91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ

Statement of Candidacy

Over the years, I have dedicated my career to studying pathogen–host interactions and leading a dynamic research group, where I have had the opportunity to mentor students and guide early-career scientists in developing their own research paths.

Alongside my passion for discovery, I believe it is equally important to share knowledge and foster leadership in others. Since my undergraduate years, I have been actively involved in university teaching. I currently serve as a professor at the National University of La Plata. This role has allowed me to connect closely with young scientists, inspiring them to think critically, embrace scientific rigor and pursue careers driven by curiosity and responsibility. At the same time, I have built strong professional relationships with colleagues at different career stages, fostering productive collaborations and mutual respect.

I have had the privilege of serving in leadership and governance roles within scientific institutions, including as a member of the Board of the Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, and as Secretary of the Argentine Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. These experiences have provided me with valuable insight into how to facilitate scientific development, promote collaboration among scientists across diverse disciplines and strengthen organizational leadership.

As a coordinator of the Bioethics Committee at the UNLP, I am deeply committed to promoting integrity, responsibility and ethical conduct in scientific practice. I believe that leadership in science must also uphold values that ensure research serves the common good.

In 2024, I was honored to be selected as an at-large member of the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Board of Directors—an experience I consider both a privilege and an opportunity to connect 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s leadership with the international microbiology community. My experience, dedication and enthusiasm for microbiology drive me to seek this position and contribute to the continued growth, leadership and global impact of our field.

91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Related Activities

• At Large Board Director, 2024-present.
• Editorial board member Journal of Bacteriology, 2025-present
• Student at the Molecular Aspects of Microbial Pathogenesis Course. National Academy of Sciences and American Society for Microbiology. Santiago, Chile, 1999.
• Conferences attended:
  • 114th General Meeting, American Society of Microbiology, 2014, Boston.
  • 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Microbe, 2025, Los Angeles.
• Scientific contribution at 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Meetings:
  • 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Conference on Salmonella: Pathogenesis, Epidemiology and Vaccine, 2003. Poster presentation: "A Salmonella enteritidis dam mutant of leaky phenotype as a potential vaccine strain." M. N. Giacomodonato, S. H. Sarnacki, F. Sisti, R. Caccuri, M. C. Cerquetti.
  • General Meeting, 2002. Poster presentation: "Flagellin, a bvg-Repressed Factor, Has a Critical Role in Bordetella bronchiseptica-Host Interaction." J. Fernández, F. Sisti, M. Rodríguez, O. Yantorno and D. Hozbor.
  • General Meeting, 2014: Poster presentation: "A c-di-GMP Effector System Controls Biofilm Formation in Bordetella bronchiseptica." Ambrosis, N., Sisti F., Boyd C., O´Toole G.A., Fernández J.

Statement of Candidacy

I think I am an experimentalist at heart, able to manage complex projects with larger goals in mind. I enjoy problem solving, thinking about approaches and considering different viewpoints. Sometimes the path is clear, but most often it is ambiguous, requiring revision and thoughtful consideration before decisions are made. Over more than 30 years, I have worked in different venues with graduate, medical, undergraduate and high school students, medical fellows and international scholars. One common thread is the need to communicate in an audience-specific manner.

The most dramatic example I experienced was when training Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students in my laboratory as part of a cooperative program with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at RIT. Basic, daily communication had the potential to be challenging. One of my solutions was to take courses in elementary ASL and Deaf Culture. I gained not only rudimentary skills for communicating with Deaf students, but also an advanced appreciation for challenges faced by others. (Perhaps most striking was the patience with which students endured my attempts to sign and to keep up with their signing).

I modified lab meeting formats so that all could actively participate. Facilitating group interactions was especially rewarding because the NTID students had different coursework and backgrounds and different problem-solving skills. There were parallels in serving as a COMS At-Large Councilor and then as Vice-Chair, where the ability to interact with individuals from so many different facets of microbiology broadened my understanding of what is important to different sectors of microbiology and where different areas of expertise could be leveraged to identify important questions and problems. I think my abilities to envision greater goals common to 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ members, employees and volunteers, and to promote effective communication channels, are important qualities I bring to the Board of Directors.

91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ-Related Activities

• Board of Directors—At-Large Position, July 2025-present.
• Nominating and Appointments Committee, July 2024-Oct. 2025.
• COMS Vice-Chair, July 2024-June 2025.
• Host-Microbe Biology Community Deputy Leader, Jan. 2024-July 2024.
• COMS Councilor At-Large, July 2022-June 2025.
• Member of WNY Branch.