Alexandra (Alex) Francian, PhD 

ASERT Fellow 

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Dept. Molecular Genetics & Microbiology 

Email (as a link) afrancian@salud.unm.edu 

Education 

• ASERT Postdoctoral Fellow, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 2021- Present 
• PhD Biochemistry, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, 2021 
• BS Biological Sciences, University of Alaska, Anchorage, AK, 2014 Teaching 

Teaching Mentor: Michele Shuster, PhD, Professor Dept. Biology, Associate Dean for Research, New Mexico State University 

Courses Taught: Biol 385: Introduction to Cancer Week 14: Adoptive T cell Therapies 

Week 15: The Tumor Microenvironment 

Research 

Current Research (One sentence synopsis): Virus-like particle vaccine development for mosquito borne diseases. 

Research Mentors: 

• Bryce Chackerian, PhD, Jeffrey Michael Gorvetzian Endowed Professor of Biomedical Research Excellence & Vice Chair Dept. Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center 
• Judy Cannon, PhD, Associate Professor Dept. Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Education Chief, Core Director, Autophagy, Inflammation & Metabolism Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, 

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Publications: 

1. Alexandra Francian, Ashley Widmer, Troy Olsson, Marisabel Ramirez, Darien Heald, Keaton Rasic, Luke Adams, Holly Martinson & Max Kullberg (2021) Delivery of toll-like receptor agonists by complement C3-targeted liposomes activates immune cells and reduces tumor growth, Journal of Drug Targeting, DOI:10.1080/1061186X.2021.1878364 

1. Kullberg M, Francian A, Arabi A, Olsson T, Mann K, Martinson HA. Liposome Delivery of Natural STAT3 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Cancer. Pharm Front. 2019;1: e190007. DOI:10.20900/pf20190007 

1. Francian A, Namen S, Stanley M, Mann K, Martinson H, Kullberg M. lntratumoral delivery of antigen with complement C3-bound liposomes reduces tumor growth in mice. Nanomedicine. 2019; 18:326- 

335. DOI:10.1016/j.nano.2018.10.009

1. Francian A, Mann K, Kullberg M. Complement C3-dependent uptake of targeted liposomes into human macrophages, B cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils, and MDSCs. Int J Nanomedicine. 2017; 12:5149-5161. Published 2017 Jul 19. doi:10.2147/IJN.S138787