromosome 16.” Journal of Biology, Biological Systems and Bioinformatics, 2013, 4(1):1-14.
2. Norling M, Bishop RP, Pelle R, Qi W, Henson S, Drábek E, Tretina K, Odongo D, Mwaura S, Njoroge T, Bongcam-Rudloff E, Daubenberger CA, Silva JC. “The genomes of three stocks comprising the most widely utilized live sporozoite Theileria parva vaccine exhibit very different degrees and patterns of sequence divergence.” BMC Genomics, 2015, 24(16):729.
3. Tretina K, Gotia HT, Mann DJ, Silva JC. “Theileria-transformed bovine leukocytes have cancer hallmarks.” Review. Trends in Parasitology, 2015, 31(7):306-14.
4. Tretina K, Pelle R, Silva JC, “Cis regulatory motifs and antisense transcriptional control in the apicomplexan Theileria parva.” BMC Genomics, 2016, 17(1):128.
5. Silva JC, Cornillot E, McCracken C, Usmani-Brown S, Dwivedi A , Ifeonu OO, Crabtree J, Gotia HT, Reynes C, Colinge J, Kumar V, Garg A, Lawres L, Pablo J, Hung C, Brancato J, Kumari P, Orvis J, Su Q, Tretina K, Shetty A, Chibucos M, Ott S, Sadzewicz L, Sengamalay N, Tallon L, Fraser CM, Frutos R, Molina DM, Krause PJ, Mamoun CB, “Genome-wide diversity and gene expression profiling of Babesia microti isolates identify polymorphic genes that mediate host-pathogen interactions”. Scientific Reports, 2016, Oct 18;6:35284. doi: 10.1038/srep35284.
Non-peer reviewed journal articles
1. Tretina K, and Fecenko-Tacka K. "Interleukin-10 Enhances Epstein-Barr Virus Transformation in Human Lymphocytes." Cell Collections, 2007: 16-18.
Book Chapters
1. Harb OS, Boehme U, Crouch K, Ifeonu OO, Roos DS, Silva JC, Silva-Franco F, Svärd S, Tretina K, and Weedall G, “Protozoan Parasite Genomics” (book) Springer-Verlag Wein 2016, J. Walochnik, M. Duchêne (eds.), Molecular Parasitology, DOI 10.1007/978-3-7091-1416-2_1
Abstracts and/or Proceedings
Local
1. Tretina K, Gotia HT, Orvis J, Abolude OO, Kumari P, Nene VM, Bishop R, Daubenberger C, Silva JC. “Identification of transcriptional cis-regulatory motifs in Theileria parva, an intracellular apicomplexan parasite of cattle in sub-Saharan Africa.” Annual University of Maryland Graduate Student Conference, University of Maryland, Baltimore MD, June 2013
2. Tretina K, Gotia HT, Orvis J, Abolude OO, Kumari P, Nene VM, Bishop R, Daubenberger C, Silva JC. “Theileria parasites subvert Retinoblastoma-1/E2F signaling to stimulate host cell proliferation” American Society of Microbiology Maryland Chapter Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, June 2016
National
1. Tretina K, Moser K, Ifeonu OO, Bensch S, Munro JB, Silva JC. “Turning back the clock: a history of apicomplexan species divergence.” American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, November 2016
Proffered Communications
Local
1. Tretina K, “Drugs against apicomplexan parasites of cows in Africa.” Baltimore City Community College Science Symposium, Baltimore, MD, July 2015.
National
1. Horch M, Sahli N, Zale E, Tretina K, Nguyen VH. “Selected Commensals Mediate GvHD Via MyD88-Dependent Signalling in Non-Hematopoietic Cells.” 54th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, Atlanta, GA; Poster with Oral Presentation, December 2012
2. Tretina K, Gotia HT, Orvis J, Abolude OO, Kumari P, Nene VM, Bishop R, Daubenberger C, Silva JC. “Identification of transcriptional cis-regulatory motifs in Theileria parva, an intracellular apicomplexan parasite of cattle in sub-Saharan Africa”. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Conference, Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, D.C.; Oral Presentation, November 2013
3. Tretina K, Pelle R, Orvis J, Gotia HT, Ifeonu OO, Kumari P, Iqbal SBA, Nene VM, Daubenberger C, Bishop RP, Silva JC. “New insights into Theileria parva host-pathogen interactions”. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA; Oral Presentation, November 2014
4. Tretina K, Haidar M, Pelle R, Orvis J, Gotia HT, Ifeonu OO, Chaussepied M, Kumari P, Iqbal SBA, Fry L, Knowles DP, Nene VM, Ginsberg D, Daubenberger C, Bishop RP, Langsley G, Silva JC. “Identification of parasite-induced host cell transformation factors based on the re-annotation of the Theileria parva genome and on comparative genomics.” American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA; Oral Presentation, October 2015
International
1. Tretina K, Pelle R, Orvis J, Gotia HT, Ifeonu OO, Kumari P, Iqbal SBA, Nene VM, Daubenberger C, Bishop RP, Silva JC. “RNAseq-based Re-annotation of the Theileria parva Genome Informs the Prediction of Parasite Genes Involved in Host Cell Transformation.” Apicowplexa, Edinburgh, Scotland; Poster with Oral Presentation, June 2015
2. Tretina K, Haidar M, Pelle R, Orvis J, Gotia HT, Ifeonu OO, Chaussepied M, Kumari P, Iqbal SBA, Fry L, Knowles DP, Nene VM, Ginsberg D, Daubenberger C, Bishop RP, Langsley G, Silva JC. “A Theileria parva protein with an LXCXE motif can induce bovine host cell proliferation and binds host DNA signaling adaptor protein STING.” EMBO Symposium Innate Immunity in Host-pathogen Interactions, Heidlberg, Germany; Poster with Oral Presentation, June 2016
