Microbiology: The Human Experience is an engaging introduction to the foundational concepts in microbiology that students need for their healthcare careers. The Third Edition goes further to highlight clinical relevance through our new Clinical Judgment interactive activities and discussions on health equity. Authored by respected microbiologists and exceptional writers, the text offers clear, student-friendly explanations and case histories woven into the narrative of each chapter to help students develop real-world skills in context. The book is supported by a rich suite of flexible course materials that support all learners.
Noteworthy in the Third Edition:
- The Norton Illumine Ebook provides an approachable reading and learning experience that teaches students how to study efficiently with Check Your Understanding questions at the end of each section. This ebook now includes NortonAI: Norton's newest feature grounded in your textbook's trusted content that boosts student engagement.
- Five Case Mystery interactive activities encourage students to think like health professionals by practicing clinical decision-making on common tests and treatments.
- New chapter-opening case histories showcase modern and relevant diseases, including long COVID (Chapter 1), RSV (Chapter 12), and Toxic Shock Syndrome (Chapter 25).
- Health Equity boxes provide context and advice for future health careers.
- New photos of rashes on dark skin assist with recognition of clinical signs on all patients.
- New content on the biology of COVID-19 in Chapter 12 and throughout the text, along with discussion of mRNA vaccines in Chapter 17, deepens students' understanding of how medicine and microbiology are ever-evolving.
Aliabadi, Zarrintaj: - Zarrintaj (Zari) Aliabadi is a physician assistant and a microbiologist. She received her Pharm D from the University of Tehran College of Pharmacy, in Iran, and her PhD in biomedical sciences from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, where she worked with John W. Foster. After her postdoctoral work at the University of South Alabama (USA), in Mobile, Alabama, she joined the Department of Biochemistry at the USA College of Medicine, where she taught biochemistry and conducted research on sickle-cell anemia. Dr. Aliabadi then earned a master's in health sciences from the USA Physician Assistant Studies Program, practiced medicine as a PA in endocrinology, served as director of the USA Diabetic Foot Clinic, and became Chair of the USA Physician Assistant Studies Program. Recently she was named professor emeritus for her contributions. Dr. Aliabadi has taught extensively on infectious disease, pathophysiology, and clinical medicine to undergraduate pre-health profession students, graduate physician assistant students, and medical students. Her publications span the realms of microbiology and medicine.
Foster, John W.: - John W. Foster received his BS from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (now the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia) and his PhD from Hahnemann University (now Drexel University School of Medicine), also in Philadelphia, where he worked with Albert G. Moat. After postdoctoral work at Georgetown University, he joined the Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia. He is currently teaching in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Foster has coauthored three editions of the textbook Microbial Physiology and has published more than 100 journal articles describing the physiology and genetics of microbial stress responses. He has served as Chair of the Microbial Physiology and Metabolism division of the American Society for Microbiology and as a member of the editorial advisory board of the journal Molecular Microbiology.
Slonczewski, Joan L.: - Joan L. Slonczewski received their BA from Bryn Mawr College and her PhD in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University, where she studied bacterial motility with Robert M. Macnab. Since completing postdoctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania, they have since taught undergraduate microbiology in the Department of Biology at Kenyon College, where they earned a Silver Medal in the National Professor of the Year program of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. They have published numerous research articles with undergraduate coauthors on bacterial pH regulation as well as five science fiction novels, including The Highest Frontier and A Door into Ocean, both of which earned the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. They conducted fieldwork on microbial ecosystems in Antarctica, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. They have served as At-Large Member representing Divisions on the Council Policy Committee of the American Society for Microbiology and as a member of the editorial board of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
