Dr. Jane Harrington contributes to the UMHS faculty team as the Course Director for Microbiology and Medical Research Elective and as an instructor for Immunology.

Dr. Harrington, a bench-trained microbiology researcher and educator, earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology from University of Texas, Austin, where she conducted a research project on flagella regulation of Salmonella typhimurium. She continued her higher education by obtaining a Doctorate of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences from University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, with dissertation on the redox signaling of nitric oxide defense mechanism in Haemophilus influenzae. With a specific interest in the host:pathogen interaction, Dr. Harrington joined in gastroenterology-immunology lab for her postdoctoral training to study host responses to Salmonella infection at University of California San Diego.

Dr. Harrington was inspired to become an educator from an early age and simultaneously pursued formal training in education, including a Certificate in College Teaching from the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, NIH-sponsored Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (IRACDA) fellowship, HHMI Summer Institute, and National Academy of Sciences Education Fellowship in Life Sciences.

Currently, Dr. Harrington provides students opportunities to develop independent research projects in microbiology. Past and present projects include isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on campus surfaces and mobiles devices and isolation of antibiotic resistant Salmonella and E.coli from grocery store purchased pork and chicken products.