Kari Severson, PhD
Visiting Teaching Associate Professor
Department of Health Sciences Education
Contact
Building & Room:
UIC Rockford, S119A
Address:
1601 Parkview Ave., Rockford, IL
Office Phone:
Email:
Related Sites:
About
Work history / Positions: Dr. Severson received her PhD in microbiology and immunology from Loyola University Chicago where she studied mechanisms by which beneficial bacteria stimulate B cell development in gut-associated lymphoid tissues. She then joined UT Southwestern Medical Center as a post-doctoral scholar, where she continued to study beneficial host-microbe interactions, specifically related to the development of early neonatal innate immune responses. Following her formal scientific training, she worked at Thermo Fisher Scientific for several years before transitioning back into academia as an assistant professor at Rockford University where she taught a variety of undergraduate biology courses, including molecular biology, cellular physiology, cancer biology, immunology, and microbiology and ran an active research lab where she mentored students on a variety of independent research projects related to the physiology, genetics and immune responses to Acinetobacter beijerinckii. Dr. Severson joined the Department of Health Sciences Education at UICOM Rockford in 2026 as a visiting teaching associate professor where her primary focus is teaching immunology and microbiology as part of the Phase 1 MD curriculum.
Niche: Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology
Service to Community
STEM Outreach with Rockford Public Schools
Scholarship Committee Co-chair; Rockford Area Branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW)
Notable Honors
2022, Excellence in Teaching Award, Rockford University
2019, Excellence in Teaching Award, Master of Science in Medical Biotechnology Program at University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford
Education
Beloit College, BS in Biochemistry
Loyola University Chicago, PhD in Microbiology and Immunology
Professional Memberships
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
American Association of University Women (AAUW)
Research Currently in Progress
Microbial physiology and genetics of, and host immunity against, Acinetobacter beijerinckii.