Pathogenesis

There are 11 laboratories conducting research in the area of bacterial or viral pathogenesis, with an emphasis on the etiologic agents of sexually transmitted diseases.  While some laboratories study the interaction of the microorganism with its target cell, others study the immune response to the microorganism. Two faculty members (Alkhatib and He) are studying aspects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The research runs the gamut from studying the role of host factors in HIV membrane fusion, the effect of HIV on the central nervous system and hematopoietic progenitor cells, to theregulation of HIV gene expression. Three faculty members (Brown, Fife, Roman) study human papillomaviruses, a family of viruses causing genital warts and lower genital tract cancers. The research in these laboratories ranges from analyses designed to understand how cellular proteins regulate viral gene expression and how viral gene products alter normal cellular processes, toviral morphogenesis, clinical/epidemiological studies, and vaccine trials. One faculty member is studying the basic biology of human parvoviruses, a family of viruses that may cause inapparent infections or life-threatening disease.  An additional laboratory (Brutkiewicz) brings together viral pathogenesis with the host immune response by studying the role of specialized, novel cell surface recognition molecules.  Several faculty members (He) are developing viruses as viral vectors for gene transfer/gene therapy. With respect to bacterial pathogens, the Batteiger laboratory is studying humoral immunity to Chlamydia trachomatis, an organism with the ability to cause debilitating systemic disease.The Bauer laboratory studies interactions of C. trachomatis with primary human epithelial cells and also studies pathogenesis of Haemophilus ducreyi , the causative agent of chancroid, with an emphasis on adherence mechanisms and resistance to clearance by human phagocytes. The Spinola laboratory is studying the mechanism of pathogenesis of Haemophilus ducreyi by conducting human challenge experiments to define the bacterial virulence determinants and the host immune response to the infection. In contrast to the laboratories described above, the Vickerman laboratory studies genetic regulation and biology of Streptococcus gordonii, contributors to dental plaque in the oral cavity, whereas the Yang laboratory is interested in gene regulation and pathogenesis of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease.

Please click on the individual faculty members highlighted below to reach their web pages. Clicking on gene transfer/gene therapy will bring you to a list of faculty designing/using viral vectors. 

• Ghalib Alkhatib, Ph.D.
• Byron E. Battieger, M.D.
• Margaret E. Bauer, Ph.D.
• Darron R. Brown, M.D.
• Randy R. Brutkiewicz, Ph.D.
• Kenneth Fife, M.D., Ph.D.
• Johnny He, Ph.D.
• Soon-Cheol Hong, Ph.D.
• Steven H. Larsen, Ph.D.
• Ann Roman, Ph.D.
• Stanley M. Spinola, M.D.
• Xiaogeng Farnk Yang, Ph.D.

If you wish to receive application material for our Departmental Graduate Program, please go to the How to Apply page.

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Hal Broxmeyer named distinguished professor at IUSM (click here for more details)

Janice Blum discusses Immunology & Infectious Diseases (click here for more details)