Dr. Anna Oller

Dr. Anna Oller has been a faculty member at Central since 2000 and has earned the rank of Professor. She obtained her B.A. in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska, and rotated through her clinicals in Iowa to become board certified. She obtained her Ph.D. from South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota with an emphasis in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. She is a member of several organizations: American Society for Microbiology, American Society for Clinical Pathologists, and Missouri Academy of Science. She is currently the Councilor of the Missouri Branch of ASM.

She serves as the Biology Program Graduate Coordinator and advises undergraduate students in the areas of Medical Laboratory Science, Radiologic Technology, Pre-Vet, Pre-Med, and Pre-Professional. She also sponsors several student organizations: Para-Medico, Phi Sigma Pi, and the Pre-Veterinary club. Dr. Oller currently teaches Biol 3611 Microbiology with lab, Biol 4516 Hematology/Virology (taught every other Spring), Biol 4517 Serology lab (currently every other Spring), Biol 4311 Parasitology and lab (Fall), and Biol 5614 Bioterrorism (taught every other Spring).

Dr. Oller’s research interests include polysaccharide and melanin regulation mechanisms in the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans, Staphylococus aureus transmission mechanisms, antibiotic resistance mechanisms, food microbiology, and ecological relationships to disease. Almost any topic dealing with clinical microbiology is of interest. She has served as a mentor for over 45 undergraduate research projects, many with internal funding, and multiple graduate student projects.