Paul Andrew Rowley

Dr. Rowley’s research interests are centered on the study of how antifungal proteins (called "killer toxins") interact with and kill fungal cells. The laboratory uses the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae and pathogenic fungi to understand how killer toxins attack fungal cells and the mechanisms of resistance.

The Rowley lab encourages undergraduate research and has hosted 57 students in the last 8 years. This has been possible due to strong support from federal funding agencies and the University of Idaho, which has provided grants for independent undergraduate research projects. Additionally, this funding  supports a postdoctoral researcher, graduate students, and research technicians.

As a first-generation college student, Rowley understands the profound impact of independent research on undergraduates as well as the provision of a supportive and nurturing environment for all lab members. The Rowley lab supports a culture of respect and inclusion and welcomes people from all backgrounds to discover the joy and power of scientific research.

Dr. Rowley earned his B.A. at the University of Warwick in England, which introduced him to the fascinating aspects of microbiology and biochemistry. After working in the food safety industry, he began a Ph.D. program studying the biology of bacterial viruses and the molecular mechanisms of the phiC31 integrase protein at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Upon relocating to Texas, he studied the molecular mechanisms of a recombinase from a parasitic yeast plasmid and the replication of viruses that infect fungi and primates. He continued this work as a postdoc at the Biofrontiers Institute at Colorado University Boulder, CO. These projects gave  Rowley a broad base of expertise used techniques from molecular biology, biochemistry and evolution, that are applied in his current research projects.

• Winner: Faculty of the Year  - Fraternity and Sorority Life, 2024
• Winner: Hypothesis Fund award, 2024
• Winner: College of Science Early Career Faculty Award, 2022
• Winner: Dyess Faculty Fellowship Award, 2021 ASM Science Teaching Fellowship, The American Society for Microbiology, 2014
• Winner: Rom Rhome International Professional Development Award, The University of Texas at Austin, 2014
• Second Place:  Young Microbiologist of the Year Award, The Society for General Microbiology, 2006