Area of Research

Bacterial gene regulation, pathogenesis, tuberculosis, latent infections, sigma factors.

Specific Research Interests

Transcription factors regulate bacterial adaptive response for switching between rapid growth leading to overt disease and stationary phase survival during which the host is colonized and at risk for disease. We study the role of stationary phase-specific transcription factors in diseases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus. Latent tuberculosis is a colonization state which affects one-third of the world’s population and carries a significant risk for active TB. M. tuberculosis possesses 12 alternate RNA polymerase sigma factors several of which govern virulence and persistence in animal models and survival in vitro under stationary phase and stress conditions. We are using molecular genetic strategies including microarray analysis with recombinant bacteria to characterize the roles of these transcription factors in diseases caused by M. tuberculosis. Testing of virulence and persistence is performed locally using either the mouse or rabbit models of tuberculosis.

Additionally, clinical research on TB has been an active interest in the laboratory, and we have ongoing collaborative projects with other members of the Center for Tuberculosis Research on experimental therapeutics and diagnostics, both in Baltimore City and in several foreign settings.

Staff & Students

Research Associate:

• Shichun Lun (slun1@jhmi.edu)

Post docs

• Shashank Gupta (sgupta33@jhmi.edu)
• Bappaditya Dey bdey1@jhmi.edu
• Ruchi Jain Dey rdey4@jhmi.edu
• Cynthia Korin Bullen (korin23@gmail.com)
• Bintou Ahmadou Ahidjo bahmado1@jhmi.edu

PhD students

• Kathryn Winglee kwinglee@jhmi.edu
• Michael Urbanowski michael.urbanowski@jhmi.edu
• Laurene Cheung (lcheung1@jhmi.edu)