Patricia Peterson

My research is focused on the regulation of cell growth in response to changes in the internal and external nutrient environments. I am particularly interested in how fungal cells utilize dynamic and interconnected signaling pathways to guide cellular processes. During my Ph.D. at the University of New Orleans, I studied nutrient sensing pathways and mitochondrial biogenesis in the budding yeast.  In the Heitman lab, I will be studying the regulation of sexual reproduction and hyphal morphology in the prominent fungal pathogen Cryptococcus. My projects will focus on understanding the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms underlying virulence and pathogenesis.