Dr. ​Randall H. Harris

Dr. Harris has currently has an active, student centered research laboratory having mentored undergraduate, master’s level graduate, high school and technical college students

Biography

Dr. Randall H. Harris has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology since January 2004 after a three year post doctoral fellowship at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH. During his fellowship, he identified proteins important in the chinchilla innate immune system during infection and gained valuable experience in infectious disease animal modeling. He received his PhD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he was trained in molecular bacteriology studying regulatory genes utilized by Mycobacterium tuberculosis to cause tuberculosis.

Dr. Harris has taught several courses in the Department of Biology undergraduate curriculum including General Biology I, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Biotechnical Methods. He has also taught Genetic Engineering I and II to the graduate students in the Master of Biotechnology program. His research focuses on host antimicrobial peptide and pathogen interactions, biofilm formation, and heavy metal bioremediation. The lab uses both forward and reverse genetics to identify bacterial genes involved in these processes and to elucidate gene function.

Education

• Post Doctoral Fellow, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, 2000-2003
• PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL Microbiology, 2000
• BS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, Biochemistry with honors, 1992

Research Interests

• Host antimicrobial peptide and pathogen interactions
• Biofilm formation
• Heavy metal bioremediation
• Genetics of bacterial pathogenesis

Activities and Honors

• James E. Hunter Award Excellence in Teaching Award, Claflin University, 2006
• South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching Award, 2010
• Nominated for James E. Hunter Award Excellence in Teaching Award, Claflin University 2006
• Nominated for the Customer Service of the Year Award, Claflin University, 2006
• American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Minority Graduate Research Fellowship, 1996-1998
• Minority Faculty Development Fellowship, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, 1992- 1996
• Member, American Society for Microbiology, 1994-present
• Member, South Carolina Academy of Sciences, 2005-present
• Member, American Chemical Society, 2006-present
• Member, Council on Undergraduate Research, 2007-present

Recent Publications

• Samina Noorali, Kareem R. Altidor, Samuel Emelife, Iqbal Mahmud, Raquel S. White, and Randall H. Harris. 2016. Human MicroRNA-602 Inhibits Hepatits C Virus Genotype 1b Infection and Promotes Tumor Suppressor Gene Expression in a Hepatoma Cell Line. Journal of Virology and Antiviral Research. 5:2

Recent Presentations

Mentored research findings (2014-2016) by undergraduate and graduate students (students indicated by italics; presenter indicated by asterisk)

Chantel Duscent*, Jellisa Ewan*, Shatresa Bradley, Caleen Hawkins, Randall H Harris. Bioremediation – Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium. South Carolina Academy of Sciences. Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. April 16, 2016.

Zakariya Ali* and Randall H Harris. Identification Of Quorum Sensing Genes In Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf5. South Carolina Academy of Sciences. Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. April 16, 2016.

Vivian Kalu* and Randall H Harris. Contact Lens Hygiene Practices Among College Students. South Carolina Academy of Sciences. Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. April 16, 2016.

Fallon Stanley* and Randall H. Harris. Serratia marcescens Quorum Sensing Dependent Biofilm Formation. South Carolina Academy of Sciences. Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. April 16, 2016.

Chantel Duscent*, Jellisa Ewan*, Shatresa Bradley, Caleen Hawkins, Randall H Harris. Bioremediation – Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium. 12th Annual USC Upstate Research Symposium. Spartanburg, SC. April 8, 2016.

Saidah Whack*, Jabreia Dirton, Randall H Harris. Cr6+ Resistant and Reduction of Bacterial Isolates from Savannah River Site Soil Sample. Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM. Washington, DC. February 25-27, 2016.

Jessica Cole*, Randall H. Harris. CAMP resistance in Serratia marcescens. Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM. Washington, DC. February 25-27, 2016.

Ijeoma Ekpenuma*, Randall H Harris. Bacterial Bioremediation of Heavy Metals in Roadway Runoff. Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting. Washington, DC. January 10-14, 2016.

Ijeoma Ekpenuma*, Randall H Harris. Resistance and reduction potential of Serratia marcescens in hexavalent chromium. Waste Management Symposium 2015. Phoenix, AZ. March 15-19, 2015.

Allison Pickering*, Randall H Harris. Chromium resistance genes in Pseudomonas fluorescens. Waste Management Symposium 2015. Phoenix, AZ. March 15-19, 2015.

Fallon Stanley*, Randall H Harris. Serratia marcescens quorum sensing dependent biofilm formation. Waste Management Symposium 2015. Phoenix, AZ. March 15-19, 2015.

Sherlene Brown*, Orimadegun Joel Famuyide, Randall H Harris, Florence Anoruo. Assessment of the anti-biofilm potency of Psidium guajava on two strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens. Waste Management Symposium 2015. Phoenix, AZ. March 15-19, 2015.

Yugaananthy Thanaiah*, Jessica Fuller, Arezue Boroujerdi, Randall H Harris. NMR based metabolomics study of chromium (VI) treated Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5. 2015 Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM. Washington, DC, February 19-21, 2015.

Jessica Fuller*, Yugaananthy Thanaiah, Randall H Harris. Identification of chromium (VI) resistance genes in Pseudomonas fluorescens. 2015 Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM. Washington, DC, February 19-21, 2015.

Ijeoma Ekpenuma*, Randall H Harris. Resistance and reduction potential of Serratia marcescens in hexavalent chromium. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. San Antonio, Texas, November 12-15, 2014.

Zakariya Ali*, Randall H Harris. Waste Water Samples for Serratia marcescens Bacteriophages. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. San Antonio, Texas, November 12-15, 2014.

Fallon Stanley*, Randall H Harris. Generation of Serratia marcescens quorum sensing mutants. National Association of African American Honors Programs. Jackson, Mississippi. October 8-11, 2014.

Brittany Jenkins*, Randall H. Harris. Role of Moraxella catarrhalis ABC and RND transporters in cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Nashville Tennessee, November 13-16, 2013.

Orimadegun Joel Famuyide*, Randall Harris, Gloria McCutcheon, and Florence Anoruo. Inhibition of Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilm formation by African plant extracts. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Nashville Tennessee, November 13-16, 2013.

Kingsley Ifeanyi*, Florence Anoruo, and Randall H. Harris. Antibiofilm properties of selected medicinal plants on Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf5. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Nashville Tennessee, November 13-16, 2013.

Orimadegun Joel Famuyide *, Gloria McCutcheon, Florence Anoruo, Randall H. Harris. Plant derived antimicrobial compounds for the treatment of diarrheal diseases caused by Salmonella typhimurium. Charleston Area Pollution Prevention Partnership Environmental Justice Conference and Community Summit. Charleston, SC. September 6-7, 2013.

Tyler Means*, Ezinne Okpan, Anthony Rizzuti, Randall H. Harris. Characterization of Bacteria Associated with Peats Post Chromium (VI) Exposure. SRNL-HBCU Research Collaboration Workshop. January 31, 2013.