Overview
Research Interest: Immune-system development, Innate immunity, host-pathogen interactions
I graduated from the University of Virginia earning a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology in the labs of Stacey Burgess and William Petri Jr investigating the effect of commensal microbial metabolites on myeloid cell development and its impact on intestinal parasitic infections. In the Tobin lab my work focuses on better understanding how bacteria-macrophage interactions induce neovascularization and their role in bacterial dissemination from the initial forming granuloma. Dissemination is among the most severe presentations of tuberculosis infection and results from this project will help inform therapeutic strategies to combat mycobacterial dissemination and lessen disease severity.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Postdoctoral Scholar
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology,
Basic Science Departments
Recent Publications
A high-dimensional platform for observing neutrophil-parasite interactions.
Journal Article Microbiology spectrum · August 2024 Diarrheal diseases with infectious etiology remain a major cause of death globally, particularly in low-income countries. Entamoeba histolytica is a pathogenic protozoan parasite that is the causative agent of amebiasis. Amebiasis has a wide present ... Full text CiteSecondary bile acids function through the vitamin D receptor in myeloid progenitors to promote myelopoiesis.
Journal Article Blood advances · September 2023 Metabolic products of the microbiota can alter hematopoiesis. However, the contribution and site of action of bile acids is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the secondary bile acids, deoxycholic acid (DCA) and lithocholic acid (LCA), increase b ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Genetic Dissection of Angiogenesis in the Tuberculous Granuloma
ResearchPostdoc Scholar · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2022 - 2027View All Grants