Nagami, a medical professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, has devoted her career to researching the deadly wonders of the natural world.

From mundane insect bites that evolve into "flesh-eating strep" to HIV infections, she describes the often-frightening truth about even the most seemingly harmless bite or bump. Some of these stories are included in her most recent book, Bitten: True Medical Stories of Bites and Stings.

Nagami acts as a medical detective, tracking a patient's activities and surrounding environment years before hospitalization, gathering clues to uncover the source of the infection.

Both books received critical acclaim for presenting medical knowledge in an easily accessible form.

Nagami earned a doctorate from Yale University in 1976. She is a clinical associate professor of medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine and a staff physician in internal medicine and infectious diseases with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group.

Assembly Series lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, go online to assemblyseries.wustl.edu or call 935-4620.