Current Postdoctoral Scholars

Respiratory tract infections, particularly bacterial pneumonia, are one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Streptococcus pneumoniae exists as a major contributor to bacterial pneumoniae despite the introduction of antibiotics and vaccinations, with high risk for serious disease and death, especially in aged individuals. The initial immune response to S. pneumoniae is largely mediated by neutrophils, a short-lived innate immune cell, which can become dysfunctional with aging. My work focuses on understanding the normal response neutrophils elicit in response to S. pneumoniae.

The major goal of my research is to reveal the mechanisms of cancer initialization and development. For this aim, I use advanced computational algorithms to deeply analyze into multi-omics cancer genetic data.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are one of the most common nosocomial infections worldwide and represents a significant healthcare burden. CAUTI is often a polymicrobial disease, where a patient is infected with multiple uropathogens. Thus, my research focuses primarily on investigations into the polymicrobial interactions occurring in CAUTI.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a recessive genetic disorder which causes abnormally thick mucus in essentially all mucosal organ systems. Historically, people with CF had a greatly reduced lifespan due to lethal respiratory infections resulting from an inability to clear microbes from the respiratory tract. Thankfully, in recent years the advent of chemical therapies has greatly extended the average lifespan of people with CF. However, there is now a growing awareness of morbidity and mortality caused by the effects of CF on other organ systems, particularly the gastrointestinal tract. Of note, people with CF have a rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) 5-10 times higher than the general population.

My research interests lie at the intersection of RNA biology, host-pathogen interactions, and non-coding RNA-mediated gene regulation. During my doctoral studies, I focused on the identification and functional characterization of stress-responsive small RNAs (sRNAs) in Deinococcus radiodurans, an extremophilic bacterium renowned for its extraordinary resistance to ionizing radiation and DNA damage. This work provided novel insights into RNA-based regulatory mechanisms that facilitate cellular adaptation under stress.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a haploid budding yeast that causes cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals, leading to approximately 120,000 deaths worldwide each year. My research investigates how this environmental fungal pathogen adapts to host-induced stress conditions, by examining the pathways involved in translatome reprogramming and virulence regulation.

Eventually, I aim to identify key regulatory networks that can be targeted for the development of novel antifungal strategies.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important pathogen for both human and animal health. Infection typically occurs through contaminated food, water, or undercooked meat. Pregnant women can pass the infection to their fetus. While healthy adults usually experience mild, self-limiting symptoms, severe illness can occur in immunocompromised individuals, including fetuses, HIV patients, and transplant recipients. No effective therapy exists to treat chronic toxoplasmosis. There are many aspects of T. gondii biology that we know very little about. My research focuses on mitochondrial dynamics in Toxoplasma. This organism has a single, highly dynamic mitochondrion that changes shape in response to drugs and the environment. We have shown that a parasite-specific protein complex regulates Toxoplasma’s mitochondrial dynamics and division. Recently, we have been interested in investigating how mitochondrion dynamics affect essential parasite processes, such as nutrient acquisition, invasion, and egress. I am also interested in understanding how a parasite’s mitochondrial DNA is maintained and organized.

My research focuses on developing algorithms and mathematical models to address biological problems. Major areas of interest include computational cancer genomics and sequence analysis.