Education
Ph.D. in Microbiology from University of California Davis, Davis, California
MSc in Microbiology from University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
BSc in Microbiology from University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
Bio
Samina Akbar, Ph.D., serves as chair of the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology at the SA国际传媒 Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine (MU-WCOM), a position she has held since January 2024. Her vision centers on integrating curricula across the three disciplines to enhance clinical relevance, cultivating collaborative interdisciplinary culture, and positioning the department as a center of excellence in both research and teaching. Her leadership combines collaborative governance with transparent communication and data-informed decision making.
Dr. Akbar's career reflects sustained excellence in microbiology research and education. Following her doctoral studies on general stress response in Bacillus subtilis, she completed a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University investigating virulence gene regulation in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, then worked at the University of British Columbia Center for Disease Control studying Chlamydia trachomatis. She served as assistant professor of microbiology at Des Moines University from 2007 before joining SA国际传媒 in 2013. Her dedication has been recognized through the MU-WCOM Excellence in Teaching Award (2023), fellowship in the Indiana Academy of Science (2023), and her election as president of the Indiana Academy of Science (2024–2025). She also received recognition from the American Society for Microbiology for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (2025) and completed the MicroBio-LEAP Training-of-Leaders Scholars Program (2024).
Since 2013, Dr. Akbar has transformed infectious disease education from rote memorization into an engaging, clinically relevant experience through case studies, interactive questioning, and collaborations with clinicians. Her current research focuses on assessing antibiotic-resistant bacteria prevalence across Indiana's water bodies. Her team has characterized over 250 bacterial isolates from the Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab and Eagle Creek Lake, conducting sequencing analysis and Minimal Inhibitory Concentration assays. By investigating whether resistance genes are chromosomally or plasmid-encoded and expanding to Geist Reservoir, she is elucidating transmission dynamics of antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments to inform evidence-based policy protecting Indiana's freshwater resources and public health.
Teaching Overview
Dr. Akbar teaches infectious diseases to first- and second-year osteopathic medical students (OMS-1 and OMS-2), covering bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens. Though she began her career as a bacteriologist, her years of teaching across all four microorganisms have cultivated deep expertise and confidence across the full spectrum of infectious diseases. She employs real-time disease surveillance data, systems-based clinical cases, and formative assessment strategies to foster active learning and clinical reasoning in her lectures to classes of up to 162 students.
Teaching Philosophy
Dr. Akbar believes students learn best through understanding concepts rather than memorization, guided by problem-solving and real-world application. She integrates osteopathic principles—emphasizing holistic patient assessment, preventive medicine, and the interconnection of body systems—into infectious disease education. By combining passionate storytelling, interactive engagement, current disease surveillance examples, case-based learning, and formative assessment, she cultivates well-rounded physicians who address not just symptoms but the complete patient, including their physical, psychosocial, and neurological health.
Research Interests
Dr. Akbar's research focuses on understanding how bacteria develop and spread antibiotic resistance, with particular emphasis on Salmonella and E. coli—pathogens with significant public health implications. She investigates antibiotic-resistant bacterial populations across diverse ecological environments, including water systems and clinical specimens, to assess the scope and severity of resistance in Indiana.
A central focus of her work is understanding how bacteria share resistance genes through plasmids—small DNA molecules that act as resistance "instruction manuals" passed between bacterial cells. Dr. Akbar examines the molecular mechanisms by which these plasmids evolve and disseminate in nature, and identifies the genetic tools (such as integrons) that facilitate resistance gene transfer.
Additionally, Dr. Akbar studies how Salmonella bacteria regulate their virulence factors—the mechanisms that allow them to cause disease—and how some bacteria survive antibiotic treatment by entering a dormant "persister" state under stress conditions. Together, these research directions aim to illuminate how antibiotic resistance emerges and spreads, providing evidence to inform public health interventions and antimicrobial stewardship strategies.
Selected Publications
Kaur, K., A. Hodges, and S. Akbar. 2025. Tracking Antimicrobial Resistance in Environmental Waters: Risks, Routes, and Regulatory Needs. Advances in Microbiology, 15, 559-582.
M. Bauer, S. Akbar, T. Bauler, J. Chacon, E. McClelland, S. Staudaher, and Zhao, Yuan. 2024. Exploration of the Integration of Microbiology and Immunology Emerging Topics into Undergraduate Medical Education. Med. Edu. Online. 29 (1): 2336331.
Abraham, BM, A. Schmid, I. Khan, S. Akbar, and M. Mulye. 2022. Preventing Pandemics and Containing Disease: A Proposed Symptoms-based Syndromic Surveillance System. American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research. 15 (3): 290-299.
Ahmad, A., and S. Akbar. 2021. Molecular characterization of bacterial community composition in the rhizosphere of invasive plant species amur honeysuckle (lonicera maackii) in an urban wetland forest. Advances in Microbiology. 11(9): 469-487.
Ahmad, A., and S. Akbar. 2021. Detection of Aeromonas spp. in environmental DNA from fish production ponds in southern Indiana using 16s rDNA gene sequence analyses. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Sciences. 130 (1):24-31.
Erika N Biernbaum, A. Gnezda, S. Akbar, R. Franklin, P. A. Venturelli, and J. L. McKillip. 2021. Lactoferrin as an antimicrobial against Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in raw milk. JDS Communications. 2 (3): 92-97.
Thad E. Wilson, M. Mulye, and S. Akbar. 2020. Opportunistic physiology: inserting physiology and pathophysiology content into virtually delivered clinical rotations. Advances in Physiology Education. 44:545-549.
Kempf, A.J., Hulsebus, H.J., and S. Akbar. Multiple Plasmids contribute to Antibiotic resistance and Macrophage survival in CMY2-bearing Salmonella enterica. Foodborne Pathog. Dis. 2016. 13 (7): 398-404.
Funded Research Grant Applications
FRD grant in the amount of $5,000 from SA国际传媒’s Office of Sponsored Programs and Research in January, 2025.
Awards and Honors
MU-WCOM Current Committee Membership
Service
• Indiana Academy of Science Junior Science Competition Judge 2022.
• Indiana Science and Engineering Fair Judge – Judge for the 2021 Hoosier Science and Engineering Fair. Reviewed pre-recorded poster presentations of seven ninth grade students. Had fifteen-minute live interview sessions with each student/student group. Got together with fellow judges to rank them.
• Indiana Academy of Sciences Science Talent Search (IAS-STS) Judge – Judged 12 high school students’ posters for the IAS-STS.
• MU-WCOM Annual Research Day Judge 2020 – Present. Judged both oral and poster presentations of MU-WCOM DO and BMS students at the annual research day every year since its inception.
• Participated in “Skype a Scientist” program and spoke via Skype with students from five different schools that ranged from elementary to high schools.
Personal Info
Dr. Akbar is an avid reader who enjoys audiobooks during her commute and household activities, particularly when engrossed in compelling narratives. She is an enthusiastic cook who relishes experimenting with new recipes and culinary techniques. Dr. Akbar shares her professional interests with her husband, who is also a microbiologist. They have two daughters.