Microbiology & Immunology | PhD Programs

Name	Email	PhD Program
Hood Pishchany, Indriati EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Bacteriology, Ecology, Microbiome	The Hood Pishchany lab aims to build a community of researchers, educators, and learners partnering to cultivate understanding of the vaginal microbiome from the fundamental biology of its constituent members, the interactions between these members, and their overall impacts on host physiology. We aim to drive women’s health innovation through in-depth exploration of the vaginal microbiome, development of new tools for preclinical testing of microbiome-targeted therapies, and collaboration with academic, industry, community, and clinical partners.
Liu, Qingyun EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Genetics & Molecular Biology, Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Bacteriology, Bioinformatics, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Microscopy/Imaging, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Pathogenesis & Infection	Traditionally, basic science has sought to enter the translational pipeline through what can be referred to as “Bottom-Up” science, that is, studies that start with a hypothesis in the lab and aim to develop clinical relevance of the findings. In some cases, notably in conventional antibiotic development, this has worked well – but it assumes one-size fits all solutions that are only as good as our assumptions about the biology of many infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. By contrast, my research focuses on a “Top-Down” approach, leveraging the power of bacterial population genomics to identify bacterial processes important for Mtb success in people and to then employ cutting-edge experimental techniques to mechanistically dissect these processes with the goal of leveraging them using new translational tools. In my work to date, I have applied this “Top-Down” strategy to define bacterial determinants of treatment outcomes and transmission success, as evident in first-author/corresponding author publications in prestigious journals such as Science, Nature Ecology Evolution, Cell Host Microbe, Science Advances, Genome Biology, PNAS, etc. My work combines expertise in evolutionary biology and bacterial genomics, cutting-edge bacterial genetics and high-throughput experimental phenotyping. In my own lab, I will use these tools to (1) define the biological mechanisms that enable Mtb to survive antibiotic treatment; (2) identify bacterial determinants of TB transmission success; and (3) elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the emergence of new bacterial pathogens.
van Duin, David WEBSITE EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Antibiotics/Antivirals, Bacteriology, Disease, Pathogenesis & Infection, Translational Medicine	I am a clinical/translational researcher in Infectious Diseases. I am the Director of the Immunocompromised Host Program – which provides ID care to patients with transplants, malignancies, and burns. My primary research interests are antibacterial resistance in gram-negative bacilli, and infections in vulnerable patients. I am the PI for the Carbapenem Resistance Consortium for Klebsiella and other Enterobacteriaceae (CRACKLE) and PI for the Multi-Drug Resistant Organism (MDRO) Network. I am also supported by NIAID to evaluate community origins of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales.
Bartelt, Luther WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Antibiotics/Antivirals, Bacteriology, Immunology, Metabolism, Microbiome, Model Organisms, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Translational Medicine, Virology	Our lab performs translational investigations of nutritional and microbiota determinants of host-pathogen interactions. We use gnotobiotic techniques (eg. germ free) mice to investigate complex microbe-microbe interactions in the context of host malnutrition, a common but poorly understood global health problem. Specific pathogens we model include Giardia (a ubiquitous parasite with unclear mechanisms of pathogenesis) and other intestinal parasites and multi drug resistant Enterobacterales (eg. Klebsiella). We work with several collaborators to translate findings in experimental models to outcomes in human cohorts. Emerging projects include determinants of host immune responses to mucosal viral infections and vaccines (eg. Polio and SARS-CoV-2).
Rowe-Conlon, Sarah WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Antibiotics/Antivirals, Bacteriology, Diabetes, Drug Delivery, Drug Discovery, Pathogenesis & Infection, Pharmacology, Translational Medicine	My lab studies recalcitrant bacterial infections and antibiotic treatment failure. Focusing on bacteremia and wound infection, we utilize a range of in vitro, tissue culture and mouse models to understand the precise nature of treatment failure and exploit this knowledge to modulate antibiotic activity in the host environment. My long-term goal is to bring improved therapeutic strategies to the bedside.
Ehre, Camille WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Cell Biology, Microscopy/Imaging, Pathogenesis & Infection, Pulmonary Research, Respiratory Physiology & Infections	The Ehre laboratory studies the role of mucus in obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as asthma, and cystic fibrosis (CF), as well as in response to respiratory viruses (SARS-CoV-2 and RSV). Our research goal is to gain insights into the basic defects of airway mucus that lead to impaired mucociliary clearance and viral penetration. We use in vitro and in vivo models to study disease pathogenesis, test pharmacological agents and investigate how mucus obstruction and viral infection cause epithelial damage. In addition, we examine patient specimens to understand the role of inflammatory cytokines in disease severity. For these projects, we use integrative omics technologies (transcriptomics, digital spatial profiler, phenocycler) and high-resolution imaging (live, laser and scanning/transmission electron microscopy) to answer critical questions regarding mucus biology and airways response to inhaled pathogens and/or treatment.
Good, Misty WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Microbiology & Immunology, Pathobiology & Translational Science RESEARCH INTEREST Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Gastrointestinal Biology, Human Subjects Research, Immunology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Pathogenesis & Infection, Stem Cells	The Good Laboratory is focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of a devastating intestinal disease primarily affecting premature infants called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The long-term goal of the Good Lab is to understand the signaling pathways regulating the uncontrolled immune response in NEC and how these responses can be prevented through dietary modifications or targeted intestinal epithelial therapies. Her basic and translational research utilizes a bench-to-bedside approach with multiple cutting-edge techniques. In her pre-clinical studies, their team utilizes a humanized neonatal mouse model of NEC to understand the signaling pathways and immune cell responses involved in NEC development. Specifically, the laboratory interrogates ways to modulate the immune response, epithelial cell and stem cell regeneration as well as early microbial colonization during NEC. In the clinical component of her research program, Dr. Good leads a large multi-center NEC biorepository for the dedicated pursuit of molecular indicators of disease and to gain greater pathophysiologic insights during NEC in humans. Dr. Good also developed a premature infant intestine-on-a-chip model to study NEC and provide a personalized medicine approach to test new therapeutics. Her laboratory is currently funded with multiple NIH R01 grants and has previously received K08 and R03 funding as well as awards from the March of Dimes, the Gerber Foundation and the NEC Society.
Livraghi-Butrico, Alessandra WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Pathogenesis & Infection, Pulmonary Research, Respiratory Physiology & Infections, Translational Medicine	The Livraghi-Butrico lab is focused on exploring the key determinants of effective airway mucus clearance in health, as well as the consequences of its derangement in muco-obstructive lung diseases. Our lab leverages the unparalleled functional integration offered by in vivo animal models to test mechanistic hypotheses and vet therapeutic options for pre-clinical development.
Rosenthal, Adam WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Bacteriology, Molecular Biology, Pathogenesis & Infection, Systems Biology	Our lab uses a systems biology approach to study phenotypic heterogeneity in bacteria. We develop tools that quantify single cell bacterial transcription. We then compare dynamic measurements during vegetative growth and infection to identify regulators of gene expression and mechanisms that bacteria use to coordinate community organization. With this data we want to understand the role of heterogeneity and noise in infectious disease.
Thurlow, Lance EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Microbiology & Immunology RESEARCH INTEREST Bacteriology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Metabolism, Pathogenesis & Infection	By 2035, more than 500 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with diabetes. Individuals with diabetes are prone to frequent and invasive infections that commonly manifest as skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Staphylococcus aureus is the most commonly isolated pathogen from diabetic SSTI. S. aureus is a problematic pathogen that is responsible for tens of thousands of invasive infections and deaths annually in the US. Most S. aureus infections manifest as skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) that are usually self-resolving. However, in patients with comorbidities, particularly diabetes, S. aureus SSTIs can disseminate resulting in systemic disease including osteomyelitis, endocarditis and sepsis. The goal of my research is to understand the complex interactions between bacterial pathogens and the host innate immune response with focus on S. aureus and invasive infections associated with diabetes. My research is roughly divided into two project areas in order to understand the contributions of the pathogen and the host response to invasive infections associated with diabetes. Project 1: Defining mechanisms of immune suppression in diabetic infections. Project 2: Determine the role of bacterial metabolism in virulence potential and pathogenesis.

PhD Program: Microbiology & Immunology