C. Brandon Ogbunu, PhD
Associate Professor TenureCards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Environment-by-Environment Interactions Differ Across Genetic Backgrounds
Schmidlin K, Ogbunugafor B, Sastokas A, Geiler-Samerotte K. Environment-by-Environment Interactions Differ Across Genetic Backgrounds. Molecular Biology And Evolution 2025, 42: msaf287. PMID: 41206453, PMCID: PMC12631786, DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaf287.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsComplex behavior of living systemsMaintenance of genetic diversityGene-by-gene interactionsSources of phenotypic varianceMutant yeast strainsSingle nucleotide changesGene-by-environment interactionsGenetic diversityYeast strainsPopulation geneticsNucleotide changesAntifungal drugsShape phenotypesEvolutionary outcomesPhenotypic variancePathogenic microbesGenetic backgroundDrug-resistant mutantsMutantsBehavior of living systemsPhenotypeGenotypesLiving systemsMicrobesMutationsAssociations between racial bias and political identity in American cities often diverge from common narratives
Stier A, Ogbunugafor C. Associations between racial bias and political identity in American cities often diverge from common narratives. Npj Complexity 2025, 2: 20. DOI: 10.1038/s44260-025-00040-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchWild Florida mottled ducks demonstrate strong heterogeneity in their humoral innate immune response.
Ayala A, Cheng M, Hellinger T, McBride K, Webb J, Fanning A, Snyder P, Ferragamo M, Garcia S, Sterner N, Bischoff K, Almagro-Moreno S, Ogbunugafor C. Wild Florida mottled ducks demonstrate strong heterogeneity in their humoral innate immune response. PLOS ONE 2025, 20: e0312653. PMID: 40096078, PMCID: PMC11913296, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312653.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFlorida mottled ducksAmerican Type Culture CollectionMottled ducksHumoral innate immune responseType Culture CollectionInnate immune responseVibrio sppEndemic subspeciesHabitat conversionInnate immune systemEco-immunologyCulture CollectionE. coliAnas platyrhynchosSubspeciesPeninsular FloridaConservation needsEffects of climate changeEcological covariatesHumoral innate immune systemBactericidal assayDucksResponse to agingWaterborne pathogensPathogensProtein Quality Control is a Master Modulator of Molecular Evolution in Bacteria
Arenas C, Alvarez M, Wilson R, Shakhnovich E, Ogbunugafor C. Protein Quality Control is a Master Modulator of Molecular Evolution in Bacteria. Genome Biology And Evolution 2025, 17: evaf010. PMID: 39837347, PMCID: PMC11789785, DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaf010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsProtein quality controlMolecular evolutionProtein translation machineryProteome homeostasisTranslation machineryHost-parasite interactionsProtein spaceOrganismal developmentProtein foldingBacterial systemsCellular processesPromote proteostasisEvolutionary biologyMechanistic basesProteostasisProteinQuality controlEpistasisChaperoneProteomicsGenesBacteriaProteaseMachineryPhenotypeAn Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States
Greening S, Ellis J, Lewis N, Needle D, Tato C, Knowles S, Shearn-Bochsler V, Miller J, Grear D, Lorch J, Blehert D, Burrell C, Murphy L, Miller E, Ogbunugafor C, Ayala A, Thomas W, Sevigny J, Gordon L, Baillargeon T, Mwakibete L, Kirchgessner M, Casey C, Barton E, Yabsley M, Anis E, Gagne R, Klein P, Driscoll C, Sykes C, Poppenga R, Nemeth N. An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States. Veterinary Sciences 2025, 12: 48. PMID: 39852922, PMCID: PMC11769554, DOI: 10.3390/vetsci12010048.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEastern United StatesMortality eventsLive birdsJuvenile birdsDiagnostic laboratoriesWild passerinesWildlife rehabilitatorsClimate-related environmental changesNeurological signsAnthropogenic disturbancesFederal wildlife agenciesBirdsWildlife healthPeriocular lesionsWildlifeWildlife agenciesCarcassNutritional deficienciesUnited StatesVeterinariansEnvironmental changesPrivate citizensThe importance of epistasis in the evolution of viral pathogens
Manivannan S, Diaz Arenas C, Grubaugh N, Ogbunugafor C. The importance of epistasis in the evolution of viral pathogens. Virus Evolution 2025, 11: veaf091. PMID: 41383811, PMCID: PMC12694738, DOI: 10.1093/ve/veaf091.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEvolution of viral pathogensPhenotypic traitsPhenotypic effectsPhenotypic effects of mutationsTobacco etch virusMagnitude of epistasisHost-virus systemsVirus-host systemsEffects of mutationsViral pathogensGenomic underpinningsExperimental evolutionEvolutionary biologistsGenomic epidemiologyEpistasisSystematic reviewHuman immunodeficiency virusGene variantsNonhuman virusesViral evolutionViral systemsImmunodeficiency virusPathogensMutationsVirus
2024
On modes of disease transmission and the hidden shape of pandemics: A review of Asymptomatic by Joshua Weitz
Ogbunugafor C. On modes of disease transmission and the hidden shape of pandemics: A review of Asymptomatic by Joshua Weitz. Virus Evolution 2024, 10: veae109. PMID: 39722684, PMCID: PMC11669313, DOI: 10.1093/ve/veae109.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchA meta-analysis highlights the idiosyncratic nature of tradeoffs in laboratory models of virus evolution
Kabengele K, Turner W, Turner P, Ogbunugafor C. A meta-analysis highlights the idiosyncratic nature of tradeoffs in laboratory models of virus evolution. Virus Evolution 2024, 10: veae105. PMID: 39717708, PMCID: PMC11665823, DOI: 10.1093/ve/veae105.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-wide association study between SARS-CoV-2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and virus copies during infections
Li K, Chaguza C, Stamp J, Chew Y, Chen N, Ferguson D, Pandya S, Kerantzas N, Schulz W, Initiative Y, Hahn A, Ogbunugafor C, Pitzer V, Crawford L, Weinberger D, Grubaugh N. Genome-wide association study between SARS-CoV-2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and virus copies during infections. PLOS Computational Biology 2024, 20: e1012469. PMID: 39288189, PMCID: PMC11432881, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012469.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesSingle-nucleotide polymorphismsAssociation studiesWhole-genome sequencingAmino acid changesSingle nucleotide polymorphismsPairs of substitutionsViral copiesEpistasis testsGenome sequenceGenetic variationSpike geneAcid changesViral genomeNucleotide polymorphismsSARS-CoV-2Detect interactionsHost factorsVirus copiesCopyInfection dynamicsRT-qPCRPolymorphismOmicron BASARS-CoV-2 infectionEvolutionary Invasion Analysis of Modern Epidemics Highlights the Context-Dependence of Virulence Evolution
Surasinghe S, Kabengele K, Turner P, Ogbunugafor C. Evolutionary Invasion Analysis of Modern Epidemics Highlights the Context-Dependence of Virulence Evolution. Bulletin Of Mathematical Biology 2024, 86: 88. PMID: 38877355, PMCID: PMC11178639, DOI: 10.1007/s11538-024-01313-0.Peer-Reviewed Original Research