Biography
Dr. Horzempa currently serves as the Interim Dean of the College of Sciences and a Tenured Professor of Biology. He has been a member of the faculty of West Liberty University since 2011 where he has taught a number of courses including microbiology, cell biology, microbial pathogenesis, graduate research skills, and molecular biology laboratory among others. Dr. Horzempa is also a member of the Hilltop Center for Biomedical Research where he investigates bacterial pathogenesis and the discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds from natural products.
Education
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, 2006 – 2011
PhD in Biology, Duquesne University, 2006
MS in Biology, California University of Pennsylvania, 2002
BS in Biology, California University of Pennsylvania, 2000
Professional Experiences
Director of the Center for Natural Products Research for the West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence
Associate Editor of the Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science
2017 West Virginia Professor of the Year, Faculty Merit Foundation
Most Recent Publications and Presentations
Full list of publications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Horzempa+J%5Bau%5Dandsort=date
Most recent:
1: Collins EM, Sako A, Sikorsky K, Denvir J, Fan J, Primerano DA, Schmitt DM,
Cantlay S, Seeber R, León F, Horzempa J. Dillapiole Dampens the Expression of
the Major Virulence Genes of Francisella tularensis. Molecules. 2025 Oct
6;30(19):3995. doi: 10.3390/molecules30193995. PMID: 41097415; PMCID:
PMC12526145.
2: Schreiber RM, DCunha L, Hall M, DeBastiani A, Schmitt DM, Cantlay S,
Horzempa J. Host-pathogen interactions involved in erythrocyte invasion by
Francisella tularensis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025 Sep
23;15:1664733. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1664733. PMID: 41064638; PMCID:
PMC12500703.
3: Ginde RK, Stella NA, Calvario RC, Lehner KM, Callaghan JD, Komlosi DR,
Horzempa J, Shanks RMQ. Generation and comparison of broad-host range inducible
expression vectors for use in Gram-negative bacteria including ESKAPE pathogens.
Proc W Va Acad Sci. 2025;97(1):58-69. Epub 2025 May 1. PMID: 40822576; PMCID:
PMC12352128.
4: Haggerty K, Cantlay S, Young E, Cashbaugh MK, Delatore Iii EF, Schreiber R,
Hess H, Komlosi DR, Butler S, Bolon D, Evangelista T, Hager T, Kelly C, Phillips
K, Voellinger J, Shanks RMQ, Horzempa J. Identification of an N-terminal tag
(580N) that improves the biosynthesis of fluorescent proteins in Francisella
tularensis and other Gram-negative bacteria. Mol Cell Probes. 2024
Apr;74:101956. doi: 10.1016/j.mcp.2024.101956. Epub 2024 Mar 19. PMID: 38492609;
PMCID: PMC11000650.
5: Cantlay S, Kaftanic C, Horzempa J. PdpC, a secreted effector protein of the
type six secretion system, is required for erythrocyte invasion by
Francisella tularensis LVS. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022 Sep
27;12:979693. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.979693. PMID: 36237421; PMCID: PMC9552824.
6: Collins E, Martin C, Blomquist T, Phillips K, Cantlay S, Fisher N, Horzempa
J. The utilization of Blaptica dubia cockroaches as an in vivo model to test
antibiotic efficacy. Sci Rep. 2021 Dec 14;11(1):24004. doi:
10.1038/s41598-021-03486-3. PMID: 34907348; PMCID: PMC8671488.
7: Cantlay S, Haggerty K, Horzempa J. OpiA, a Type Six Secretion System
Substrate, Localizes to the Cell Pole and Plays a Role in Bacterial Growth and
Viability in Francisella tularensis LVS. J Bacteriol. 2020 Jun
25;202(14):e00048-20. doi: 10.1128/JB.00048-20. PMID: 32366588; PMCID:
PMC7317039.