Professor and Chair

Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology

Associate Dean of Academic & Faculty Affairs

School of Medicine

Creighton University

Omaha, NE 68178

Dr. Bartz has been investigating prions for over 30 years. Dr. Bartz’s research has investigated interspecies transmission, pathogenesis, and the biology of prion strains. Dr. Bartz’s group has developed novel whole animal and in vitro models of prion disease and, more importantly, the results from these systems have changed the paradigm of how a protein-only infectious agent can perform complex biological tasks. More recently, Dr. Bartz has expanded his studies to include the interaction of prions with the environment by leveraging his expertise in prion biology with collaborators in environmental engineering resulting in fundamental discoveries on how prions interface with the environment influences the biology of prion disease. Dr. Bartz is currently on the editorial board of numerous peer-reviewed journals including PLoS Pathogens and the Journal of Virology, has chaired numerous national and international prion advisory groups and serves on numerous grant review panels, both in the United States and abroad.

This year's Maiben Memorial Lecture is titled "Prion and Prion-like Diseases”

Maiben Memorial Lecture Overview

The Nebraska Academy of Sciences is one of the oldest academies in the United States, with a history reaching to the early days after statehood. During its 142 years, the Academy membership includes names and discoveries familiar to Nebraskan, as well as people and events that are now cloaked by time.  The 2022 Maiben Memorial Lecture will trace the organizational ancestry of the Academy, connecting the present day with those who came before us.