Paul Keim | Executive Director
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Research Professor
Faith Walker
Dr. Faith Walker delivered the keynote address for the 69th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Mammal Society in Adelaide, South Australia. She spoke about her 30 years of studying the southern hairy-nosed wombat, her team’s work with environmental DNA to detect endangered species of bats, and their venture into airborne DNA to describe biodiversity. A live wombat was in attendance. She was joined at the conference and in the field by PMI alumnus Colin Sobek, who is a Ph. D. student at the University of Adelaide applying genomic tools to the critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat.
Walker Lab
A Man of Science
A legacy of research focused on evolution.
Dr. Keim is the executive director of the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI) at Northern Arizona University (NAU), which is closely affiliated with The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) where he is a Distinguished Professor and founder of the Flagstaff unit. He directs a faculty of ~20 dedicated to using microbial analysis to improve the human condition. He was trained as a protein biochemist but moved into the realm of molecular microbiological genetics and genomics as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utah. The broader Utah training environment included his direct mentor Dr. Gordon Lark, the chair of a department of biology that included Dr. John Roth (Salmonella genetics) and Dr. Mario Capecchi (mammalian gene knockout technology).
Much of Dr. Keim’s work relies heavily on the principles of evolutionary and ecological biology, but with translational applications in forensics, epidemiology, diagnostics, and drug discovery. His current program focuses on advanced diagnostics of infectious disease targeting both the pathogen and the host responses. This involves both genomic, proteomic, serological, and immunological analyses. He has 21 issued patents and has published >460 scientific papers, which have been cited >36,000 times with an h-index of 101. His ongoing Coccidioides research program has generated 3 issued patents, 7 peer review papers (including 1-4), and one FDA 501(k) clearance for a diagnostic test. This is the only FDA 510(k) cleared diagnostic test, which is also widely used for environmental monitoring of the fungus. His role on this project will be as the PD/PI of the overall U19 Cocci Cooperative Research Center. Over his career, he has served as PI on over 95 research grants and previously directed large RO1, U54, and U01 NIH grants and other Federal contracts. His leadership as chair of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) illustrates his ability to lead and manage large scientific endeavors. He has extensive experience as a team builder who works well across institutional barriers.
