BS | University of Georgia, 1991
PhD | East Carolina University School of Medicine, 1997
Postdoctoral Fellow | University of Texas at Austin, 1999-2003
As an oral microbiologist, Dr. Gena Tribble's overall research objectives are to reveal the means by which bacterial inhabitants of the oral cavity can transition from a commensal relationship with the host to exhibiting pathogenicity. Her research at The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston focuses on the polymicrobial biofilm organisms linked to diseases of the periodontium, with a specific focus on the pathogenic mechanisms of Porphyromonas gingivalis. She is currently funded by the NIDCR to identify the molecular mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer in this gram-negative oral anaerobe, and was previously funded to investigate transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in the oral flora.
Dr. Tribble is also involved in collaborating with investigators by providing expertise in anaerobic and oral microbiology. She has multiple publications in leading journals related to biofilm formation, inter-species interactions, and mechanisms of virulence regulation in the oral flora. In 2018, she was awarded tenure by The University of Texas Board of Regents.