Labs
Fritz Lab
Stephanie Fritz, MD, MSCI
Our research team studies the epidemiology, microbial virulence mechanisms and host defenses against community-associated methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) colonization and disease.
Gilbert Lab
Nicole M. Gilbert, PhD
The Gilbert lab studies host-microbe and microbe-microbe (bacteria and virus) interactions in the female reproductive and urinary tracts. Our goals are to understand polymicrobial dynamics at urogenital mucosal surfaces and to determine the mechanisms underlying the associations between certain microbiome states and adverse health outcomes.
Green Lab
Abby Green, MD
Cancer develops through accumulation of DNA mutations and structural aberrations collectively known as genome instability. Genome damage in adult-onset malignancies can be traced to exogenous carcinogens or simply the process of aging. However, pediatric cancers do not arise as a result of aging or exogenous genotoxic agents. We are interested in the etiology of genome instability in pediatric cancers and the resulting genome-protective responses — also called DNA damage responses — that are activated. Our long-term goal is to identify predictors of mutagenesis and therapeutic vulnerabilities within DNA damage response pathways in order to develop new treatment options for children with cancer.
Hunstad Lab
David A. Hunstad, MD
Work in our lab focuses on the interactions of pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria with their hosts, using urinary tract infection (UTI) as our primary model. We aim to elucidate host-pathogen interactions in the urinary tract, modulation of host immune responses by uropathogenic bacteria, and the influence of sex on UTI pathogenesis.
Janowski Lab
Andrew Janowski, MD, MSCI
The COVID-19 pandemic will not be the last pandemic, as human populations will remain susceptible to newly emerging viruses. While the techniques for viral discovery have greatly expanded the number of known viral sequences, many fundamental questions regarding the biology of viruses can only be addressed through isolation and propagation of viruses in the laboratory setting.
Kao Lab
Carol M. Kao, MD
The Kao lab is interested in vaccine effectiveness, particularly in special populations.
Morley Lab
S. Celeste Morley, MD, PhD
Up, down and all around. Immune cells are constantly in motion as they seek to defend the host against pathogens. Dramatic cell shape changes induced by alterations in the underlying actin cytoskeleton provide the structural framework required for cell motility.
Orscheln Lab
Rachel C. Orscheln, MD
Treatments and outcomes of bone and joint infection in children.
Orvedahl Lab
Anthony Orvedahl, MD, PhD
We utilize a combination of hypothesis-driven and discovery-based approaches to understand factors that regulate host immune responses to infectious and sterile triggers of severe inflammation. We focus on the cytoplasmic recycling pathway of autophagy, which we found protected macrophages against cytokine-induced cell death and mice against fatal cytokine storm syndrome. However, the relative protective or pathogenic role of autophagy in macrophage survival remains unclear in different contexts. Preliminary findings point towards a critical intersection of these processes with immunometabolism. We are leveraging this experience and developing novel tools to understand the commonalities and peculiarities of cytokine storm syndromes triggered by various etiologies including SARS-CoV-2. The ultimate goal is to develop host-directed therapies for infectious and inflammatory disorders.
Rosen Lab
David A. Rosen, MD, PhD
Our lab focuses on the pathogenesis of Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) — an opportunistic pathogen that is increasingly becoming multidrug resistant. As a result, resistant Kp is deemed “urgent” by the CDC and a “priority pathogen” by the World Health Organization.
Schwartz Lab
Drew J. Schwartz, MD, PhD
Our goal is to deliver personalized gut microbiome-based risk assessment and antibiotic stewardship for pediatric sepsis.
Storch Lab
Gregory A. Storch, MD
The lab focuses on the molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases, developing molecular tests for various pathogens, including human herpes viruses, HIV, Toxoplasma gondii, Bordetella pertussis, and others. They specialize in creating quantitative assays and commercial tests for HIV and hepatitis, and they have also developed tests to detect resistance to antiviral drugs and bacterial antibiotic resistance.
Wylie Lab
Kristine Wylie, PhD
The Wylie Lab studies the microbiome, microbial infections, and maternal host response during pregnancy. We have particular interest in the human virome, and we are interested in developing and applying innovative technologies for the study of viral communities, viral dynamics, and host response. We are carrying out in vitro studies to understand herpesvirus and papillomavirus infections during pregnancy. We use microbial genomics, in vitro cell culture, and animal models in our work.