Jolyne Drummelsmith, PhD

Professor of Medical Foundations, Curriculum Director (Medical Sciences)
jolyne_drummelsmith
Contact Information

jdrummelsmith@rossu.edu

Biography

Dr. Drummelsmith obtained her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Biochemistry, and Doctorate in Microbiology with an emphasis on Bacterial Physiology, from the University of Guelph. She was supported in her thesis work by grants from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), was awarded the annual thesis prize at the university level, and was recognized nationally by the Canadian Society of Microbiologists as Graduate Student Microbiologist of the Year. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship supported by NSERC and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), focusing on physiology and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in Leishmania, with Dr. Marc Ouellette at Université Laval. She then studied antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus with support from the CIHR. Selected awards and publications are listed below. In 2008, she and her family moved to Dominica when she joined Ross University School of Medicine. She has held several roles at the university over this time, and currently co-chairs the Curriculum Committee and serves as Curriculum Director reporting to the Associate Dean for Curriculum, Dr. Mishra. She enjoys teaching basics of bacteriology and virology, microbial identification, and infectious diseases affecting the GI, GU, and pulmonary systems, with a view to driving student curiosity about and interest in infectious disease (which is an absolutely fascinating area and important for most of our graduates) and hopefully inspiring some to consider this field as a potential specialty.

Education
  • Undergraduate Degree:  BSc, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 1995
  • Medical/Doctoral Degree: PhD, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 2000
  • Other Degrees/Training: Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada 
Areas of Expertise

Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry

Honors and Awards
  • Adtalem Excellence Award 2023
  • Ron Taylor Award 2021
  • Colleague of the Year (Faculty) 2016
  • CIHR New Investigator Award, Industry-Partnered 2007
  • CIHR Fellowship 2002
  • D.G. Ingram Ph.D. Thesis Award from Sigma Xi, University of Guelph Chapter 2001
  • Canadian Society of Microbiologists’ Canadian Graduate Student Microbiologist of the Year 2000 
Publications
  • Drummelsmith, J.¶, E. Winstall, M. G. Bergeron, G. G. Poirier and M. Ouellette. 2007. Comparative proteomics analysis reveals a potential biomarker for the detection of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus strains. Journal of Proteome Research, 6:4690-4702.
  • McNicoll, F.*, J. Drummelsmith*, M. Muller, É. Madore, N. Boilard, M. Ouellette and B. Papadopoulou. 2006. A combined proteomic and transcriptomic approach to the study of stage differentiation in Leishmania infantum. Proteomics, 6:3567-3581. (*=co-first authors)
  • Soualhine, H., V. Brochu, F. Ménard, B. Papadopoulou, K. Weiss, M. G. Bergeron, D. Légaré, J. Drummelsmith and M. Ouellette. 2005. A proteomic analysis of penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae reveals a novel role for PstS, a phosphate ABC transporter. Molecular Microbiology, 58:1430-1440.
  • Richard, D., P. Leprohon, J. Drummelsmith and M. Ouellette. 2004. Growth stage regulation of the main folate transporter of Leishmania infantum and its role in methotrexate resistance. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 279:54494-54501.
  • Drummelsmith, J., I. Girard, N. Trudel and M. Ouellette. 2004. Differential protein expression of Leishmania major reveals novel roles for methionine adenosyltransferase and S-adenosylmethionine in methotrexate resistance. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 279:33273-33280.
  • Drummelsmith, J., V. Brochu, I. Girard, N. Messier and M. Ouellette. 2003. Proteome mapping of the protozoan parasite Leishmania and application to the study of drug targets and resistance mechanisms. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, 2: 146-155.
  • Drummelsmith, J. and C. Whitfield. 2000. Translocation of group 1 capsular polysaccharide to the surface of Escherichia coli requires a multimeric complex in the outer membrane. EMBO Journal. 19: 57-66.
  • Drummelsmith, J. and C. Whitfield. 1999. Gene products required for surface expression of the capsular form of the group 1 K antigen in Escherichia coli (O9a:K30). Molecular Microbiology. 31: 1321-1332.
  • Drummelsmith, J., P.A. Amor and C. Whitfield. 1997. Polymorphism, duplication, and IS1-mediated rearrangement in the chromosomal his-rfb-gnd region of Escherichia coli strains with group IA capsular K antigens. Journal of Bacteriology. 179: 3232-3238.
Affiliations and Memberships
  • American Society for Microbiology
  • European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
  • Infectious Disease Society of America
  • Team-Based Learning Collaborative