Marie Bugarel has been named a research assistant professor in Texas Tech University's Department of Animal and Food Sciences, according to officials within the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. She officially stepped into her new research post on July 1.

The native of France indicated that she is particularly interested in the development of innovative molecular methods to solve food safety related issues to facilitate the improvement of public health. One of her primary goals here at Tech is to carry out research on the characterization and understanding of the highly pathogenic bacteria Salmonella and Escherichiacoli related to the contamination of food, notably beef products.

Prior to joining the Tech faculty, Bugarel worked as a post-doctoral research associate at Texas Tech with Guy Loneragan a Tech veterinary epidemiologist, and Kendra Nightingale, a respected Tech food science researcher. Additionally, she worked at the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety in Maisons-Alfort, France where she completed her doctoral research.

Bugarel received her first master's degree in academic research with a focus on microorganism genomic and host interactions from the University of Toulouse III in Toulouse, France. She continued on to obtained her second master's degree from the University of Burgundy, which was centered around microbiology methods and quality assurance related to the food industry. Bugarel earned her doctorate in microbiology and molecular biology from AgroParis Tech and ABIES in Paris and was entitled a contribution to the molecular risk assessment of Salmonella and pathogenic Escherichiacoli associated with severe diseases in humans.

Written by Norman Martin

CONTACT: Michael Orth, chairman, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-5653 or michael.orth@ttu.edu

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