Clinical Focus

• Infectious Disease
• Infectious Diseases

Administrative Appointments

• Division Chief, Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine (2010 - present)
• Fellowship Co-Director, Division of Infectious Diseases (2008 - present)

Honors and Awards

• Member, ASCI (2010)

Professional Education

Postdoctoral Advisees

Harleen Gakhar,  Shanthi Kappagoda,  Yuk Liu,  George Melikian,  Laura Morf Scherer,  Richard Pearson,  Elena Rastew,  Madeline Slater

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Medicine
• Microbiology and Immunology

Community and International Work

• Investigating E. histolytica genetic diversity, Bangladesh and Georgia 

Internet Links

• Singh lab website

Current Research Interests

Dr Singh studies the molecular basis of pathogenesis of a medically important parasite, Entamoeba histolytica. The work is aimed at understanding the virulence determinants that E. histolytica utilizes in causing invasive colonic and hepatic disease. Using a combination of genetic and genomic approaches we are identifying novel mechanisms that the parasite has developed for invading the human host. Additionally, we study the epidemiological trends of of amebic infection, with the goal of identifying a parasite molecular signature that correlates with invasive potential.

Publications

• Nucleus-localized antisense small RNAs with 5'-polyphosphate termini regulate long term transcriptional gene silencing in Entamoeba histolytica G3 strain. Zhang H, Alramini H, Tran V, Singh U. J Biol Chem. 2011; 286 (52): 44467-79
• An Entamoeba histolytica rhomboid protease with atypical specificity cleaves a surface lectin involved in phagocytosis and immune evasion. Baxt LA, Baker RP, Singh U, Urban S. Genes Dev. 2008; 22 (12): 1636-46
• Small RNAs with 5'-polyphosphate termini associate with a Piwi-related protein and regulate gene expression in the single-celled eukaryote Entamoeba histolytica. Zhang H, Ehrenkaufer GM, Pompey JM, Hackney JA, Singh U. PLoS Pathog. 2008; 4 (11): e1000219
• Transient and stable transfection in the protozoan parasite Entamoeba invadens. Ehrenkaufer GM, Singh U. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2012
• Antiparasitic therapy. Kappagoda S, Singh U, Blackburn BG. Mayo Clin Proc. 2011; 86 (6): 561-83