Pathogenic Coronaviruses of Humans and Animals

Lisa Beltz began her career in infectious disease research in the Department of Microbiology and Public Health at Michigan State University, with a dissertation entitled "Suppression of Human T Lymphocyte Responses by Trypanosoma cruzi. She then spent seven years conducting research as a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital System and at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research during this period focused on how simian and human immunodeficiency viruses (SIV and HIV), respectively, interact with simian and human bone marrow and blood.Dr. Beltz then accepted a faculty position at the University of Northern Iowa, where she taught courses on biology while conducting research alongside the students she mentored. Dr. Beltz's research has investigated alterations in immune system function in response to exposure to green tea polyphenols, as well as the toxicological/immunotoxicological effects of environmental contaminants on human lymphocyte and monocyte viability and functioning. Afterward, she continued teaching while writing journal articles and books and giving conference presentations about infectious diseases of humans and bats. Dr. Beltz has previously written two books on this subject: Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Guide to Diseases, Causative Agents, and Surveillance and Bats and Human Health: Ebola, SARS, Rabies, and Beyond. She plans to continue writing about emerging and neglected diseases, particularly pathogenic coronaviruses that can infect humans.