Home Page of
Richard L. Myers, Ph.D.
Background/current information
My undergraduate education was completed in my home state of Mississippi at Delta State College (now University) in Cleveland, MS. I was interested in all aspects of biology and took a variety of courses in biology and chemistry. After graduation, I worked for a company manufacturing antimicrobials for use in the paper and petroleum industry. It was during that two years that I became interested in microbiology. I left industry to work on a Master's degree in Microbiology at Memphis State (now Memphis) University in Memphis, TN. That took almost two years, and I went directly from there to the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK for the Ph.D.
At OU, I studied several subdisciplines of microbiology, because I had an interest in teaching at the collegiate level. The degree was awarded in 1972, and I came directly to Missouri State University. At Missouri State, I have taught several microbiology and immunology courses and that experience has fulfilled my dream. My students have been exceptionally bright and ambitious and many are successful in medicine, the health field, academics and in industry. I frequently hear from them and appreciate the contact.
My wife's name is Kathy, and she is a data manager (formally, a medical technologist) at St. John's Regional Health Center in the Pharmacotherapy Management Center. Until recently, she was responsible for isolation and identification of viral agents. Barbra is my oldest daughter and she works and lives in W. Palm Beach, FL. Ashley, my other daughter, is a senior at Missouri State and is interested in a variety of things, but has decided to study business.
Research has for many years revolved around the pathogenesis of Candida albicans, a dimorphic fungus, and especially its effect on the macrophage. Recently, my graduate students looked at a variety of cytokines produced by macrophages after stimulation of murine macrophages with either C. albicans itself or cell extracts.
Currently, I teach BIO 102, Principles of Biological Science, BIO 210, Elements of Microbiology, BIO 310, Microbiology, BIO 511, Immunology, BIO 520, Pathogenic Microbiology) and BIO 612 (Advanced Immunology). Each of these courses holds special challenges and requires a current knowledge of the literature.
Recent Graduates
Erica Harris graduated in May, 1998. She has a very nice position with Evangel University teaching in the Biology Department. Her husband, Jeremy, is completing his Master's program in music at Missouri State.
Nina Petrushova's research involved the production of inflammatory mediators produced by murine macrophages in response to Candida albicans. She has recently married and is living in the Washington, DC area.
Deirdre Daniels received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Missouri State in May of 1997. She completed her M.S. in May of 1999 and is at the Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City. She is working in the biotechnology section on blood-borne pathogens as part of a research team.
Other Items
You may want to visit my other sites for microbiology and immunology information. Check out the Microbiology/Immunology Page.
Other Informtion
You may reach me by telephone at (417) 836-5307 or by email at Richard Myers (richardmyers@missouristate.edu).
Go to the HomePage of the Biology Department.
This page was last updated on September 22, 2005.