The focus of this laboratory is bacterial pathogenesis, or the means by which bacteria cause disease.
M. tuberculosis is an air-borne pathogen that remains one of the world's leading killers.
Studies in my laboratory focus on the early stages of TB lung infection, with the goal of identifying the specific genes and properties of virulent TB bacteria that enable it to establish infection. Ultimately, we expect that the products of these genes will be useful targets for vaccine development. Two areas of current study are the interaction of tubercle bacilli with host macrophages and with lung epithelial cells at the cellular and molecular levels. We're particularly interested in learning how TB bacteria enter into and survive within these cells. We are also trying to determine which genes they turn on once they're inside.