Dr. Galina Florova graduated with a Master’s Degree in Microbial Engineering from the Moscow Technological Institute of Food Industry and completed a Ph.D. in Biology (Genetics) at the Institute for Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms in Moscow, Russia. She continued her training as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland and Virginia Commonwealth University, later working as a Research Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and Portland State University. Dr. Florova joined the faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler in 2009 and is currently serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology. Her scientific interest in basic and translational research is supported by a broad background in cell and molecular biology, working with animal models of pleural injury — including rabbit models of empyema and hemothorax, and overall extensive experience in bacterial genetics and physiology. Dr. Florova serves as Associate Professor of Cellular and Molecular Biology, she has co-authored more than 46 publications, and her research is currently funded by the NIH.

Education and Training

Moscow Technological Institute of Food Industry
M.S. Microbial Engineering 1976-1981

Institute for Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms
Ph.D. Genetics (Biology) 1988- 1992

University of Maryland
Postdoctoral Fellow Biochemistry 1995-1997

Virginia Commonwealth University
Postdoctoral Fellow Medicinal Chemistry 1997-1999

Research Interests

Molecular mechanisms of fibrinolysis in vivo
Increasing the efficacy of fibrinolytic therapy
Bioanalytic approaches to personalized therapy
Genetics of Streptomyces sp. and chemistry of natural compounds

Courses Taught

Biotechnology Master’s Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler
Team Lecturer: BIOT 5132, BIOT 5211/5211L, BIOT 5221, BIOT 5222/5222L, BIOT 6321
Graduate Student Mentor
Thesis Committee Member

Committee Membership/Service

Infectious Organisms Research Review Committee (IORRC), member
Institutional Biosafety Committee, Chair
Biosafety Officer

Publication Highlights(of 46 cited on PubMed)

1. Sophia Karandashova, Galina Florova, Steven Idell, Andrey A Komissarov From Bedside to the Bench-A Call for Novel Approaches to Prognostic Evaluation and Treatment of Empyema. Front Pharmacol. 2022 Jan PMID: 35126140
2. Florova G, Girard RA, Azghani AO, Sarva K, Buchanan A, Karandashova S, DeVera CJ, Morris D, Chamiso M, Koenig K, Cines DB, Idell S, Komissarov AA Precision targeting of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 mechanism increases efficacy of fibrinolytic therapy in empyema. Physiol Rep. 2021 May;9(9):e14861. PMID:33991465
3. Sillen M, Weeks SD, Zhou X, Komissarov AA, Florova G, Idell S, Strelkov SV, Declerck PJ. Molecular mechanism of two nanobodies that inhibit PAI-1 activity reveals a modulation at distinct stages of the PAI-1/plasminogen activator interaction. J Thromb Haemost. 2019 Dec 19. PMID: 31858714
4. Beckert L, Brockway B, Simpson G, Southcott AM, Lee YCG, Rahman N, Light RW, Shoemaker S, Gillies J, Komissarov AA, Florova G, Ochran T, Bradley W, Ndetan H, Singh KP, Sarva K, Idell S. Phase 1 trial of intrapleural LTI-01; single chain urokinase in complicated parapneumonic effusions or empyema. JCI Insight. 2019 Apr 18;5. PMID: 30998508
5. Komissarov AA, Rahman N, Lee YCG, Florova G, Shetty S, Idell R, Ikebe M, Das K, Tucker TA, Idell S. Fibrin turnover and pleural organization: bench to bedside. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2018 May 1;314(5):L757-L768. Review. PMID: 29345198
6. Florova G, Azghani AO, Karandashova S, Schaefer C, Yarovoi SV, Declerck PJ, Cines DB, Idell S, Komissarov AA. Targeting plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in tetracycline-induced pleural injury in rabbits. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2018 Jan 1;314(1):L54-L68. PMID: 28860148