Image: Dr. Christine Szymanksi was recognized as a 2025 Distinguished Research Professor at the September 6, 2025 UGA football game. The title of Distinguished Research Professor is awarded to faculty who are internationally recognized for their original contributions to knowledge and whose work promises to foster continued creativity in their discipline. Christine Szymanski, professor in the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and the Franklin College Department of Microbiology, is a leading expert in microbial glycobiology. Her research has transformed understanding of how bacterial glycosylation influences microbial pathogenesis, host interactions, and vaccine development. She was the first to demonstrate that bacteria can modify proteins with N-linked glycans—proteins with attached oligosaccharides—a discovery that reshaped the field of bacterial glycobiology and paved the way for novel therapeutic strategies. Szymanski has authored 130 peer-reviewed publications, holds 13 patents, and has secured or helped secure tens of millions of dollars in research funding from NIH, NSF, and industrial collaborations. Her translational work has led to two biotech spin-offs focused on glycoconjugate vaccine development, attracting global interest in combatting diarrheal diseases and antimicrobial resistance. A Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the National Academy of Inventors, Szymanski’s pioneering research continues to advance vaccine innovation and microbial pathogenesis.
