By Gaytha Langlois
Yunfen Shen
Yunfen Shen, a renowned protozoologist and member of the Chinese Academy of Science and the CAS Institute of Hydrobiology completed her PhD degree at the Institute of Zoology at the former USSR Academy of Sciences in 1960. Her work at the Institute of Hydrobiology as a research professor focused on taxonomy and ecology of free-living protozoa resulted in 24 publications and many collaborations. She studied the protozoan fauna in over 20 Chinese provinces and autonomous regions, resulting in the identification of more than 2,000 species, including 35 new ones. Her book, Aquatic Invertebrates on the Tibetan Plateau documented 458 species, including their geological distribution and ecological characteristics. By studying the planktonic and periphytic protozoa in Donghu Lake in Wuhan for more than 30 years, Shen revealed the structural and functional development of the protistan communities in conjunction with the lake’s eutrophication. She developed a new standard of water quality evaluation using polyurethane foam, called the PFU Method, which was adopted by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China. Shen, who passed away in 2006, was the President of the Chinese Protozoological Society, a member of the standing committee of the Chinese Zoological Society and the International Commission of Protozoology, and an associate editor of Toxicology and Industrial Health, an international journal.
Lea K. Bleyman completed her Ph.D. in genetics from Indiana University in 1966, after finishing a Master’s degree from Columbia University. Upon encountering the work of her future mentor, Tracy S. Sonneborn, she was drawn even deeper into ciliate genetics research. Other collaborators included Akio Miyake, and David L. Nanney, and her work included tracking the mating patterns of Blepharisma and Tetrahymena genetics. Lea’s family had escaped to France in 1936 and reunited in New York City in 1946, where she lived for most of her life, passing away in 2020. Lea was very active in SOP/ISOP, serving as PresidentW Known for her vivacity, Lea was also reputed to be enthusiastic about opera, cats and theater, and she was credited with studying Shakespeare and writing letters to the editor of the New York Times.
Harriett Smith Somerville, Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences, at the University of Alabama, received her doctorate at the University of Texas in 1970 and commenced a 40-year career in scientific research and education period Somerville’s leadership included her faculty roles and directorships of the university’s Electron Microscopy Laboratory and the Molecular Biology Facility. Her research on protozoan nutrition and metabolism, often working with Phillip Ryals, included studies on phagocytosis in Tetrahymena spp, especially the uptake of pathogens from the environment and the processes of vacuolar and membrane development, resulting in publications in a variety of journals. Harriett supervised and guided honors and graduate students, served on the editorial board of the University of Alabama press, the Board of Reviewers for Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, and in leadership roles for SOP/ISOP. Harriet was the recipient of many grants and awards and was honored for her work in cell biology. She was selected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Christine A. Sundermann
Professor Christine A. Sundermann heads up a research laboratory at Auburn University in the Department of Biological Sciences that specializes in the development and biology of Coccidia and tracking vector-borne pathogens. Having earned a PhD from the University of Georgia in 1980, Christine is still active in her teaching and research roles and continues to travel to far-flung destinations tracking tropical parasites or collaborating with other parasitological researchers. With 66 publications in a variety of scientific journals, including the Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, Journal of Parasitology, Parasitology research, American Journal of Veterinary Research, Poultry Science, and Avian Diseases. Christine’s work has focused on Giardia, Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium species in many animals, including poultry and dogs, with an emphasis on the public health implications of these infections. Christine’s leadership role in SOP/ISOP for many decades is widely appreciated, including Membership Chair and President (2007).
Jan Keithley, Retired Research Scientist at the NYS Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, served as Director of Parasitology and Program Coordinator for NSF-sponsored research for 36 years. She was also an Associate Professor at City University of New York, Lehman College (1972-1978), and was in the Division of International Medicine at Cornell University from 1978-1989. After receiving her Ph.D. from Iowa State University, followed by a postdoc at Rutgers University with Dr. Leslie Stauber and at The Rockefeller University with William Trager, Jan embarked on her career in parasitology research, including drug screening in animal models of leishmaniasis, in coordination with Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Her work focused on mitochondrion-related organelles of Cryptosporidium species, resulting in 68 publications. Jan’s service to SOP/ISOP included the presidency in 2008.
Susan G. Langleth was a Professor in Microbiology and Immunology at the Uniform Services University of Health Sciences. Her earlier studies focused on Cryptosporidia spp., publishing in the Journal of Experimental Medicine and the Parasitology Research Journal (1974), and Journal of Protozoology and Journal of Experimental Medicine (1975). Later in her career she worked closely with Jan Keithley, reporting on Trypanosoma and Leishmania spp., and falciparum malaria. Susan was active in SOP/ISOP, serving on the Business Affairs Committee for many years.
Maria Cristina Angelici, Senior Research Scientist at Instituto Superiore di Sanita, in Rome, from 1987 to present, is credited with molecular studies and parasitological surveillance of protozoan parasite diseases with particular emphasis on the epidemiological picture in Italy, resulting in 29 publications in multiple journals. Her studies of Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Entamoeba and Toxoplasma genera have included conducting molecular characterization of protozoa genomes, assessing environmental risk factors for water-borne protozoan infection, and evaluating the implications of climatic changes and health sustainability.
Read the previous installments in this series:
Part I
Part II
