Enteric pathogenesis and vaccine development
We explore the multifaceted roles by which Vibrio cholerae, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Shigella, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes cause disease and colonize the host. We have pioneered the development of novel small animal models and applied next generation sequencing technologies, such as Tn-Seq, to decipher the interplay between these pathogens and the host (Kuehl et al 2019, Warr et al 2019, Ritchie et al 2010). Additionally, we are interested in vaccine development and understanding the mechanisms by which our live-attenuated cholera vaccine can prevent cholera-like disease. (Hubbard et al 2018, Sit et al 2019, Fakoya et al 2020).
Host responses to bacterial infection
We are interested in deciphering the host factors that influence the outcome of infection. We have performed genome-wide CRISPR screens, developed proteomic approaches, and pioneered other next-generation sequencing techniques to uncover these factors (Park et al 2019, Pacheco et al 2019, Blondel et al 2019, Abel et al 2014). We are currently expanding our interest from the enteric mucosal surface to other sites of dissemination in the host.