Host-Pathogen Interactions

Bacterial-host interactions in pulmonary innate immunity and inflammation

Chronic lung disease is the major cause of morbidity in patients with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF), and is characterized by chronic bacterial infections and neutrophilic immunopathology. Our lab is interested in examing host-pathogen interactions to understand the impact of CF lung pathogens on lung inflammation and pathogenicity. We use bacterial genetic approaches, in vitro bacterial-epithelial cell co-culture systems, in vivo murine infection models and translational studies in CF patients to probe host inflammatory and innate immune responses to specific P. aeruginosa strains and mutants. Our goal is to gain insights into novel and clinically relevant host-pathogen interactions implicated in pulmonary immunopathology and to understand how airway bacterial pathogens and P. aruginosa variants contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic CF lung disease.