Kirk Czymmek, Ph.D.

UD - Biological Sciences

Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Delaware Biotechnology Institute
Delaware Technology Park
15 Innovation Way
Newark, DE 19711

Phone: (302) 831-3450
FAX: (302) 831-4841
E-Mail: kirk@udel.edu
Web Site: http://www.udel.edu/bio/people/faculty/kczymmek.html

Education
Ph.D., Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University: 1993
B.S., Biology, State University of New York - Oswego: 1989

Research Interests:
Dr. Czymmek’s lab is interested in using contemporary molecular cytology, preparation, and imaging technologies to understand aspects of fungal cell biology, namely-plant pathogenic interactions and mechanisms of fungal hyphal tip growth. Model systems include the rice pathogen Magnaporthe grisea, which is the causal agent of rice blast disease and is of worldwide economic importance, and Phytophthora phaseoli, which is the causal agent of downy mildew in lima bean a very important processing crop in the Delmarva Peninsula.

Currently, Dr. Czymmek’s lab, in collaboration with DuPont Ag Biotech, is utilizing spectral variants of green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagged fungal hyphae and four-dimensional imaging techniques to visualize entire host-pathogen encounter sites in planta, over time. In addition, the lab is involved with in vivo time-course imaging of the effect of fungicides on specific fungal structures and organelles with specific fusion proteins.

RECENT PRESS

Health experts to address issues in education, research, practice
January 26, 2012--DHSA will hold its inaugural Global Health Symposium on Saturday, Feb. 4 at CCHS. The program will focus on education, research and practice, with presentations on topics ranging from refugee health clinics and relief medicine to anthropological approaches to the study of global health.

Christiana Care issues a call to men to prevent domestic violence
January 24, 2012--Christiana Care, a National Community Center of Excellence in Women's Health, has been working for years to help women who are victims of domestic violence at an annual event that offers resources, education and support.

After Holiday Eating Marathon, Jefferson Dietitian Offers 10 Tips to Get Back on Track and Kick Start New Year's Weight Loss Resolution
January 4, 2012--Celebrating the New Year goes hand-in-hand with creating resolutions to get healthy and trim - especially after weeks of holiday marathon eating. Dietitian Emily Rubin, R.D., L.D., with the Division of Gastroenterology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, says you can stay committed to being healthy and fit by following these 10 tips.

Procedure saves teen after rare carotid trauma
January 4, 2012--Neurointerventionalist Gregg Zoarski, M.D.'s recent surgical grand rounds lecture on carotid artery injuries focused on how to repair traumatic injuries to these vital vessels that supply blood to the brain.

Medical students delighted with Delaware branch campus Christiana Care is participating in Jefferson Medical College�s Delaware Branch Campus program, underscoring the transformative role the health system plays in medical education.
December 23, 2011--This achievement specifically spotlights our core competency in providing clinical education to third- and fourth-year medical students. Christiana Care has a long-standing relationship in providing first-rate medical education to students from Jefferson, one of the country's top-rated medical collleges.

Healthy Kids Delaware (HKD) Network celebrated its one-year anniversary earlier this month.
December 22, 2011--Earlier this month the Healthy Kids Delaware (HKD) network celebrated its one-year anniversary. The Healthy Kids Delaware network has been working to address health and wellness needs of children throughout New Castle County.

Interprofessional Care for the 21st Century: Redefining Education and Practice
December 14, 2011--Registration is now open for Jefferson InterProfessional Education Center's (JCIPE) 2012 conference: Interprofessional Care for the 21st Century: Redefining Education and Practice. The conference will be held on May 18-19, 2012 at Dorrance H. Hamilton Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. The purpose of this conference is to showcase scholarly work and works in progress advancing interprofessional education and/or practice. This conference reflects on innovative implementation and evaluation strategies of the interprofessional competencies.

Nemours participates in Partnership for a Healthier America Summit
December 8, 2011--The Partnership, of which Nemours is a founding member, has a mission of supporting First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign by working with the private sector to fight childhood obesity. The theme that emerged at the summit, a gathering of leaders from business and industry, academia, nonprofits and government, was: "Make the healthy choice the easy choice."

DHSA plans workshop on collaborative education for clinicians and scientists
December 8, 2011--DHSA will host "Creating Clinical and Research Teams for the Future: Workshop on Collaborative Education for Clinicians and Scientists" on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, at the Ammon Education Center of Christiana Hospital. This workshop focuses on developing skills to write educational grants. The program will include information on how to obtain educational grant funding, set goals and evaluate an educational program, and develop an application for the DHSA Education Pilot Award.