Cellular Microbiology & Pathogenesis

BIOGRAPHY

CURRENT POSITION:
Principal Investigator, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Bacterial toxins and adhesins are critical for survival of the pathogen in the host and therefore are often targeted by the host immune system. My laboratory studies the structure/function relationships of bacterial virulence factors, their mechanism of action, and the host immune response to these proteins. In particular, we have focused on virulence factors produced by Bordetella pertussis, Bacillus anthracis, and Staphylococcus aureus with the long range goal of improving vaccines against these organisms.