His primary research interest is in the interactions between bacterial pathogens and the host immune system, and his group investigates the molecular bases for bacterial virulence factors and host immune functions using the tools both of bacterial genetics and mouse molecular immunology. They focus on bordetella bacteria, which are highly infectious, cause a range of respiratory diseases, and persist for the life of the animal despite an active immune response. These characteristics are indicative of a highly evolved bacterium-host interaction. Dr. Harvill has studied basic immunology since earning his Ph.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles.