Titles and Education

1. Walter and Martha Renk Chair for Preharvest Food Safety
2. Associate Chair for Clinical Diagnostics
3. Associate Professor (2024-present)
4. Executive Committee Member, UW-Madison Food Research Institute
5. Assistant Professor (2019-2024)
6. PhD - Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
7. Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Large Animal
8. Residency, Large Animal Internal Medicine - University of Florida
9. Internship, Large Animal Medicine and Surgery - University of Georgia
10. DVM - University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine
11. AB - Harvard University, Biochemical Sciences with citation of fluency in Italian

Research

My lab is interested in foodborne bacterial pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. My primary pathogen of interest is Salmonella enterica. Salmonella is an important pathogen of large animals and is a leading cause of bacterial foodborne gastroenteritis in humans. Our studies aim to determine how Salmonella colonizes the intestine of susceptible hosts, how it thrives during infections, and how it is transmitted between individuals. Our long-term goal is to develop interventions to reduce Salmonella infections in cattle, thereby improving animal health and food safety. Please see our website for more information.

https://elfenbeinlabs.wiscweb.wisc.edu/

Responsibilities

Teaching: Select bacteriology content in OnWard curriculum

Clinical Interests

Infectious diseases of large animals

Graduate Training

Trainer - Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Bacteriology MS Program

Recent Publications

1. Norberg ES, Westerman TL, Cruz E, Bushman SD, Skaar EP, Elfenbein JR, Knodler LA. 2026. SLC11A2 withholds divalent metals from Salmonella in the gut epithelium. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 123:e2532675123. doi:doi:10.1073/pnas.2532675123
2. Westerman TL, Scheuerell E, Nguyen VH, Johnson K, McClelland M, Elfenbein JR. 2026. YeiE regulates YeiH to implement sulfite stress resistance in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. Journal of Bacteriology 2026:e0043125. Epub 20260112. doi: 10.1128/jb.00431-25. PubMed PMID: 41524521; PMCID: PMC12880088.
3. Story BD, Elfenbein J, Mallicote M, Ginn PE, Craft W, Plummer C. Non-healing corneal ulcers as a manifestation of bullous pemphigoid in a horse: a case report. 2026. Equine Veterinary Education, 00, 1-8. Epub 20260324. doi: 10.1111/eve.70093.
4. Dunay E, Hirji I, Owens LA, Marah K, Anderson N, Ruiz M, Atencia R, Rukundo J, Rosati AG, Cole MF, Emery Thompson M, Negrey JD, Angedakin S, Elfenbein JR, Goldberg TL. Distribution and prevalence of Sarcina troglodytae in chimpanzees and the environment throughout Africa. Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2025 Jul;74(7):002044. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.002044. PMID: 40680089; PMCID: PMC12284408.
5. Klein JA, Predeus AV, Greissl AR, Clark-Herrera MM, Cruz E, Cundiff JA, Haeberle AL, Howell M, Lele A, Robinson DJ, Westerman TL, Wrande M, Wright SJ, Green NM, Vallance BA, McClelland M, Mejia A, Goodman AG, Elfenbein JR, Knodler LA. Pathogenic diversification of the gut commensal Providencia alcalifaciens via acquisition of a second type III secretion system. Infection and Immunity. 2024. Sep 10:e0031424. doi: 10.1128/iai.00314-24. PMID: 39254346.
6. Raabis SM, Westerman TL, Cruz E, Deblois CL, Suen G, Elfenbein JR. Sensitivity of dairy calf Salmonella enterica serotype Cerro isolates to infection-relevant stressors. Microbiology Spectrum. 2024. Aug 15:e0021224. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.00212-24. PMID: 39145636.
7. Conley HE, Brown CF, Westerman TL, Elfenbein JR, Sheats MK. MARCKS Inhibition Alters Bovine Neutrophil Responses to Salmonella Typhimurium. Biomedicines. 2024 Feb 16;12(2):442. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12020442. PMID: 38398044; PMCID: PMC10886653.
8. Cruz E, Haeberle AL, Westerman TL, Durham ME, Suyemoto MM, Knodler LA, Elfenbein JR. Nonredundant Dimethyl Sulfoxide Reductases Influence Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhimurium Anaerobic Growth and Virulence. Infection and Immunity 2023;91(2):e00578-22. doi: doi:10.1128/iai.00578-22 
9. Bobonis J, Mitosch K, Mateus A, Karcher N, Kritikos G, Selkrig J, Zietek M, Monzon V, Pfalz B, Garcia-Santamarina S, Galardini M, Sueki A, Kobayashi C, Stein F, Bateman A, Zeller G, Savitski MM, Elfenbein JR, Andrews-Polymenis HL, Typas A. Bacterial retrons encode phage-defending tripartite toxin-antitoxin systems. Nature. 2022 Jul 18. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05091-4. PMID: 35850148.
10. Westerman TL, McClelland M, Elfenbein JR. YeiE regulates motility and gut colonization in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. mBio. 2021:e0368020. Epub 2021/06/09. doi: 10.1128/mBio.03680-20. PubMed PMID: 34098734.
11. Westerman TL, Sheats MK, Elfenbein JR. Sulfate Import in Salmonella Typhimurium Impacts Bacterial Aggregation and the Respiratory Burst in Human Neutrophils. Infection and immunity. 2021;89(6):e00701-20. doi: 10.1128/iai.00701-20. PubMed PMID: 33820814. **Included in Articles of Significant Interest in this Issue. Infection and Immunity May 2021, 89 (6) e00208-21; DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00208-21
12. Griewisch KF, Pierce JG, Elfenbein JR. Genetic determinants of Salmonella resistance to the biofilm inhibitory effects of a synthetic 4-oxazolidinone small molecule. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 2020. Epub 2020/08/10. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01120-20. PubMed PMID: 32769186. 
13. Bogomolnaya L, Tilvawala R, Elfenbein JR, Cirillo J, Andrews-Polymenis HL. Linearized siderophore products secreted via MacAB efflux pump protect Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium from oxidative stress. mBio. 2020 May; 11(3):e00528-20. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00528-20.
14. Knodler LA and Elfenbein JR. Microbe of the Month: Salmonella enterica. Trends in Microbiology. https://doi.org/10/1016/j.tim.2019.05.002.
15. Manship AJ, Blikslager AT, Elfenbein JR. Clinical comparison of Equine Coronavirus and enteric Salmonella infections. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2019 Jan 10 doi:10.1111/jvim.15386
16. Durham ME and Elfenbein JR. Evaluation of vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilization on the in vitro efficacy of meropenem-impregnated polymethyl methacrylate beads. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 2019 Jan;80(1):45-50. doi10.2460.ajvr80.1.45.

17. Westerman TL, Bogomolnaya L, Andrews-Polymenis HL, Sheats MK, Elfenbein JR. The Salmonella Type-3 Secretion System-1 and Flagellar Motility Influence the Neutrophil Respiratory Burst. PLoS One. 2018 Sep 11;13(9):e0203698. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203698.

18. Jaslow SL, Gibbs KD, Fricke WF, Wang L, Mammel MK, Thaden J, Fowler V, Hammer G, Elfenbein JR, Ko D. Salmonella activation of STAT3 signaling by SarA effector promotes intracellular replication and production of IL-10. Cell Reports. 2018;23(12):3525-3536. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.05.072.

19. Elfenbein JR, Knodler LA, Schaeffer AR, Faber F, Bäumler AJ, Andrews-Polymenis HL. A Salmonella Regulator Modulates Intestinal Colonization and Use of Phosphonoacetic Acid. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 2017;7(69). doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00069.

20. Elfenbein JR, Knodler LA, Nakayasu ES, Ansong C, Brewer HM, Bogomolnaya L, Adams LG, McClelland M, Adkins JN, Andrews-Polymenis HL. Multicopy Single-Stranded DNA Directs Intestinal Colonization of Enteric Pathogens. PLoS Genetics. 2015 Sep;11(9):e1005472. PubMed PMID: 26367458.