Research Interests:

Course redesign and analysis, developing new tools for analyzing biological samples, virology (rotavirus early steps of replication, SV40 serology), ovarian pathology,

• Student Active Learning Delivery Modes and Assessment Tools/Hybrid vs. Face-to-Face Strategies: Developed hybrid courses for the Department of Biology.
• Collaboration with Dr. Catherine Martin-Dunlop, Advanced Studies, Leadership & Policy at Morgan: We administered metacognitive assessment tools to the hybrid courses I created. We are also looking at the student performance data from my hybrid classes in Introductory Biology and comparing them to my traditional classes determining whether self-learning or traditional instruction works better.
• Collaboration with Dr. Kadir Aslan, Assistant Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at Morgan: Analyzing biological samples during the process of development of a novel diagnostic tool for human ailments.

Selected Publications:

• Gloria E. Hoffman, Wei Wei Le, Ali Entezam, Noriyuki Otsuka, Zhi-Bin Tong, Lawrence Nelson, Jodi A. Flaws, John H. McDonald, Sanjeeda Jafar and Karen Usdin. Ovarian abnormalities in a mouse model of Fragile X primary ovarian insufficiency. 2012. J HISTOCHEM CYTOCHEM 60: 439-456.
• J.S. Butel, S Jafar, C. Wong, A.S. Arrington, A.R. Opekun, M. Finegold and E. Adam. Evidence of SV40 Infections in Hospitalized Children. 1999. HUMAN PATHOLOGY 30(12):1496-1502.
• S Jafar, M. Rodriguez-Barradas, D.Y. Graham and J.S. Butel. Serological Evidence of SV40 Infections in HIV-positive and HIV-negative Adults. 1998. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY 54:276-84.
• J.A. Lednicky, A.S. Arrington, A.R. Stewart, X.M. Dai, C. Wong, S Jafar, M. Murphy-Corb and J.S. Butel. Natural Isolates of SV40 from Immunocompromised Monkeys Display Extensive Genetic Heterogeneity: New Implications for Polyomavirus Disease. 1998. JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY 72:3980-90.
• J.A. Lednicky, S Jafar, C Wong and J.S. Butel. High-Fidelity PCR Amplifications of Infectious Copies of the Complete Simian Virus 40 Genome from Plasmids and Virus-Infected Cell Lysates. 1997. GENE 184:189-95.
• J.S. Butel, S Jafar, A.R. Stewart and J.A. Lednicky. Detection of Authentic SV40 DNA sequences in Human Brain and Bone Tumors. In Simian Virus 40 (SV40): A Possible Human Polyomavirus. DEVELOPMENTS IN BIOLOGICAL STANDARDIZATION. F. Brown and A.M. Lewis (eds.), Basel, Karger, 1998, vol. 94, pp.23-32.